Jollibee Cooks Up Love & Emotion on YouTube

Love is in the air, and by “love” I mean the savory smell of fried chicken. That lovely smell comes from Jollibee, a fast food restaurant popular in the Philippines (where their headquarters is located). Over the last couple years, the company has produced quite a buzz around Valentine’s Day with their “Kwentong” short film advertisements. These spots depict several love stories all based on true events, and people are falling in love with them.

2017 was the first year Jollibee came out with the Valentine series. Ever since, people have been patiently waiting every February for the next “Kwentong” installment. Viewers have become so emotionally invested in every story and its characters, they began making reaction videos. There are pages of these videos on YouTube, and some have as many as 5.2 million views. The advertisements themselves have millions of views, and the company has over 349,000 YouTube subscribers—more than Burger King, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s.

Jollibee’s tagline for these short films is “Have faith in love”, and each episode builds that faith (in love and Jollibee). The company characterizes their food as an escape to happy memories, joyful experiences, and love. Throughout each episode, the fast food is there to comfort and provide happiness for all. The most emotional and popular “Kwentong” Jollibee video is called The Choice.

The Choice follows Ann as she tries to decide whether she wants to be with Paul or Jay. The story takes viewers on a whirlwind of emotions through a familiar plot, but towards the end of the commercial there is a dark turn of events—this is where the reaction videos get very entertaining and tearful. You’ll have to watch The Choice to find out if she chooses Paul or Jay, what the twist could be, and if you have faith in love.