RAFFLES are a common strategy used by brands to boost customer engagement, build excitement, and drive sales. But once the fairness of these promos is questioned, public trust can quickly unravel.
This is exactly what happened with the popular fast-food chain Jollibee, which is currently facing backlash after revealing the winners of a recent raffle — names that many online users found suspicious, if not completely made up.
AI-Generated Names?
The issue surfaced shortly after Jollibee published the list of winners for its nationwide promotional raffle. Internet users were quick to point out that the names looked oddly fabricated.
Rather than the usual, more realistic names, the list featured winners with entries that seemed either unusually stylized, overly generic, or downright odd.
Photo Courtesy: Jollibee
This led to speculations online that the names were fake, raising concerns that the Week 3 draw of the Burger Blowout promo may not have been conducted in a fair or transparent manner — especially with the foreign-sounding names that didn’t sit right with many Filipinos.
When the fast-food company shared the list, people were quick to point out an unusual mix: international-sounding names like August Sipes, Anya Macejkovic, Blaise Wolf, and Celestine Gaylord, alongside more familiar Filipino surnames like Dela Cruz and Santos.
The raffle was meant to award 1,750 winners with a pair of tickets each to the Coke Studio Live Concert featuring BINI, scheduled for September 5, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Araneta Coliseum.
Online Backlash
In today’s digital age, online doubt spreads like wildfire. Within hours, netizens were sharing screenshots, memes, and humorous takes on the questionable names. One TikTok creator even directly called out the fast-food chain for the suspicious entries.
“Jollibee, sana hindi nalang kayo nagpa-promo sa mga Blooms kung ayaw niyo namang mamigay ng major prize sa promo niyo,” DeejimonTV said in his video explainer.
The TikTok user even went as far as reading aloud several names from the now-deleted Facebook post, pointing out how obviously fabricated and unrealistic some of them sounded.
“Diba? Parang hindi naman mga Pinoy ang mga nanalo. Para daw ginamitan ng A.I. para mag-generate ng random names. Bakit naman ganon? Gumamit na lang kayo ng A.I., bakit ganyan pa ‘yung mga result,” he said.
“Sana ginamitan niyo ng mas magandang prompt para mas maging makatotoohanan ‘yung full names ng mga nanalo,” he went on to explain.
Statement Released
In response to the growing backlash, Jollibee issued an official statement on Friday, August 15, addressing the “recent concern” raised by netizens regarding the announced promo winners.
“We acknowledge the recent concern regarding the week 3 raffle draw of our Burger Blowout promo,” the fast-food giant started its statement.
“We are currently reviewing the matter and are working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry, with whom we have been actively coordinating throughout the course of this promotion,” they added.
While Jollibee did not directly respond to the allegations, the company has decided to temporarily suspend the upcoming raffle draws, assuring the public that previously announced legitimate winners will remain unaffected.
