The 1993 Print Ad of the Year, a Saatchi creation for the
Philippine National Bank, a client from 1986 to 1993, gain exploited
two-pronged meanings. This time, however, the meanings could be deciphered in
the simple, graphic visual image.
The market was the family and/or dependents of the
overseas contract worker based in Hong Kong, the product is one of Santiago’s
admitted favorites, remittance services, specifically the bank’s new, speedy “Rapidremit”
system.
“It’s an interesting audience,” Santiago observes,”you’re
talking to the people waiting here for the money. “Mainit na ang ulo niyan. It’s
a very emotional market.”
Yet, Santiago and his team, composed of creative director
Mario Monteagudo, writer Edsel Tolentino, art director Randy Tiempo, and
artists Lulu san pedroand Tracy
Montinola, skipped the overtly emotional approaches commonly employed for
such complex, close-to-home subject as the Filipino laborer. “You can always talk
to labor exporters, show pictures of workers,” Santiago says ,but it’s hard to
be emotional in print. The speed must be the message.
As fast as the snap of a finger. Or as the ad shows, fast
as the blink of an eye,the “kisapmata” or fleeting moment it tales for a closed
eye to open.“People easily lose
interest in a newspaper message. It has to be simple. The visual has to tell
the story”.
The bonus, courtesy of Monteagudo, was the witty cultural
reference. The “kisapmata” also mared the difference between a slit eye, the
kind you’d find I a Chinese Hong Kong native, and the long-lashed orb of the
Pinoy. The double entendre again fell smoothly into place; PNB couldn’t have
asked for a simpler, more appropriate visual representation for the people of a
foreign land—one that happened with the big idea as well. This big idea was
speed; if you happened to get the cultural connotation, as well, then Santiago be
doubly happy.
The bank’s aggressive advertising did its job. PNB became
the leader in the remittance field, and the campaign also contributed to the
perceieved credibility of the country’s national bank.
CREDITS:
AGENCY:
ACE-SAATCHI & SAATCHI
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE
DIRCTOR: Jimmy F. Santiago
CREATIVE DIRECTOR:
Mario Monteagudo
COPYWRITER: Edsel
Tolentino
ART DIRECTOR:
Randy Tiempo
PRINT PRODUCER:
Beloy Anegeles
ARTISTS: Lulu San
Pedro, Tracy Montinola
ADVERTISER:
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
PRODUCT: PNB
Remittance
SOURCE:
PERFECT 10: A Decade of Creativity in Philippine
Advertising, 1995, p. 36
The 1957 Presidential Elections of the Philippines saw
the candidacies of several distinguished Filipino politicians from different
major parties. The elections were held in the year that the country was still
reeling from the airplane crash death of President Ramon Magsaysay in March. Vice
president, Carlo Garcia had to assume his office and serve theremaining 8 months of the deceased president’s
term.
SLOGANEERING. Yulo's camp launched a slogan-making contest to engage voters.
When the official election season of 1957 kicked off, the
major contenders for the executive posts of President and Vice-President
respectively, included incumbent Carlos P. Garcia and Jose Laurel Jr. (Nacionalista
Party), Jose Yulo and Diosdado Macapagal (Liberal
Party), Manuel Manahan and Vicente Araneta (Progressive Party) and Claro M. Recto
and Lorenzo Tañada(Nationalist Citizens’ Party) .
WINNING BY WORDSMITHING. 50 pesos for weekly winners!
José Yulo (b. 24 Sep.1894/d. 27 Oct. 1976) was born in
Bago, Negros Occidental. A U.P. law graduate, and a bar topnotcher, he rose to
become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (1942-45)
during the Japanese Occupation. Previous to this, he wasthe Speaker of the Philippine House of
Representatives from 1939-41. He had the distinction
of serving in all he branches of the government.
MAKE MAC WIN! The Macapagal camp organized pro-Macapagal groups that they could mobilize for cascading information and distribution of campaign materials.
Running mate Diosdado Macapagal (b. 28 Sep. 1910/d. 21
Apr. 1997) was an alumni of the University of the Philippines and University of
Santo Tomas, and worked as a governmentlawyer. His political career began in 1949 when he was elected as a Pampanga
congressman.
