Manila, Philippines — Haleon, the global leader in consumer health behind trusted brands like Stresstabs, Centrum, and Sensodyne, continues to earn international recognition for its Stresstabs campaign nicknamed “Assemble.” Developed in partnership with GIGIL, an independent Filipino creative agency, the campaign was awarded Bronze in the Short Video Marketing category and named a Finalist in Health and Wellness—making it one of only four Philippine entries awarded at this year’s APAC Effies.
Workplace stress is on the rise
For many Filipino workers, stress is becoming harder to leave at the office. Rising living costs, economic uncertainty, and the pressure to seek additional work or income are adding to already demanding jobs. A 2025 consumer survey found that 75% of Filipinos take on extra work to help make ends meet, while separate research found that 87% of Filipino workers experience some form of work-related stress, resulting in tiredness, trouble sleeping, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.
Moved by these everyday realities, Stresstabs wanted to help employees around the country feel seen and whole again despite the pressures they face.
“Stress is something many Filipino workers have simply learned to live with. With Stresstabs, we wanted to challenge that normalization through a story that felt honest, relatable, and distinctly Filipino,” said Maimai Madrid-Punzalan, Haleon Philippines General Manager.
“Ultimately, this is about helping people take better care of themselves. This is how we are bringing our purpose of delivering better everyday health with humanity to life,” added Madrid-Punzalan.
The campaign’s strong consumer response also translated into positive brand performance, with Stresstabs recording double-digit sales growth, increasing its market share, and becoming one of the fastest-growing brands in its category.
The Story of Jemerlyn
Meet Jemerlyn, an everyday Filipino office worker carrying the weight of deadlines, long hours, and daily pressures, until stress leaves her feeling like she is slowly falling apart.
Telling the story of office worker “Jemerlyn,” Stresstabs challenged the normalization of stress with a striking visual metaphor: she gradually falls apart as stress silently drains her body’s nutrients until Stresstabs helps put her back in one piece.
“As one of the most stressed workers in the world, no amount of eyebags or pale skin can truly capture how stress feels,” said GIGIL’s Associate Creative Director Jillian Librodo.
Recognized as the Asia-Pacific region’s most prestigious marketing effectiveness award-giving body, the APAC Effies celebrate creative campaigns that deliver real business impact. The Stresstabs campaign also earned recognition from Campaign Brief Asia’s The Work, along with a Bronze win at the Tambuli Awards.
The success of Stresstabs reflects the value of putting people first: listening to the pressures they face and turning insights into solutions that support their everyday health. Through its partnership with GIGIL, Haleon combined deep consumer understanding, trusted science, and culturally relevant storytelling to create work that resonated with Filipino workers while delivering meaningful business impact.
