Hyun Bin says Pinoys are among the "warmest fans in the world"

South Korean actor Hyun Bin, who has endeared many Filipinos with his hit K-dramas and movies, is taking the lead in mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc.’s new campaign.

This is the first time a local telecoms company has tapped the South Korean superstar to be the face of its brand — a bold statement for Smart as it asserts its commitment to bring amazing experiences to Filipinos through digital technology.

Hyun Bin, who first won the hearts of Filipinos in 2005, when a local TV network aired a Tagalog-dubbed version of the romantic comedy-drama My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, says he appreciates being given this opportunity to connect with his Pinoy fans.

“Filipinos are some of the warmest fans in the world, and I am thankful to Smart for giving me a way to reach out to everyone in the Philippines,” he says. “Indeed, Smart has brought us closer than ever.”

‘HYUN BIN PHENOMENON’

Jane Basas, SVP and head of consumer wireless business at Smart, notes that “the ‘Hyun Bin Phenomenon’ is pretty much due to digital technology.”

“Filipinos have developed the craze because they are able to stream his shows, hear the buzz about him online, share their excitement with their friends, and even get to interact with him through social media,” she says.

Basas adds: “This makes him a perfect ambassador for Smart as we empower Filipinos with technological solutions made easy so they can enrich their daily lives and pursue their passions.”

‘SIMPLE. SMART AKO.’

In Smart’s latest TV commercial, Hyun Bin rides a sports car and zooms past the city streets — a reference to the blazing speeds by which Filipinos can enjoy their daily dose of entertainment powered by Smart LTE and Giga promos. The ad concludes with Hyun Bin delivering Smart’s new tagline in Filipino, “Simple. Smart Ako.”

Watch what happened behind the scenes here:

According to Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart president and CEO and also the PLDT chief revenue officer, the tagline, “Simple. Smart Ako,” “sums up our company’s approach all this time to make amazing technology available, and more importantly, simple for every Filipino.”

Smart draws from its history of innovating simple yet life-changing feats — making mobile phones accessible to ordinary Filipinos, pioneering groundbreaking products such as Smart Load and Pasaload, and democratizing mobile Internet along with its massive 3G and 4G network expansion.

“We are embracing our role as a digital lifestyle enabler that keeps innovating to make the life our customers simpler. Now that the world becomes more and more complicated, we believe that what matters most in life are the simplest things,” Panlilio adds.

AWARDS FOR SMART

Smart’s new campaign follows a string of awards from third-party mobile analytics firms recognizing the company's achievements in mobile data network speed.

Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, cited Smart as The Philippines’ Speedtest Awards Winner for mobile network speed during Q1-Q4 2019. To win this award, Smart achieved a Speed Score™ of 17.40, with average speeds of 19.62 Mbps for download and 9.45 Mbps for upload.

Opensignal, an independent mobile analytics firm, reported in its April 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report* for the Philippines that Smart was ahead of the competition in terms of video experience, upload and download speed experience, voice app experience, games experience, and 4G availability.

GIGA LIFE FOR EVERYONE

These citations are a result of Smart’s continuous network expansion and upgrade on its mobile data network, which now supports a wide range of Giga promos catering to the different passions and needs of customers.

Smart offers Giga Video for subscribers who want to binge-watch the latest K-dramas, online shows, and series; and Giga Stories for those who love sharing their experiences with friends and loved ones on social media.

Smart also offers Giga Games for avid mobile gamers, Giga Music for those who want their daily dose of tunes and podcasts, and Giga Work for easy access to a wide range of productivity apps to make work and school life simpler and more convenient.

Smart customers can register to Giga promos by simply dialing *123#.

Know more about Smart’s promos and services by following Smart Communications on Facebook, and @LiveSmart on Twitter and Instagram.

*Opensignal Awards – Philippines: Mobile Network Experience Report April 2020, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period November 1 – January 29, 2020 © 2020 Opensignal Inc.