The Yulo-Macapagal tandem had many campaign stunts to
engage the voting public—and among these were a Slogan-Making Contest, with a weekly
cash prize of Php 50.00 for the winning slogan.
HOW-TO'S ON MAKING A MAC GROUP IN YOUR COMMUNITY, 1957 Ad
Macapagal,on the other hand, promoted the organization
of pro-Macapagal groups in Philippine communities, a network support to help
push his candidacy in the provinces. They were equipped with campaign materials
for posting in their neighborhoods, and the officials were used to cascade
information about Macapagal’s platform to people in far-flung places.
It would seem that Macapagal’s gimmick worked better than
that of Yulo, as after all the votes were counted, he found himself the runaway
winner of the Vice Presidential position, beating Jose Laurel Jr. Yulo, on the other
hand, placed second to Carlos Garcia. This was the first time that the elected
president and vice president came from different parties. Macapagal would eventually
be elected the 9th President of the Philippines in 1961.
Today, political stunts and gimmicks are threatening to overshadow
the competence and credentials of candidates—remembered more for their Voltes 5
jingles, useless giveaways, silly slogans, ridiculous posters and cash prizes. Politics,
after all, is about public service, not public entertainment, of which we
already have enough these days.
PICK A QUICK! Sunquick Orange Concentrate Intro Ad,1970
The refreshingly different orange drink that made waves
in the Philippines in 1970 was developed by Danish brothers Jep and Flemming Petersen.
They succeeded perfecting a process of concentrating real orange juiceand produced a juice drink first launched in the
United Kingdom in 1966 as SUNQUICK
Orange Concentrate.
Needless to say,
SUNQUICK became an incredible success, and the company began advertising in
1968, that propelled the product to eve greater heights. It became an
international brand as SUNQUICK in
Europe, the Middle East, and Asia—including the Philippines in 1970.
SUNQUICK Orange
Concentrate was bottled locally by Marina Sales, Inc. in Mandaluyong, a distribution
company that has been in business since 1954.
When it was launched in the Philippines through print and
TV advertising, it created by a buzz because of its concentrate form. One need
only to add water to make an orange drink that has 5 times more orange juice
than ordinary fruit drinks in the market. At that time, only Julep and Sunkist
were the only other available orange juice choices.
VALUE-FOR MONEY SUNQUICK MAGAZINE ADS. 1970
The initial interest in SUNQUICK Orange Concentrate was dampened by the perception that it
was too expensive for a bottled product. Also, the use of concentrate was
largely unknown. So, SUNQUICK embarked
on an aggressive value-for-money campaign. One small bottle of SUNQUICK, the ad message conveyed,could actually make 20 glasses of orange
juice drinks!
LISTEN TO THE 1970 SUNQUICK JINGLE
as sung by The Ambivalent Crowd
A TV commercial was the vehicle for SUNQUICK’s value-for-money message that featured the young, talented
members of the Ambivalent Crowd that included Pol Enriquez, Celeste Legaspi,
Cynthia Patag, Gigi Escalante, Mae Cendana, Pinky Marquez and Berg Villapando ,
among others. The much-sought after singing group had Willy B. Cruz as musical
director.
REPRICED VALUE-FOR MONEY AD. The original 17 centavos per glass has risen to 23 centavos due to inflation in 1971.
The Ambivalent Crowd were shown frolicking in what looked
like a garden setting, as they sang the memorable “Over 20 Glasses of SUNQUICK” jingle that was specially
composed by Jose Mari Chan.
SUNQUICK 1971 MAGAZINE AD
Decades later, SUNQUICK is one of the world’s most
popular concentrates, present in over 70 markets. Though no longer active in
traditional advertising. its business continues in the Philippines, under SUNQUICK Philippines, finally established in
2012.
Other than the flagship brand, SUNQUICK, its line has
expanded to include Lemon, Mango, Pink Guava & Strawberry, Mandarin,
Blackcurrant, Ice Tea Lemon and Tropical flavors—perfect summer refreshment for
the family!
