525. BAYANTEL VOICE MAIL, Ladder TVC 15"s, 2002

In the early 2000s, Jimenez D’Arcy began showing the characteristic spirit of Philippine culture---“ethos” as it was called—as a point of executional distinction. BAYANTEL’s TVCs for its products were the perfect mediums to showcase “Pinoy ethos” in all forms—from the dialogue, characters, situations, and other elements of design , like sets, wardrobe,  and props. After all, BAYANTEL was talking to the whole “masa ng bayan”. 

WATCH BAYANTEL'S "Ladder" TVC 15s HERE:

So, the drama of the BAYANTEL Voice Mail TVC was set in a neighborhood hardware store—which, along with the barber shop and sari-sari store, are local color stereotypes—where busy people are never too busy for tsismis, where politics is discussed, arguments erupt—and in the case of the crowded, disorganized chaos that is the local hardware store---where accidents happen. So, if you can’t answer the phone—you can always listen to voice messages, or in this case--listen to a warning about a broken ladder.

 CREDITS:

 AGENCY: JIMENEZ D’ARCY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Butch Uy

COPYWRITER: George Belardo / ART DIRECTOR: Poch Guevara

PRODUCER: Paul Suarez

CLIENT: BAYANTEL

SOURCES:

4A' Philippines Memoreels youtube channel 

524. Puff Culture: ALHAMBRA CIGARS & CIGARETTES Ads, 1929-1962

CORONAS DE LA ALHAMBRA, 1929 Ad

One of the most enduring brands in our commercial and industrial history of the Philippines is ALHAMBRA—a brand associated with early smoking products made by the Alhambra Cigar & Cigarette Mfg Co., which was named a majestic palace and fortress complex in Granada, Spain called “Alhambra”.

ALHAMBRA CIGAR & CIGARETTE MFG. CO, John Tewell Photo, via flickr

As a tobacco product maker, its beginnings can be traced back during the late 19^th c. colonial period. But it was in 1912 that the company became established when it opened its manufacturing plant and offices along Tayuman St, in Tondo, Manila.

ALHAMBRA REGALIZE, 1957 Ad

The cigars were all made in the factory, handrolled and finished, and were sold locally and abroad. Alhambra contributed to the upliftment of the industry by making high quality Philippine cigars that were sought after and known around the world.

"LAFLOR DE FILIPINAS"ALHAMBRA BLANCO cigarette wrapper, Photo: Edward delos Santos

Alhambra cigars and cigarette products reached their peak in popularity in the first 3 decades of the 20^th century, with a range of products that catered to a range of markets—from everyman’s daily cigarettes, to premium cigars in handsome wooden presentation boxes,

ALHAMBRA CIGARS, 1962 Ad

The corporation ended in 1962, and a new entity, Alhambra Industries, Inc., was formed to manage its business and liquidation. The brand is now associated with Tabacalera Incorporada, a manufacturer of world-class Philippine cigars that continues to produce cigar-based product lines under the iconic and venerable  "Alhambra" brand name.

523. International Boxing Referee SONNY PADILLA for OMEGA PAIN KILLER, 1978 Print Ad

In 1959, the Wong Brothers of Cebu--George, Sixto, Sergio, David Sr., and Pio Sr., founders of International Pharmaceuticals, Inc., launched a new anti-body pain liniment  that would become a byword in pain relief: OMEGA PAIN KILLER. It enjoyed much success after the greaseless version was introduced in 1968.

But the brand solidified its place in the pain market when CARLOS “Sonny” PADILLA Jr. —the Filipino boxing referee of the historic “Thrill in Manila’ Ali-Frazier fight ---gave OMEGA Pain Killer a major push in 1978.

3rd Man on the Ring: Referee Carlos Padilla Jr. via Business Mirror

Coming from an internationally-renowned referee who saw first-hand and up-close the  worse body aches and pains: sprain, cramps, muscle spasms—there was, indeed, no better recommendation than OMEGA Pain Killer for effective ache and pain relief. After all, long-before the Ali-Frazier fight, he was familiar with after-sports pain—his father Carlos Sr. and uncle, Jose Padilla Jr. were former Olympic boxers for the Philippines in 1932 and 1936.

Padilla’s celebrity magic would also propel Pagoda Internationals’ Family Rubbing Alcohol to stratospheric heights, resurrected his movie career, and importantly, and jumpstarting his international refereeing career, that included high-profile fights like Wilfred Benítez vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (1979); Mike Tyson vs. Pinklon Thomas (1987); Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Durán (1984);  Julio César Chávez vs. Ruben Castillo (1985), among others.

