“RC Cola's Creepy Commercials”
RC Cola's commercials in 2020 and 2023 went viral for their unexpected storytelling and
weird marketing strategy. The 2020 commercial stunned viewers with its dreamlike imagery, which
is a child accusing his mother of adopting him, only to pull out drinking glasses lodged in his back.
In return, the mother took off her head, showing that she was a giant RC Cola bottle, and then
filled the glasses on the boy's back with cola. Although some viewers enjoyed the ad's originality
and underlying message of belonging and acceptance, many viewed it as confusing, disturbing,
and emotionally insensitive, especially with it refers to adoption and identity issues. The
controversy over the ad made it go viral, with users arguing whether the ad was brilliantly creative
or simply plain disturbing. Despite the public's mixed responses, the campaign effectively
increased RC Cola's sales by 67% and even gained overseas recognition when the ad was on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, with it being ranked as one of the weirdest commercials ever.
In 2023, RC Cola tried to repeat the success of its viral 2020 commercial with another
shock-value-based, ridiculous advertisement. But this time, the welcome was less warm. The
strange angle felt more like a marketing gimmick than an original because the surprise aspect that
made the 2020 commercial so successful was now predicted. Although the ad continued to have
weird and unusual storytelling, many people perceived that it lacked the emotional core and
creativity of the previous version. Rather than challenging creativity, RC Cola was simply
rehashing the same formula without bringing anything new to the table. Furthermore, critics
argued that the brand was gaining more fame because of its strange ads rather than due to the
true quality of its product, which created doubts whether those marketing strategy could drive
long-term customer loyalty. Although the 2023 ad still picked up online momentum, it did not
create the same cultural impact as the 2020 one. Interestingly, at roughly the same period, the
slogan "Balutin Mo Ako" was a 2023 viral meme, but it had no connection to the RC Cola
commercials. The meme is from Sharon Cuneta's "Bituing Walang Ningning" song, where she
belts out the lyric "Balutin mo ako sa hiwaga ng iyong pagmamahal". Social media netizens
started jokingly applying the phrase to describe bringing home leftover food from parties, which is
a popular Filipino culture. The meme instantly gained traction online, with Sharon Cuneta herself
joking about it, even singing a parody version of the phrase to give recognition to the trend. But
since both the RC Cola commercial and the meme included "Balutin Mo Ako", some users
mistakenly assumed that they were related.
In fact, the RC Cola commercials were simply a marketing gimmick, while the meme was a
spontaneous, internet-generated joke about Filipino culture. Eventually, although RC Cola's
strategy of using shock value was effective at creating buzz, the company had the problem to
prove if it could go beyond viral commercials and establish a solid, loyal customer base. RC
Cola’s “Balutin Mo Ako” advertisements in 2020 and 2023 showcased the power of shock
marketing and viral storytelling, but they also highlighted its limitations. The surreal and disturbing
imagery of the 2020 ad made it go viral, generating huge online conversations and brand visibility,
but also raised ethical questions regarding its message. However, the 2023 failed to generate the
same hype, proving that relying solely on weirdness and shock value is not a sustainable long-
term strategy.
Reference:
1. RC Cola Philippines. (2020, November 26). Nyahahakbkxjbcjhishdishlsab@!!!! basta
RC Cola! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXWj5BK7evM
2. GIGIL TV. (2023, May 1). “Food packing” | GIGIL for RC Cola [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoh1bbeW-tk
3. The strategy behind RC Cola’s Basta campaign in the Philippines. (n.d.-c). Contagious.
https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/insight-and-strategy-behind-rc-cola-
Filipino-advertising-campaign
4. Team, R. C. I. (n.d.-b). RC Cola NEW Philippines Goes Viral with a Unique Video Ad.
https://l.rccolainternational.com/blog/philippines-goes-viral
5. GMA News. (2021, January 23). Ellen DeGeneres reacts to RC Cola commercial. GMA
News Online.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/hobbiesandactivities/772945/ellen-
degeneres-reacts-to-rc-cola-commercial/story/
