Building a new business—or looking to evolve? Consult these 6 top branding studios in the PH

⁠How is your brand studio different from others in the market today?

Our hyper focus on branding means we’ve spent 13+ years perfecting one thing instead of chasing every service under the sun. We know exactly what we're great at, and more importantly, what we're not. We choose our clients as carefully as they choose us. We know our lane, and that specialisation is what allows us to deliver the best work for the founders and companies we partner with. We're about long-term relationships, not one-night stands. We're grateful that most of our new clients come through referrals from past clients, and many come back when they're building something new. That kind of trust only happens when you consistently deliver results, not just deliverables.

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Cristina Martelino, creative director

What range of services do you offer, and do you specialise in any in particular?

At Sproos, we’re a creative agency that specialises in content creation—photo, video and user-generated content (UGC)—tailored for brands that want to look as good as they are. We also (more quietly) offer branding and visual identity design to help businesses build memorable, meaningful identities from the ground up. While our roots are in content production, we’ve grown into creative partners for brands looking to “sproos” (yes, like spruce) up their brand at its core—so that everything else in the business, at least visually, follows suit.

What is the ethos driving your studio?

We’re driven by collaboration and a genuine love for creating beautiful images—and more recently, videos! We believe great work comes from enjoying the process, which is why we prioritise creativity, good energy and a sense of fun, while never compromising on quality. Teamwork is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re big on bringing our own original Sproos style into every project—fresh, thoughtful and always true to the brand we’re working with.

How is your brand studio different from others in the market today?

We blend the strategic thinking of a big agency with the energy and agility of a tight-knit creative team. At Sproos, we work as a collective—not as individuals in silos—so every project is born from shared ideas, fresh thinking and true collaboration. We approach each brief with a custom mindset and a genuine love for the creative process. We’re not just service providers; we’re creative partners. Because we stay culturally plugged-in, our work—and our team’s energy—doesn’t just look and feel good; it truly connects and resonates with everyone we collaborate with.

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Dan Matutina, co-founder

What range of services do you offer, and do you specialise in any in particular?

We’re a multidisciplinary studio, so we work on a variety of projects. That said, we primarily focus on branding and brand identity design. We’ve designed trophies, objects, wayfinding systems and publications. As long as the project is interesting and challenging, we’re open to it.

What is the ethos driving your studio?

We’ve always prided ourselves on being based in the Philippines. That’s why we’re named as such—Plus63 reflects +63, the country code of the Philippines. I don’t think this is our tagline (Laughs), but “Made in the Philippines, designing for the world,” is rooted in the belief that Filipino designers can create world-class design work. How do we achieve this? We constantly challenge ourselves and the companies we work with: Is the work enough? Can we do better? What else can we do to push it? 

⁠How would you describe your approach to working with a client to design an impactful brand?

You should always be able to "listen" to your client and their brand, though I don't mean this literally, since we're quite opinionated in our approach. When clients provide feedback or request revisions, we challenge them to uncover the real intent behind their input. We believe the relationship between client and designer should be a true partnership of equals. If a client simply wants us to execute their vision without question, we're probably not the right fit for each other.

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Tamica Vonae Gomez, account manager

What range of services do you offer, and do you specialise in any in particular?

We are a multidisciplinary creative agency that visualises every aspect of the brand journey. Our emphasis on pino (”polished”, “of quality” in Tagalog) visual storytelling allows us to play in the mediums of logo systems, print and packaging, websites, content, photo/video production, architecture and interior design.

What is the ethos driving your studio?

The world-changing value of a brand is innate and it requires a deep, pinong-pino (very refined) process to find it and bring that potential out. We enjoy the process of searching for that pinong-pino insight or inspiration that makes a brand special and once we find it, we celebrate the idea by showcasing it across a range of applications. We enjoy crafting these “brand ecosystems” in different industries and scaling to meet the client’s needs.

How is your brand studio different from others in the market today?

There is a growing need from more clients to build branded ecosystems through interconnected experiences—to link a brand identity launch to their webstore launch, produce content in a studio that will be promoted on digital platforms, design branded spaces and invite guests through events. We mirrored that need with a unique company structure and wide range of creative services, matching every creative speciality to a creative founding partner and team. The goal: wherever you are in your brand journey, whatever your current brand ecosystem looks like, through one or multiple services, there is more than one way to reimagine your brand.

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And A Half team

What range of services do you offer, and do you specialise in any in particular?

We specialise in brand identity and design systems, guiding brands from concept to application. Our work also extends into other creative applications such as illustrations, packaging, motion, campaigns and community experiences. Projects that balance strategic thinking, emotional clarity and creative exploration.

What is the ethos driving your studio?

We design with feeling. That means working with care, curiosity and a deep understanding of context. We design to connect with people in meaningful, lasting ways. As a worker-owned studio, shared ownership, collaboration and long-term thinking shape everything we do.

How is your brand studio different from others in the market today?

We’re a worker-owned studio made up of senior creatives who lead both the work and the way the studio runs. Our structure gives clients direct access to experienced designers who bring in a wealth of experience from their independent practices. The result is a process that’s collaborative, intentional and built for brands that want to connect with care.

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Lady Tanmantiong-Lao, founder and creative director; and Melissa Quizon, creative director

What range of services do you offer, and do you specialise in any in particular?

We do a bit of everything when it comes to branding and design—strategy, naming, visual identity, packaging, art direction, content and more. We love working on brands from the ground up, but we’re also great at helping existing ones evolve and grow. We’re especially excited about crafting brand visual identities and design systems that not only look good but work hard too. Something that helps businesses be their authentic selves so they can connect with people and create value.

What is the ethos driving your studio?

Curiosity and craft are at the heart of what we do. We like to ask questions and dig deep to find out what really matters to a brand. Then, we bring that to life through thoughtful, well-executed design that’s honest to who the brand is. We treat every project as a collaboration because we believe that great design can really make a difference, not just in how things look and how businesses are perceived, but in how those businesses act and become better.

How would you describe your approach to working with a client to design an impactful brand?

We like to roll up our sleeves and get in the weeds to really understand what’s going on—what’s working, what’s not, where we can play, what to avoid and what the real goals are. From there, it’s really a back-and-forth process. We don’t just take the brief and run with it. We prefer to stay in close conversation, offering ideas, asking questions and refining things together. Because we’re not just here to make things look good. What we end up with should reflect the strategy, work well and feel right, too.

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