SC Johnson Philippines was founded in 1957, and operated
as a subsidiary of S. C. Johnson & Sons, one of the olet family-owned
business in the U.S. The American enterprise began in 1886 when Samuel Curtis
Johnson bought the parquet flooring division of Racine Hardware Mfg. Co., and
was soon offering floor care products. The most popular were the floor wax
line.
JOHNSON PASTE WAX was among the first products the SC
Johnson Philippines introduced to the local market. Over the years, it offered
insect control, home cleaning, air care, home storage, and car care products.
But it would always be the waxes that would be their flagship brands.
JOHNSON PASTE WAX began advertising in the 1960s, and
gave us classic commercials that featured “shining moments” in floor cleaning,
punctuated by the memorable slogans “JOHNSON
yata ‘yan!”.
WATCH JOHNSON WAX "SUPER KJ" TVC HERE:
In 1979, the brand was relaunched using the A“Super KJ”
superhero character who came to the rescue of a housewife harassed by 2 men. When
thrown to the floor by Super KJ to the
floor, the men couldn’t help the wooden floor’s impressive sheen---attributed by the hero to
JOHNSON PASTE WAX, punctutated by a stinger: “Kintab JOHNSON yata
‘yan…tumatagal”.
Johnson & Johnson, has an early reputation as a “baby
company”, and as such, its line of products all had common characteristics:
Mildness, Safety and Effectiveness. This has always been true since J&J
first introduced Johnson’s Baby Powder in 1894. Johnson’s Baby Oil, on the
other hand was introduced in the 1930s.
Johnson’s BABY SOAP first appeared in a 1921 "Baby Gift Box" that contained small
packages of Baby Powder, Baby Cream and Baby Soap and "was designed as a
small gift that people could take when visiting a family with a new baby"
When Johnson & Johnson’s started its Philippine
operations in 1956, it would take more than 20 years before Johnson’s BABY SOAP was launched.
Naturally, the first ad were directed towards the care of babies. Eventually,
the usage was expanded to ther members of the family.
In 1981, the “Baby Face” campaign was launched for
Johnson’s Baby Soap, which positions it as an ideal sap for “baby face people”—those
with fresh-looking skin, but sensitive as a baby’s.
The Johnson’s BABY
SOAP TVC utilized a 1926 song entitled, “Baby Face” that was first used in
a 1933 movie, “Baby Face” , and which has been re-recorded many times. These 3
ads on this spread constituted the “Baby Face” print series.
Johnson’s BABY
SOAPis still available today in the
Philippine market.
JACUZZI PUMP AD. 1959. The water pumps were distributed by Shriro Phils. Inc.
In the 70s and 80s, “JACUZZI” became a word associated
with the lifestyles of the rich and famous in the Philippines. To have a hot tub with whirlpool and bubble in
one’s spacious bath was a status symbol, and soon, every rich and nouveau riche
seemed to want one for their home.
Soon, the term JACUZZI came to be associated
with hot tubs and whirlpool jetted bath,
regardless of the maker.
JACUZZI has a long history that began with a company
founded by the Italian Jacuzzi brothers who emigrated to the U.S. Settling in California,
they began manufactured aviation parts
like propellers in 1915, and later, cabin
planes. They also toyed with designing water pumps, which they would also manufacture.
Exported worldwide, they became a huge success. These
pumps became available in the Philippines by 1959, exclusively distributed by Shriro (Philippines) Inc.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME. Jacuzzi water pump, from "History of Jacuzzi"
The pumps would further be developed into the hydrotherapy
pump in 1956. It was created to ease a family member’sarthritis pain. The J-300, a portable pump
that could be installed in bath tubs, was sold to hospitals and schools. The
hydromassage one could get was soothing and relaxing. The next step was to
manufacture these for the home, a JACUZZI family spa. The idea took off and the
rest is history.
JACUZZI SPA IN A TUB. Courtesy of www.jacuzzi.co.uk
JACUZZI today, is a registered trademark of Jacuzzi Inc.
as of September 5, 1978. But the name JACUZZI has stuck; in the minds of Filipinos—and in many parts of
the world— any hot tub with massaging jets of water no matter who the maker
is-- is called a JACUZZI!
A COLLAGE OF TV SITCOM STARS AS PRODUCT ENDORSERS.
TV situation
comedy shows rose in popularity in the 1970s, and spawned many characters that were
loved, adored and worshipped, even if they were fictional figures created by
imaginative television creatives. Advertising agencies realized the pulling
power of these sitcoms and the believable characters that animated them, and
before long, these sitcom personas, began appearing in print ads to endorse
products and push services.
