The Genius of Maja Salvador’s New Ad

“KERATIN PLUS?!?” If you saw the hilarious digital commercial making its rounds on the internet, I’m certain you heard Maja Salvador’s voice reading that line. Making an “ad you can hear,” Keratin Plus, a daily hair treatment product, recently launched a digital commercial with their newest endorser, celebrity actress and soon-to-be-mom, Maja Salvador.

The 15-second video opens with Maja’s gorgeous profile saying, “I feel beautiful because I treat my hair with keratin… KERATIN???” as she finger combs through her long, luscious hair. Dubbed the “Queen of Repeating Words”, the creatives behind this ad perfectly matched Maja’s natural quirk to the simple yet brilliant script. 

But that’s not all there is to it. The “repeating words syndrome” is a distinctly Pinoy take on hifalutin words or sudden English speak. It’s a verbal mannerism that is widespread among Millennials and Gen Z, to soften the seriousness of a conversation, or to make fun of one’s self. It’s like an inside joke among fellow Pinoys and is translated as the “caps lock patanong culture” among younger netizens. Some go as far as gatekeeping the meme when others can’t seem to understand its context, but that’s what makes it funnier. The “dogshow humor” of the ad instantly caught its audience, trending among Facebook Community Groups and social media platforms. Some even claim it’s the official meme of 2024.

That’s easy, given the convenience of sharing online. The true success of the ad, however, is measured by how some people went out of their way to hunt for the product themselves. “The Living Meme,” as some netizens call it, has an effect on consumers, making them flock to their nearby groceries and sari sari stores to check out the Keratin Plus hair treatments and shampoos. 

Check out these TikTokers proving that the ad is not just funny but highly effective, too: 

Under the username @gaiapoly with over 500k followers and 22.1M likes, the female TikToker is seen walking inside a local grocery with her young nephew, Martin, who mimicked the commercial by repeating some of her words as she talks to the camera, vlogging their trip. “Kaloka ‘yung effect ni Ms. Maja Salvador sa pamangkin ko. Mapapa-Keratin Plus ka na lang talaga, bhie,” she said on her caption. They even inserted parts of the commercial on the TikTok video to show how they’re copying Maja’s lines.

Another result of the ad is how it has proven to have brand recall, as TikToker, Martin Leonard Chua who has 165k followers and over 5.5M likes, recorded his own “Keratin Plus moment” upon seeing the product while he did his personal grocery errands. “I’m seeing a live Twitter meme right now,” he shared, as he held up a bottle of Keratin Plus shampoo. “Keratin???,” he jokingly said, in the same manner Maja did in the commercial. “Ang funny ni Maja Salvador! [...] I’m so happy na nakita ko siya in person (pertaining to the product).” 

As more people discover the brand through the entertaining advertisement, many share their positive reviews on these videos’ comments section. 

There is power in advertising, yes—the wittier, the better. But what makes it exponentially powerful that captures loyal consumers is the truth about their claims, and this is something that users can testify about Keratin Plus, again and again.