2019 SUNQUICK FLAVORS. Share the Joy of 8 Flavors!
These are supported through merchandising, sales and online
promotions. Concentrating on great taste for many years now, SUNQUICK has truly
succeeded in its mission embodied by its new slogan: “Share the Joy!”
The most well-knowneffervescent antacid and pain reliever in the 50s—ALKA SELTZER—became available in the Philippines as an imported
product in 1951. Made by Dr. Miles Medicine Co. of Indiana, U.S. in
1931, ALKA-SELTZER had 3 active
ingredients—aspirin (for fever and pain), sodium bicarbonate (antacid) and
citric acid (for effervescence)
SPEEDY appears in this 1957 Alka-Seltzer ad.
When advertised, ALKA-SELTZER
was indicated for the relief of headache, fever and pain, acid stomach,
indigestions and hangovers. It was one of the most advertised products in the
world, and its commercials were among the most popular.
Speedy, created in 1951
as the product mascot, was also one of the most recognized advertising
character in history, and was extensively used in magazine ads that saw print
in the Philippines,
The memorable "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" ad
campaign made its appearance in the Philippines featuring the animate mascot
and a hit jingle.
It was conceptualized by Paul Margulies, a Madison Avenue
creative executive, and father of actress Julianna Margulies. The vintage 60s
ad showed 2 ALKA-SELTZER tablets
dropping into a glass of water instead of the usual one, which caused sales to
double. In 1976, the campaign was
successfully revived, with jingle sung by Speedy.
WATCH THE ALKA-SELTZER TV AD HERE:
published by Steve Stout, 23 Apr. 2007
By the time Miles Laboratories was bought by Bayer in
1979, ALKA-SELTZER had disappeared
from botica shelves, It is now only available as an imported product, which one
can now order online.
THE WORLD'S NO 1-NIDO, Mother and Daughter, Print ad. 1990
“Look at me, son, you’re
my no. 1..”
Smile at me hon, you’re
my no.1
And there’s no
treasure that I will cherish but you..”
The most successful campaign for NIDO Fortified® Full Cream Milk Powder began in the 1980s,
capitalizing on the stature of the brand as the world’s no. 1 powdered full
cream milk.
Throughout its over 20 year-run, the “No. 1” has been attached not
only to NIDO, but also to children (‘The
World’s No. 1 Child—your Child”) and even to mothers themselves. So, what mom
can refuse such a proposition?
NIDO,
developed in 1944, has been around in the Philippines since the early 1960s,
imported by Filipro Inc-- along with Milkmaid and Nescafe—before it became Nestlé
Philippines in1986. The earliest known NIDO print ads date from 1963.
As the
nutritionally-enriched NIDO rose to
become a major competitor for other milk-based products, it also faced
criticisms from promoters of breast-feeding, leading the advertising board to
require adding tags in powdered milk advertising reminding mothers that “breastmilk
is still best for babies”.
FOR THE WORLD'S NO.1 CHILD, Mother version, Print Ad, 1983
In 1983, Advertising and Marketing Associates (AMA) was
assigned the NIDO account, and
headed by executive Greg Macabenta, conceptualized the “World’s No. 1” thematic campaign
that catapulted the milk brand to national popularity.
FOR THE WORLD'S NO.1 CHILD, Father version, Print Ad, 1983
Initially, the campaign made use of foreign imagery—Caucasian
mothers, fathers and their kids, set in some European highlands-- perhaps to
allude to NIDO’s western origins.
WORLD'S NO.1 FATHER & SON, Print ad, 1990
A
song, with lyrics written by Greg Macabenta and set to music composed by
award-winning composer Caloy Agawa, accompanied the lush, emotional visuals of
parent and child interacting. This time, local Filipino talents were cast for
the NIDO commercials.
THE WORLD'S NO. 1, Father & Sons, print ad, 1990
It was the memorable “You’re my No. 1” jingle that really
struck a chord in the minds of consumers, and the line became widely associated
with NIDO, and was rearranged many
times for use in other commercial platforms.
WATCH "YOU'RE MY NO.1" MTV VERSION
as sung by Sharon Cuneta (2008)
Even when NIDO was
moved to Publicis Manila due to agency alignment, the campaign was refreshed
and used. In 2008, an MTV was produced featuring megastar Sharon Cuneta and her
children, singing an extended version of the song. A later jazzed-up,acoustic version in 2014 also paired Cuneta with singer-songwriter Barbie Almalbis to appeal to younger
mothers.