522. Let's Raise a Glass or Two!: CAFE PURO, Various Glass Premium Ads, 1966-69

At the peak of its business, Commonwealth Foods Inc., producer of Instant CAFÉ PURO, held the distinction as the First and Largest Coffee Plant in the Far East, with the Biggest in Sales in the Philippines. It’s flagship brand CAFÉ PUROand its variants Le Café and Café Bueno, was a market and industry leader, known for its professionally-done advertising, and the regular consumer promotions.

Instant CAFÉ PURO was a leader in packaging innovation, the first to come out in glass jars with plastic caps—that were actually, usable decorative drinking glasses. These premiums had added-appeal to consumers, as you not only get coffee, you also get to keep the glass that you can use daily, so you can be regularly reminded of the coffee brand that gave it away to you—Free.

The most popular CAFÉ PURO collectibles that added immensely to the brand’s success were exclusively designed glasses that often came in sets. Chief among these were the CRYSTAL GLASS Collection, which featured applied “starlight” designs, with a flip-off plastic cap. These first came out in 1966, advertised on weekend and women’ magazines.

The CRYSTAL GLASS promo was so successful that the next year, the FOLK DANCE glass series was launched, which proved to be their biggest packaging promo ever. These were the first truly collectible glasses, that also came with matching shakers and pitchers. Each carried an ACL (applied color label) design of the country’s famous folk dances, rendered in stylizes drawings.

Singkil, Tahing Baila, Maglalatik, Itik-Itik and Tinikling were among the illustrated dances that were featured on the glass. To this day, these Café Puro FOLK DANCE series are sought after by advertising collectibles fans. (see separate article about these glasses on this blog.)

In 1968, a more premium-looking glass set was offered; The Instant Café Puro RAINBOW GLASS collection. The colors of the rainbow are all aglow in the glasses with gradating vivid hues of Orange, Yellow, Blue, Violet, Green and Purple.

Unfortunately for CAFÉ PURO, Nescafe, which initially came out in unsightly tin cans, improved on the packaging idea, and came out with their own glass collection that became truly classic—the straight-sided clear diamond-cut glass. Where Café Puro was giving out large glass jars with tin caps, Nescafe was offering classy 4-sided mutli-purpose glass canisters with glass and plastic stoppers. Simple and durable, sales took off for Nescafe, and the drinking glass and glass canisters became ubiquitous in  homes, office canteens, food stalls and wayside carinderias. With its massive market budget, product line extensions, and coffee expertise, Nescafe would bypass CAFÉ PURO by the 70s.,

 That being so, CAFÉ PURO remains a beloved brand, remembered for its full-bodied aroma and taste, as we as for its glass giveaways,  which, in their time, were the most attractive, well-made utilitarian tableware that every housewife would be proud to own.

521. HELENE CURTIS SUAVE presents: "The Creation Series" 1961

“POUFF PARISIENNE” by Panching Servando of Ben Farrales Glamour House. The August creation puts a twist on the French pouff by flattening the hair on the sides and back exposing the ears. The model is Ines Villareal-Regala.

One of the earliest haircare brands to forge a strategic alliance with beauty institutions and the leading hairdressers in the country was HELENE CURTIS, In the early 1960s the company began to build on the success of its SUAVE brand, introducing shampoos, creme rinses, and wave sets. To promote it, SUAVE was promoted by beauty salon operators and the country’s leading hairstylists, in tie-up ads that bannered new hairstyles and the latest coiffure craze for them month, through a “creation series” launched in 1961 through 1962. The following 2-color ads which featured name models, were part of the series that ran in women’s magazines nationwide.

“PAPILLON” by Beny Baluyot of Beny’s Beauty Salon. A new creation for February that flaunts soft-looking hair for a chic, casual style that women will love.

“BOB PARISIENNE” by the Kayumanggi Styling Group, This shimmering hairstyle creation for December with lovely highlights features model Mrs. Caroline Manning. 

“THE BELL” by Moises Sia of Del Val’s Beauty Salon. Classically-designed  hair highlighted by sparkling gleams created by Suave for a radiant effect, without looking oily.

SUAVE, introduced in 1937 by Helene Curtis, is one of the most successful and enduring brand of the company and is still available to this day. Now with Unilever, SUAVE as a brand represents more than 100 products including shampoo, lotions, soaps and deodorant, used in United States, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Canada.

SOURCES:

Suave (the brand), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suave_(brand)

Helene Curtis Industries Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Curtis_Industries,_Inc.

520. Is that Who I Think He Is? ANTHONY ALONZO for LITTON DENIMS, 1983

Once, in the 1950s-thru the 70s, the Philippines was a major manufacturer of fabric in the Asian region, thanks to LITTON & Co. Inc., producers of the well-known LITTON brand of fabrics. The business was started by Englishman George Litton Sr., who came to the Philippines and married a local girl, Rosa Tulod. His fabric business survived the war and became a success in the 50s, helping develop the country’s fabric industry, By the 60s decades, over 20 textile mills were operating in Mandaluyong and Pasig area, with LITTON having the largest and most complete factory built for Php 40 million.  

