CDO Foodsphere’s Highlands and San Marino earn awards at FMCG Asia Awards 2025

The brands achieved top recognition for campaigns that strengthened leadership in premium canned goods.

CDO Foodsphere was recognised at the FMCG Asia Awards 2025 - Philippines for the success of two major brand initiatives.

The company received the Campaign of the Year - Philippines for Highlands Gold Corned Beef and the Product Campaign of the Year - Philippines for San Marino Corned Tuna. Both campaigns reinforced the brands’ strength in their respective markets.

Highlands Gold reclaims relevance in the premium corned beef aisle

For Highlands Gold Corned Beef, the “It’s High Time for Highlands” campaign reintroduced the brand to consumers through its authentic “made with Angus beef” story and modern creative execution. The campaign positioned Highlands Gold as a premium yet relatable choice—elevating everyday comfort food with its delicious flavour, high-quality ingredients, and indulgent Angus Beef. 

The first wave featured a chef-hosted KOL tasting event that captured genuine reactions and highlighted appetite appeal as they tried Highlands Gold. The second phase expanded the narrative with a stylised brunch concept that aligned with current lifestyle and dining behaviours. 

According to Nielsen, Highlands is the fastest-growing corned beef brand, with significant share gains in the premium corned beef segment, confirming the campaign’s strong commercial and brand impact. 

San Marino inspires consumers to choose ‘The Love You Deserve’

San Marino Corned Tuna earned the Product Campaign of the Year - Philippines recognition for its “The Love You Deserve” initiative, which aimed to convert consumer hesitation into confident brand loyalty. Featuring local celebrities, Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli, the campaign brought to life the brand’s core message of siksik, sarap, sulit (generously packed tuna meat in every can, flavours that satisfy, and true value-for-money). 

The campaign’s creative highlighted real product benefits through storytelling that combined emotional connection with proof of taste and quality. The “siksik shake” became a recognisable cue for product density, whilst digital recipe content showed everyday uses that underscored flavour and practicality. By positioning San Marino as a rewarding choice that families truly “deserve,” the campaign sparked a major resurgence in both brand image and market traction.

According to Kantar Homepanel, the campaign delivered strong growth, outperforming the category and reinforcing San Marino’s leadership in the corned tuna segment. This performance demonstrates how the campaign successfully strengthened consumer trust and deepened brand preference across its target market.

San Marino and Highlands are quality products of CDO Foodsphere, Inc, a company that began in a home kitchen in 1975 and has since grown into one of the Philippines’ most trusted food manufacturers. Now celebrating its 50th year, the company continues to be committed to quality, innovation, and sustainability. 

With these winning campaigns, CDO Foodsphere demonstrated its capacity to build relevance across categories through authenticity, product quality, and insight-led storytelling that turned awareness into measurable growth.

The FMCG Asia Awards, organised by Retail Asia, recognises companies that have made a significant impact on the fast-moving consumer goods industry. It celebrates the excellence of those who consistently deliver exceptional products, drive innovative initiatives, and execute remarkable projects.

The FMCG Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here.  For more information about the awards programme, you may contact Shela Ramos at +65 3158 1386 or [email protected].