The Lore of
The Black Cat

Yes, TBC stands for The Black Cat, and our story begins in Manila, Philippines. Mao and Camille, both business-minded creatives, found that their careers naturally, and inevitably, grew into a partnership.

Our first attempt to make things official (as a design company) abruptly fizzled out when the pandemic lockdowns hit. When we recouped, TBC was born. TBC, mainly for The Black Cat we lost in 2020, but also for the things that we love to do, “To Be Continued.”

In 2023 the team relocated to Zambales, half a day’s drive north from Manila. We still have the west coast sunsets we loved in back in the city, but (not-so-secret secret!) they’re a lot easier to enjoy from here.

The business 😎 — TBC Manila Design House is the independent creative studio of Mao and Camille del Rosario. With a small and specialized team, we write, design, strategize, illustrate, and direct.

Guiding Principles

  • In our studio, creative advice = business advice.

    We make art for businesses, which means we make art that works. We make recommendations so that clients can avoid overspending, underspending, or focusing too much on the wrong marketing activities.

  • We shout into the void with joyful, but calculated, abandon.

    Marketing is a grand experiment. We encourage brands to participate in the data-driven noise-making party.

  • As much as possible without reinventing the wheel, industry standards are what we make them.

    As passionate artists, writers, and researchers, we follow “rules,” but rewrite them when needed. Marketing norms are ever-changing, and small as we are, we’re drivers, not back-seat passengers. Industry standards are what we make them.

Main Humans

Camille del Rosario

A creative director with 13 years of experience in brand design, copywriting, graphics, marketing strategy, illustration, packaging, and project management. These years have given her insight into the workings of global brands, as well as local SMEs. She specializes in art direction, wordsmithing, and communication strategy. It’s her delight to help local businesses blossom in a fast-changing competitive economy.

Camille is the house writer and design lead.

Mao del Rosario

Mao is our resident director of photography and video producer. He began his career in business and finance, as a financial accountant, IT security and operations auditor, and business advisor. In late 2018, he decided to use those skills — along with a lifelong love for creativity — to become a photographer. In 2021, he expanded to video production.

Mao is the house digital strategist, business strategist, production head, and director of photography.