JOHN EN MARSHA for
LIBBYS’ (1975) and IMARFLEX (1987)
WATCH "JOHN EN MARSHA" HERE:
“JOHN EN MARSHA” was a hugely-popular TV
sitcom that ran for over 16 years (1973-1990) on RPN Channel 9. The sitcom
starred no less than the King of Comedy, Dolphy as the impoverished John
Puruntong, with Nida Blanca as his wife, Marsha Jones, who comes from a family
of means. Mother-in-law Doñya Delilah (Dely Atay-Atayan). is the foil who often
provides the conflict, berating John no end for his lack of drive when things
go awry (“Kaya ikaw John, magsumikap ka…).
The Puruntong children were played by Rolly Quizon and Maricel Soriano as the
young Shirley. Matutina played Doña Delilah’s side kick.
MATUTINA & SHIRLEY PURUNTONG for Libby's Pork & Beans, 1975
The JOHN EN MARSHA
characters appeared in a few ads, and the earliest from 1975 featured Matutina
(Evelyn Bontogon, in real life) and Shirley (Maricel Soriano, for LIBBY’S PORK & BEANS. “Libis is di Bis!” became the brand’s
battlecry which caught on wit the public. Maricel Soriano would grow into a
fine, award-winning TV & movie actress, and is dubbed as the “Diamond Star”
for her achievements.
MARSHA, DELILAH, AND MATUTINA, for 3-D Turbo Iron 1987
A decade later, JOHN EN MARSHA characters (Marsha, Doña
Delilah and Matutina) were tapped to promote IMARFLEX Turbo Cordless Iron in print ads that ran in women;s magazines
in 1987.
CHICKS TO CHICKS for LIGO SARDINES (1984)
WATCH 'CHICKS TO CHICKS' HERE:
Freddie Webb was Jimmy Capistrano to Noval Villa’s Ines, who portrayed his wife in this zany 1984 sit-com called CHICKS TO CHICKS.Aired every Wednesday on Channel 13, CHICKS TO CHICKS traces the hilarious goings-on in the Capistrano house that counts sexy belles like Carmi Martin, Ruby Anna, Maria Teresa Carlson, Bong Dimayacyac and Lorraine Schuck as co-residents. Chiqui (played by Chito Arceo) was the testosterone-driven brother of Ines. In 1987, it moved to Channel 2 (ABS-CBN) and retitled Chika-Chika-Chicks.
THE CAPISTRANOS (Freddie Webb & Nova Villa) of CHICKS TO CHICKS, 1984
The Capistranos, Freddie and Nova, were the featured endorsers for LIGO Sardines, in this print ad that came out in the 80s.
CHAMPOY for 3-D
DEBONAIRE ELECTRIC FANS (1980)
LISTEN TO 'CHAMPOY' THEME SONG HERE:
The revolutionary comedy show that did not sit too well
with the Marcos administration, began in 1980 as CHAMPOY. The gag show often featured politically-inspired
characters and sketches, performed by Subas Herrero,Noel Trinidad, Tessie
Tomas, and featuring Mitch Valdez. Aired on RPN Channel 9, CHAMPOY’s popular segments included “Mr. Boom-Boom”, “Walang
Sisihan”and Tessie Tomas’ impersonations—including Meldita, a parody of Imelda
Marcos.
SUBAS HERRERO, TESSIE TOMAS & NOEL TRINIDAD of Champoy for 3-D Fans
On its first year, CHAMPOY
bagged its first endorsement for 3-D products.
This print ad, which is part of a series is for 3-D Debonaire Fan models.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS AD? Poor grammar turned this HITACHI ad into a flop. 1981.
Writing for advertising involves writing for effect, so
it is expected that rules of grammar are intentionally not observed—like
starting a headline with a conjunction, splitting infinitive, and removing
punctuations. But obviously, the copy for this HITACHI REFRIGERATOR print
ad was not done for that purpose. Clearly, it was just written poorly, and the
result is a very awkward headline.
In an attempt to draw parallelisms between the beauty of
a woman, a rose and a ref, the copywriter wrote: “Two beautiful things, A Rose and a Ref, things that make women have
something in common.”
HITACHI AD This ad had a billboard version in Greenhills, which had the same mistake,
Oops, say that again?
We sort of get the drift that the copywriter wanted to
convey: that beauty is something that women have in common—which can be had by
having a beautiful rose—and a beautiful refrigerator, in this case, HITACHI. The body copy is similarly mushy and wordy. Crafting this multi-message
thought in a one sentence headline proved to be a challenge for the copywriter.
Apparently, someone took note of the headline’s wrong
grammar that the ad was hastily pulled out and revised. The rewritten headline
now read: “ Two beautiful things…A Rose
and a Ref, things that women have in common”.
THE AD CORRECTED a few issues later. Note the shorter headline that has been grammatically fixed.
The addition of ellipsis (…) to separate the thoughts, and the straightening
of the wrong grammar in the next line were the quick fixes done by the
copywriter (or perhaps, her creative boss)
on the headline. The body copy has also been streamlined, and made more concise. Better, but, oh
well..you be the judge.
