The first thing Ginebra San Miguel wants you to see in its newest campaign is not a bottle, nor a slogan, but skin. Hands worn by ice and rope. Feet shaped by hard courts. Faces marked by long nights and longer years. In “Tatak ng Tapang, Tatak Ginebra,” launched digitally on Dec. 31, the brand builds its message around scars carried by four Filipinos whose lives were defined by endurance rather than spectacle.

At the center of the campaign are mountaineer Miguel Mapalad, visual artist Auggie Fontanilla, PBA first-round draft pick Sonny Estil and world 10-ball billiards champion Chezka Centeno. None are presented as celebrities. Instead, they are framed as people whose courage left physical and emotional marks long before recognition arrived.

“This is different from the past. We are honoring actual people—ordinary individuals whose stories our consumers can truly relate to. Our hope is that they inspire others through their authenticity and relatability to pursue their dreams, no matter how big on ambiguous,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Allan Mercado.

Mapalad’s story unfolds far from home, in thin air and brutal cold. After years of training across mountains in the Philippines and abroad, he set his sights on Mount Everest, a goal that demanded more than strength. “Reaching the peak of the Philippines and other mountains in the world was not enough— Mount Everest was my ultimate goal. Every step, every pull, every push, even in the face of pain, left the mark of courage imprinted on me until I finally stood on top of the world,” he said. At base camp, he even carried a photo of Ginebra San Miguel, which he shared with fellow mountaineers while using the drink to keep warm.

Courage, in Fontanilla’s case, was practiced nightly on city walls. Formerly employed in publishing, he left stability behind to pursue graffiti art full time. Days were spent earning enough to get by; nights were devoted to painting. Progress was slow, income uncertain, but persistence reshaped his path. Today, he serves as a lead artist at The Clothing and the Pilipinas Street Plan Collective, with murals that reflect years of quiet resolve rather than overnight success.

On the basketball court, Estil’s mark of courage began with borrowed footwear. Growing up in hardship, he worked as a farmer and carpenter, playing in local leagues with shoes that were often too small. Pain became routine. Training became daily. That persistence led to a game-winning shot at the Draft Combine and, eventually, a first-round selection by Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. Each step on the PBA court now carries the imprint of that journey.

For Centeno, the fight played out across billiard tables in modest halls in Zamboanga, where she was often the only woman competing against men. Losses came frequently, but she stayed. Practice followed defeat. Opportunity followed patience. In 2025, she claimed the WPA Women’s World 10-Ball Championship, using the sport not only to elevate her career but also to help lift her family out of poverty.

Threading these stories together is a broader idea of courage shaped by recent history. Marketing Manager Ron Molina traced the campaign’s roots to the pandemic-era concept of the “kabayani,” which highlighted everyday heroism. “The concept of the ‘bayani’ was born during the pandemic, when heroism took on new meaning. Today, we move toward real-life heroes—people who have actual battle scars to show. These are everyday heroes in their own fields, whose grit and discipline prove what true tapang looks like,” he said.

That shared understanding of struggle anchors the campaign’s message. “This is the kind of courage that never retreats and never gives up, no matter the challenge. It is the courage that pushes us to persevere until we achieve our goals,” Ron added. “Yan ang Tatak ng Tapang. Yan ang Tatak Ginebra”.

For Ginebra San Miguel, the scars worn by Mapalad, Fontanilla, Estil and Centeno serve as a counterpoint to polished hero narratives. “We celebrate courage in its most authentic form—Miguel, Auggie, Sonny, and Chezka are not celebrities or from well-off families, but they have shown what Tatak ng Tapang is all about—that when they face life’s challenges head-on, persevere against all odds, and inspire others through their strength, grit, and never-say-die spirit, they become real-life heroes,” said Group Product Manager Paolo Jose Tupaz

The campaign continues the brand’s long-standing association with resilience, this time told through bodies marked by labor, loss and persistence rather than metaphor.