How Cebu Pacific Wove Culture into QR Codes (and Got the PH Talking!)
QR codes aren’t new. But Cebu Pacific found a way to make them meaningful by weaving Filipino heritage into their very design. Near helped translate that vision into a KOL campaign that didn’t just perform well… but it got people talking, sharing, and rediscovering the Philippines.
Above Target for Impressions:
Benchmark: Micro- to mid-tier influencer campaigns often generate 100K–150K impressions for a group of 10 creators. (source)
Above Target for Engagement Rate:
Benchmark: According to HypeAuditor’s 2023 report, the average Instagram engagement rate across all influencer tiers is 2.05%, with micro-influencers (5K–20K) averaging 3.86%
Cebu Pacific is the Philippines’ leading low-cost airline, known for its affordable fares and vibrant seat sales. Since 1996, it has connected Filipinos across more than 60 domestic and international routes, becoming a go-to airline for families, OFWs, and young travelers alike. Beyond its reputation for budget travel, Cebu Pacific has also made strides in promoting local culture and sustainability through its campaigns.
Making QR codes more than just scannable
To celebrate local culture and destinations, Cebu Pacific launched its QR Flight Codes: a creative initiative that wove traditional Filipino weaving patterns into functional QR codes. These weren’t ordinary QR codes. They were functional, scannable artworks that carried actual weaving patterns from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, turning each region’s cultural identity into a visual and interactive travel prompt. The campaign involved working closely with local weaving communities to preserve and modernize their patterns, then integrating those into QR code designs that remained fully scannable. When scanned, the codes led viewers to curated destination content that encouraged exploration of that region.
Displayed on out of home billboards across the country, the QR Flight Codes didn’t just spotlight destinations: they invited Filipinos to rediscover their roots, one weave at a time. It was a celebration of intangible heritage, reviving traditions through a modern, tech-enabled experience.
The challenge? Drive public engagement around these QR codes through digital storytelling that resonated with a Gen Z audience, many of whom weren’t aware of the initiative’s cultural depth. Cebu Pacific tapped Near to bring the QR Flight Codes to life through influencer marketing that could make heritage feel fresh, shareable, and exciting.
But to truly bring this vision into the everyday digital spaces of young travelers, Cebu Pacific turned to Near. The goal: transform this culturally rich, design-led idea into a social-first movement through creator-led storytelling that felt relevant, inspiring, and authentic to a Gen Z audience.
For this campaign, Near didn’t just aim to generate content; we aimed to help Cebu Pacific spark interest and create cultural resonance. We knew that aesthetic travel shots weren’t enough. We needed stories with emotional depth. We needed creators who could own the narrative, anchor it in lived experience, and make every viewer feel like discovering the Philippines was not just worthwhile, but personal. Our influencer strategy focused on precision, not scale, and with just 9 influencers, we made an impact.
Near bridges Tradition and Tech
Tapping regional voices with real roots
Instead of defaulting to names in Metro Manila, we partnered with regional creators from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, ensuring that each piece of content came from someone who understood the culture they were representing. This hyper-local casting paid off.
Kookoo Macasaet, sharing her return to Iloilo, delivered an extraordinary 41.8% engagement rate, showing how deeply personal content can outperform even high-production branded work.
Bisaya Conyo Girl’s Cebu food guide became the most saved and shared content on TikTok for the campaign, thanks to her mix of humor and local knowledge that resonated strongly with her Bisaya audience.
Meanwhile, Neil Feranil achieved a standout 20.46% engagement rate through content that combined nostalgia and hometown pride—proving that a creator’s genuine connection to place often drives higher emotional impact and response.
These creators didn’t just “feature” destinations; they lived and breathed them, making each post feel less like a brand push and more like a personal invitation to rediscover home. Collectively, their work helped the campaign exceed reach and impression targets by 194.40% and 431.29%, respectively.
Turning a billboard into a conversation starter
QR codes on billboards usually mark the end of the creative process. For us, they were the beginning. A key highlight of this campaign was the rare influencer integration of out of home media, an often overlooked format in digital strategy. Rather than treat the billboard as background, we made it central to the story.
KOLs incorporated them into their videos and carousels, tying physical presence to personal narratives. This not only amplified visibility but helped humanize the message behind the QR Flight Codes. Despite working with only 9 KOLs, Near was able to deliver 47 content outputs, maximizing exposure across TikTok, Instagram, and Stories.
The result? A campaign that sparked pride, curiosity, and interaction! It reflected an average engagement rate of 8.18%, more than double the original KPI.
Near’s Takeaways on making heritage travel hit home
Real voices build trust. Working with regional influencers added depth that couldn’t be replicated by creators unfamiliar with the culture. Audiences responded with more than just likes—they shared memories, asked questions, and even made travel plans. This authenticity helped push the campaign’s engagement rate over 200% above KPI.
Content shouldn’t just look good; it should answer questions.
The strongest posts weren’t just aesthetic, but useful. Food guides, hometown tips, and rediscovery stories performed best because they aligned with what people actually search for. For marketers, blending utility with emotion makes content both watchable and save-worthy.
Creating online impact from offline assets. By bringing QR billboards into their narratives, influencers helped a static out of home campaign become something dynamic and personal. The right brief can turn physical assets into digital moments and drive real action online.