The Denim craze in the 70s and 80s drove the demand for denims to great heights, and LITTON denims were in full color, in major magazines and newspapers. LITTON’s choice as celebrity endorser surprised many as he was over 30 years old then, quite mature, while other brands employed younger models.

Still, LITTON opted to use the action-sexy film star ANTHONY ALONZO, as he was perhaps, the most visible actor around, with some 30 films under his belt, shot from 1980 to 1985 alone. This meant that Alonzo had quite a major exposure on the silver screen, as well as on videos. In fact, within this 5-year period, he won the 1982 FAMAS Best Actor Award for Bambang and , he triumphed as Best Actor twice at the Manila Filmfest for Bago Kumalat ang Kamandag (1983) and Moises Padilla Story: The Missing Chapter (1985). He would win again in 1987 for Anak ng Badjao, making him the second most awarded Best Actor in the filmfest, after Christopher de Leon.

Born as Antonio Viana Hernandez (2 Apr. 1948) in Quezon City, Anthony is known as  the brother of actress Alicia Alonzo, who herself is still appearing in Filipino films and soap operas. He was already 26 when he appeared in his first movie, Muntinlupa 1950. But he made up for it by becoming the Philippines’ busiest actor from the 1980s thru the 1990s decade. Some of his well-known roles were in the movies Hindi Sa Iyo ang Mundo, Baby Porcuna (1978), Dakpin si Junior Bombay (1979), Dakpin si Pusa, Totoy Scarface (1981), Ang Paghihiganti ni David Burdado (1983), Jabidah Massacre (1990), Relaks Lang, Sagot Kita (1994)-Warlito Gan, and his last movie, Masdan Mo ang Mga Bata (1997). Alonzo died of skin cancer on 9 Oct. 1998 at age 50.

As to LITTON & Co., the heirs—that includes the famous TV Host and Personality Johnny Litton, has shifted its business from clothing to shelter, still aligned to its mission of helping make life better, all for the benefit of many.

SOURCES:

Litton Company: https://littonandcompany.com/litton-legacy.php

Anthony Alonzo, Wikipedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Alonzo

The Washington Post, List of People who fled with Marcos

Video 48, THE EIGHTIES # 504: ANTHONY ALONZO, ROBERTO GONZALEZ, et.al. "ANG PAGHIHIGANTI NI DAVID BURDADO" (1983), https://video48.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-eighties-504-anthony-alonzo-roberto.html

519. KLIM Powdered Whole Milk by Borden, 1935-1967 Print Ads

1965 KLIM AD "Best Milk for Baby"

KLIM Powdered Milk is one of the oldest milk brands available in the Philippines, but the product version sold here was made by Borden Co., a well-known U.S.-based dairy company that had its beginning in the 19^th c. Early ads featured the slogan "Spell it backwards”.

EARLY 1935 PHILIPPINE KLIM AD

The brand KLIM had an even earlier history though, that began in 1920, when the Merrell-Soule Company of Syracuse, New York improved the spray-drying method patented by Robert Stauf in 1901, a process that dried milk into  powder. Merrell-Soule replaced regular milk with condensed milk, resulting in a dehydrated whole-milk powder that kept not only its nutrients, but also did not spoil quickly.

WORLD CHAMPION BOXER 'FLASH" ELORDE FOR KLIM,1957

KLIM Powdered Milk was sold in cans, and just a few spoonfuls mixed with water can give babies and kids the pure wholesome goodness and flavor of real cow’s milk. As KLIM can stay fresh without refrigeration, it was perfect for use in humid, tropical places. Hence, KLIM was brought to the Philippines as early as the 1930s, imported and distributed by the Getz Brothers.

KLIM achieved success in the Philippines, and its advertising played up on its completeness, value for money, and the convenience of no refrigeration. In the 1960s, NAMARCO-branded KLIM products were launched in support of the National Marketing Corp. which aimed to help Filipino retailers procure products at reasonable prices and promote economic welfare.

1966-67 KLIM AD

Over the years KLIM used tri-media advertising to push the product, using celebrity endorsers that included world champion boxer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde in the late 50s and a young Lea Salonga in the early 80s who popularized the jingle “I love KLIM…wow-..woww..woww.wow..I Love Klim!”.

1966-1967 KLIM AS

In 1998, Nestle acquired KLIM from Borden, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020. That same year, New Dairy Opco LLC won Borden's assets via an auction, becoming the company's new owner. KLIM Powdered Whole Milk is still being manufactured by Nestlé to this day, assuring us that this iconic brand will endure for more generations to come.