Today, NIDO
has been expanded into a range of milk products that claims to offer
"nutrition solutions for each stage of childhood" (e.g. for toddlers,
for school-age, etc).
One of the most refreshing faces in the modeling scene in
the mid-70s to the 80s, was teen beauty MYRA MENDOZA. The winsome high schooler from St. Paul was but a teen when she started modeling for commercials; she
enjoyed the experience so much and never looked back—bagging major contracts
for Close-Up toothpaste, Camay Soap, US Shampoo and Clearasil in her heyday.
She was in high school when she performed in a
dance number for an event sponsored by the popular 1970s music magazine, JINGLE
Chordbook. She met the owner Gilbert
Guillermo, whom she credits as her “discoverer”.
MYRA, as she appeared ob JINGLE Music Magazine, 1977, Source: Nonoy Bonzon
Pretty soon, she was appearing on the pages of the
widely-readJingle magazine, along with
song lyrics set with guitar chords. Her posed pictures were just small
insets—strumming a guitar, reading the magazine,candid shots. But the readers were drawn to
her good looks—and she would become the unofficial sweetheart of the popular
youth-oriented music magazine.
Next thing Myra knew, she was being besieged by talent
agents and casters from major ad agencies. She recalls:“In those days , casting was not done as
efficiently and professionally as today. I would just get phone calls from
agents or ad agencies asking if I was available to shoot. Simple as that. No
try outs, no vtr’s(videotaped
auditions).
US SHAMPOO AD, 1979
Her earliest ad was a TV commercial for Clearasil,
directed by legendary commercial director Jun Urbano. In 1979, she also did an
ad for US Shampoo with conditioner, targetted at teens and young adults. This
turned out to be her busiest year, as she also was featured in the popular
Chiclets’ “Tsikletin Mo, Baby” TVC.
MYRA, Tsikletin Mo baby, TV Ad, 1980
Myra was also scouted by local women’s, and she became a
cover girl, shot by the leading photographers of that time. She was still
finishing her communications course when she was cast to appear in one of the
most sought after casting roles in the industry—that of being a Close-Up girl
for Close-Up Toothpaste, then a very popular youth brand. For many of the lucky
Close-up talents, the slick, well-produced commercials were springboard for TV
and movie stardom.
“The Close-Up ad was fun to do!” , Myra reminisced.Though she could no longer the name of her
male partner in the (“I think his last name is Rodriguez”), she found the
experience of shooting her commercial very easy and enjoyable. “Close-Up was
doing a campaign consisting of a series of ads. So all the lead talents --some
of them at least--came out in each other’s TVCs as background talents. Parang
barkada!”.
MYRA MENDOZA, on the cover of Women's Home Companion Magazine, 29 Nov. 1979
Incidentally,Loren Legarda, the future senator, was also part of that Close-Up batch. Years
later, when Myra was working for ABS-CBN, she would bump into Legarda who by
then, was the anchor of the late night news, “The World Tonight”. “ And she
still remembered me long after ourClose-Up years were over!”, Myra enthused.
With a diploma finally in hand, Myra landed a job with
one of the most prestigious multinational advertising agency in the
Philippines—Ace-Compton Advertising (later, Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi)—as a
talent caster, of all positions!! That time, Ace-Compton had the best in-house
talent casting department in the industry, complete with a studio and VTR
machines for go-sees and auditions.
MYRA MENDOZA, as the Face of Oil of Olay, Procter & Gamble, 1980
She was casting for such blue-chip clients like Procter
& Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Filipro-Nestle, Inc. Her stint with
Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi was memorable for 2 reasons. It was with the agency
that she was picked to do the Camay “Guess Who’s 16” TV commercial, thus
joining the elite circle of Camay Girls. She also became the face of Oil of
Olay when it was introduced by P&G in the Philippines.
Looking for other creative challenges, Myra set her sight
on commercial production. When Advertising & Marketing Associates had an
opening, she resigned from Ace to try broadcast production. She realized that
she was not cut out to be a producer, so she made a drastic move to the hotel
industry, by being a banquet sales manager for Manila Hotel.
