Manila to Manhattan: Bea Hufana on carving her path in global advertising

New York, NY — “Big shoots or big budgets” are not necessarily the ingredients to a successful advertising campaign, and no one knows this more than Bea Hufana, whose career trajectory from Manila to Manhattan is stuff of inspiration.

A storyteller at heart and strategist by trade, Hufana has emerged as a dynamic force in the global advertising landscape — bringing warmth, wit and emotional depth to the brands she helps shape. With a career spanning award-winning agencies in Manila and now New York City’s fast-paced creative scene, Bea blends sharp insight, cross-cultural fluency and a love for emotionally resonant work that stands out in a noisy world.

“My creative philosophy is driven by curiosity. I ask, ‘Why are people behaving this way, and how can we connect with them meaningfully?’ Great advertising starts with listening to people — through actions, not just words — and tapping into emotional truths. It’s never about pushing a product, but telling a story that resonates deeply. The goal is to create work that feels authentic, sparks emotion and invites engagement. When brand purpose aligns with real insights in a fresh, unexpected way, that’s when the magic happens. Plus points if it’s hilarious. Most importantly, I believe advertising should be fun. The hours can be intense, and the workload often feels endless — but if we’re still enjoying the process and proud of what we create, that’s when the work becomes truly great,” she tells DAILY TRIBUNE.

Bea’s journey into advertising began in Manila, where she earned her degree in Communication from Ateneo de Manila University. Originally drawn to film, it was a conversation with her uncle about advertising that changed everything. “He told me how fast-paced and exciting the industry was, how much creativity and thinking went into it — it just clicked,” Bea shares. “I realized that advertising could be where all my interests come together: storytelling, strategy and big creative ideas that move people.”

That spark led her to pursue an advertising track in her program, and eventually to some of the country’s top creative shops including Leo Burnett, Dentsu and the Cannes Lion-winning indie agency, GIGIL. There, she helped bring to life campaigns for iconic brands like Netflix, Coca-Cola and Jollibee — earning a reputation for being not just a reliable account manager, but a creative partner who knows how to bring a campaign’s soul to the surface.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how marketing can tap into people’s emotions — whether it’s humor, nostalgia, or something bittersweet,” she says. “It’s not just about communicating the product. The best ads actually make people feel something and reflect a truth about their own lives. That’s what I love about this job: we’re not just managing campaigns, we’re shaping them.”

Driven by a hunger for growth and a big-picture mindset, Bea began asking the inevitable question account managers often ask: what’s the next step? “As an ambitious, Type A girl with big dreams, I knew I needed to go where the action is — New York just made sense. It’s the center of advertising, a melting pot of culture and creativity. The energy here is unmatched.”

Bea moved to the US to pursue her Master’s in Integrated Marketing at NYU, adding an academic edge to her practical experience. Now, she works at Pixel, managing campaigns for Canon, while soaking in the cultural richness that fuels New York’s creative industries.

She says, “I had to point to a key international milestone, it would be handling Canon at my current agency in New York. Canon is a brand that speaks to creatives and storytellers and working on large-scale, high-impact campaigns for them has been both challenging and deeply fulfilling. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of shaping stories for a brand that inspires so many.”

As a Filipina in global advertising, Hufana shares, “One of the biggest internal challenges was unlearning the cultural humility we’re raised with in the Philippines — and replacing it with the ability to advocate for myself without guilt.

“When I moved to New York and began job hunting, I quickly realized I wasn’t just competing with locals, or even just Americans — I was up against talent from all over the world. Sometimes, it really does come down to luck just to land an interview. But more often than not, you have to create that luck yourself.

“I pushed myself to reach out to people, network relentlessly, and unapologetically promote my work and what I could bring to the table. I had to unlearn the idea that humility meant silence. I had to believe in myself — and show it. Because in this industry, the work doesn’t always speak for itself; you have to speak for it, too. Getting out of my comfort zone wasn’t easy, but I did it because if there’s one place I dreamed of working as a creative in advertising, it was always New York.

“What excites me most about doing advertising in New York is how much we can learn from different cultures. Diversity makes the work richer, more human. I love how ideas evolve when multiple perspectives come into play — you’re always learning, always challenged.”

At the same time, Bea carries her roots with pride. “It means a lot to me to represent where I’m from. I’d love to be part of the new generation of Filipino creative talent making it on the global stage. Seeing other Filipinos succeed internationally is incredibly inspiring — it reminds me that it’s possible.”

With her blend of emotional intelligence, creative instinct and global ambition, Bea Hufana is more than just a rising name in advertising — she’s shaping the way brands connect with people across cultures and borders. And she’s only just getting started.

“We’ve been underrepresented for far too long, and yet Filipino creatives bring so much heart, humor, resilience and cultural richness to the table. I carry my roots with pride and see it as both a responsibility and a privilege to represent the Filipino voice on the global stage. I want to show that creativity from the Philippines isn’t just ‘up-and-coming’ — it’s here, and it’s world-class.”