How Ayala Land helped bring The STAR's stories to the screen
MANILA, Philippines — The partnership with Ayala Land gave The Philippine STAR the confidence to expand from print into television, paving the way for its multimedia future.
Every breakthrough begins with a first step.
For decades, The Philippine STAR built its reputation through the written word, earning the trust of readers with journalism that informed, inspired, and sparked conversation.
But as audiences began consuming stories in new ways, the publication recognized an opportunity to extend that same editorial expertise beyond the printed page.
The next challenge was learning how to tell stories through sound, visuals, and movement.
YouTube became one of the first platforms where The STAR experimented with video. Without a blueprint to follow, the team learned through trial and error, gradually discovering how its editorial strengths could translate into a more dynamic medium.
"It is so much easier today, going from print to digital. Nowadays, there's no content that is not mirrored online," says PhilSTAR Media Group Vice President Lucien Dy Tioco.
"Back then, moving into YouTube was a first for the print industry. Everything had to be built through trial and error, with no blueprint to guide the process."
Those early experiments laid the foundation for something much bigger.
The first leap to television
Among the first companies to believe in that vision was Ayala Land.
The company partnered with The STAR on what would become its first television venture, “Modern Living TV,” a 30-minute lifestyle program inspired by the newspaper's long-running Saturday “Modern Living” section.
Airing on ANC, the program showcased luxury residences, innovative architecture, interior design, and the people shaping contemporary Filipino living.
Ayala developments naturally became part of those stories, while hosts Bianca Gonzales-Intal and Stephanie Zubiri Crespi translated the publication's editorial voice into a compelling television format.
"It paved the way for us to embrace digitalization because we learned how to tell stories visually," Dy Tioco says.
The project proved to be a defining milestone.
What began as a single television program soon expanded into a growing portfolio of niche productions inspired by The STAR's established editorial properties.
“Wheels” evolved into automotive programming, while the lifestyle sections inspired shows such as “Trippies,” a travel program, and “Let's Eat,” a restaurant feature hosted by foodie Spanky Enriquez and Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, demonstrating that trusted journalism could thrive across multiple platforms.
Before the cameras
The partnership, however, had begun years before television entered the picture.
"It all came from print," Dy Tioco recalls. "During Ayala's 25th anniversary, they approached us for a campaign called ‘Eat’."
Rather than relying on traditional advertising, “Eat” transformed the newspaper into a platform for real-world experiences.
Restaurants across Ayala Malls created signature "STAR dishes," giving tenants editorial exposure while encouraging diners to discover new culinary destinations.
Readers didn't simply encounter the campaign on the page: they experienced it firsthand.
"It became a month-long experience that generated excitement among diners," Dy Tioco says.
Long before experiential marketing became common practice, the campaign demonstrated how editorial storytelling could extend beyond the newspaper and into everyday life.
Curating culture
That collaboration opened the door to another long-running initiative: Ayala Malls' annual “Style Origin” campaign.
The partnership positioned The STAR not only as a chronicler of fashion and lifestyle trends, but also as an active participant in the conversations shaping them.
Through coverage of runway shows, retail activations and lifestyle events at destinations such as Greenbelt, Glorietta and Alabang Town Center, the publication became part of the cultural moments it documented.
"They understood that placing their stories on our banner meant actively shaping narratives and encouraging people to, if not act, at least try new things," Dy Tioco explains.
"Influence was not something that could simply be created. It was built over years of consistently showing up for Filipinos, presenting the facts, and allowing them to decide for themselves."
Building towards something bigger
As projects like these continued to succeed, pursuing bigger ideas became less daunting.
"We always have to try harder than anyone," Dy Tioco says.
"And I think that's why these brands continue to work with us over the years. They see the quality, effort, and thought we put into every project we propose."
STAR Account Executive Jing Tiu echoes that sentiment.
"It's really not a question of whether The STAR can bring a vision to life, because clients know we can," she says.
"The question is: how can you not be part of this kind of ecosystem?"
Each collaboration became another step in The STAR's multimedia journey, building the confidence to experiment, innovate, and reach audiences in new ways.
Those early television and experiential projects would eventually lead to even bigger storytelling platforms, including the acclaimed Filipino romantic comedy television series “Single/Single” and the publication's growing portfolio of branded multimedia content.
Looking back, Ayala Land's role extended beyond supporting individual campaigns.
By embracing new formats at a time when they were still untested, the company became one of the partners that helped The Philippine STAR transform from a print newspaper into the multimedia organization it is today.