MYRA, AS A CASTER AT ACE-SAATCHI with copywriter Alex Castro
But the lure of advertising, the world in which she grew
up in,proved irresistible after awhile.
Lintas top honcho Wally Reyes called her up and invited her to set up the
casting department of the growing agency. She took up the offer, organized the
agency’s talent department and stayed on for 4 years.
Myra would move back to Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi for a
brief interlude. Her last corporate job was with the Sales Department of
ABS-CBN. After ten years, she resigned in 2002 due to health issues, as she
needed time to recuperate from a major surgery.
WATERCOLOR ART OF MYRA, A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST.
“I’ve stayed a homemaker ever since”, she says without
regret. So I then started painting among
other things. I’m a hobbyist. I created some fashion jewelry, I sew, despite
having no formal training. I also like to cook. So really, I dabble in anything
that interests me.”
COME A LITTLE CLOSER BABY, SMILE, FOR ME. Myra Mendoza and boyfriend, Chris Portillo in their younger days.
True to her calling, Myra Mendoza remained an
honest-to-goodness model all her life. With her collective life experience and achievements, you could say that she is a model homemaker, mother, and wife today!
WATCH THIS VIDEO OF FORMER AD MODEL MYRA MENDOZA-PORTILLO TODAY:
SOURCE:
E-mail interview conducted by author, April 2, 2019
The country’s best selling juice drink was conceived by
self-made magnate Mr. Alfred M. Yao, who
rose from humble beginnings to become the founder of one of the most successful
homegrown business in the country today. Mr. Yao took over the care of his
family at age 12, when his father died. Five years later, the young entrepreneur
who did not even finish high school, took a bank loan of Php3,000 to put up a
printing press, which proved to be very viable.
While on a 1979 business tour in Europe, he chanced upon
a new packaging technique introduced by French inventor, Louis Doyen, back in
1962. He introduced a specially-shaped plastic bag that can be aseptically
filled with liquid products, that could stand on its own. Called “doypack”, it
was significantly cheaper than traditional carton packaging.
To test the new packaging, the rising businessman mixed
juices in his kitchen and packaged them in doypacks. He was so satisfied with
the results that in 1981, he decided to shift his attention to creating a
beverage company known as SEMEXCO Marketing Corporation, with ZEST-O Orange Juice Drink as its lead
product. The jucie drink in its innovative foil pack with a plastic straw was
launched that same year.
SEMEXCO COPRORATE AD, 1989
ZEST-O was
enthusiastically received by the market, as it was so affordably priced, and
had a really refreshing orange flavor that can be cooled easily in its own foil
pack. It wa handy, could be disposed easily,and provided more value for one’s money. ZEST-O soon became widely available nationwide, and overtook
leading brands to emerge asthe no.1
juice drink in less than a decade—replacing more expensive sodas and juices
during parties, meriendas, and funeral wakes!
WATCH ZEST-O 2006 TVC HERE:
More new flavors under the ZEST-O name were introduced in the ensuing years: Guyabano, Mango,
Grape, Pineapple, Calamansi, Apple, Strawberry.
SUN-GLO, another SEMEXCO juice brand.
Using the same modern doypack technology, SEMEXCO branched
out into more jucie brands (Sun-Glo), milk ( Dutch Maid, Milkland), along with
other traditional canned and bottled products (Tulip, Tita Frita).
The ZEST-O brand, however, built more positive
and enduring equities that it was adapted eventually as the name of the corporation.
When the company forayed into other product lines and
business, the name ZEST-O was used,
as in the case of its ZEST-O
chocolate drink. In 2008, Mr. Yao
ventured into aviation and launched Zest Airways which, like his famous juice
drink, was known for low-cost fares. Integrated
with Air Asia, it became Air Asia Zest in 2016.
ZEST-O juice drinks
continue to dominate the juice market today, even with the additional taxes
levied on sugared beverages in 2015, that threatened to close down some plants. In picnics, memorial services, family reunions, company and school parties, chances are, you will find a packs of ZEST-O being passed around, proof that
the humble drink has become a part of our everyday life.