THE CORRECTED HITACHI AD, clearer but is it better?
Here is a saying that goes: “A lawyer’s mistakes are in
jail, a judge’s mistakes are in the cemetery, but a copywriter’s mistakes are
shown on TV every night”. So copywriters, be warned.
LYDIA DE VEGA, Asis's Sprint Queen, At her peak, she won 2 Asian Games Gold medals, won 3 SEA games Gold, qualified in 2 Olympics, and made a movie.
Lydia de Vega (b. 12 Dec. 1964), the glamor girl of 1980s
Philippine sports, was the perfect endorser of two dairy brands in the late
1980 and early 1990s, in what was known as the golden age of Philippine
athletics.
The fleet-footed Bulakenya, home trained by her father, made her
presence felt at the 1981 Manila Southeast Asian (SEA) when she bagged Gold in
the 200 and 400 meter events exceeding records set at the Asian Games.
It came as no surprise that at the 1982 Asian Games in
New Delhi, she won the premiere 100 m. dash, besting local star P.T. Usha. As
if to prove that her win was not a fluke, she won another Asiad Gold at the
next 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. She would also participate in 2 Summer Olympics:
Los Angeles (1984) and Seoul (1988). Throughout her stellar running career, she
was dubbed as “Asia’s Sprint Queen”.
LYDIA DE VEGA FOR ALASKA MILK POWDER, 1989
A year after her Seoul Olympics stint, de Vega took a 2
year break from athletics to get married, continue her studies and rest. She
also finally found time to respond to endorsement deals, and in 1989, she was
signed up ALASKA POWDERED MILK to do its milk campaign.
Alaska, the company, started in 1972 as Holland Milk
Products, Inc. which first made liquid milk. It eventually expanded to
manufacture powdered milk and UHT milk. ALASKA POWDERED MILK was launched in
1989, in a new campaign starred by de Vega. “Bring out a winner” was the
thematic line, still anchored on its familiar “wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska” omnibus
slogan.
LYDIA DE VEGA FOR ALASKA MILK POWDER, 1989
Not long after that, after her contract with Alaska
lapsed, Nestlé Philippines employed her as a presenter for their “Get your
child into sports” public relations program, sponsored by their chocolate and
malt beverage, MILO.
WATCH LYDIA DE VEGA'S MILO AD HERE:
courtesy of Filipino Athlete, uploaded 29 Dec. 2017
The product began in 1964, ad derived its name from the Greek mythological character Milo, famed for
his strength. MILO has been using sports as its selling platform, and for
years, latched on to its “Olympic energy theme”. It was also known for its
sports clinics, marathons, and little Olympics.
Vega retired after competing at the 1994 Manila-Fujian
Games where she bagged her final 100 meter Gold. She briefly forayed into
politics and served as a councilor of Meycauayan town.
LYDIA DE VEGA, THEN & NOW. Source: India Today Magazine, News ABS-CBN Sports
Since Dec. 2005, De
Vega has been staying in Singapore where she coaches young collegiate athletes.
Married to engineer Paul Mercado, she is a mother to Stephanie, a DLSU Lady
Spikers and John Michael who tragically died in a 200 freak vehicle accident at
age 4. On 22 November 2018, De Vega was inducted into the Philippine Sports
Hall of Fame at the Philippine International Convention Center.
One of the most famous heritage brands from Asia is a
special ointment for all kinds of aches and pains—TIGER BALM. The salve comes in small hexagonal bottles and circular
tin containers with a leaping tiger icon that has been in use for over a
century, attaining worldwide recognition and prominence.
A NEW TIGER BALM JAR, between 2 vintage Tiger Balm products,
TIGER BALM’s
romantic origins began in the court of Chinese emperors where Chinese herbalist
Aw Chu Kin was employed. In the late 1870s, he decided to leave his homeland
and move to Rangoon (Burma, now Myanmar) where he opened a medicine shop and
called it Eng Aun Tong (Medical Hall) .It was here that he concocted an ointment for body aches and pains, a
product that would soon make his business successful.
THE BROTHERS WHO EXPANDED THE TIGER BALM BUSINESS
Upon his death in 1908, his sons Aw Boon Haw (a name that
means “gentle tiger”) and Aw Boon Par (“gentle leopard”) took over the
burgeoning business and set up operations in Singapore. It was Aw Boon Haw who
branded the product “TIGER BALM” in
1924 after his name. he was also the marketing genius behind its success, and
the product eventually found its way to China and other Southeast Asian
countries like Siam (Thailand), Batavia (Indonesia), Malaya (Malaysia),Hong
Kong and the Philippines.
THE TIGER MEDICAL HALL IN SINAGPORE
By the late 1920s, TIGER
BALM was already available in local boticas and farmacias, with
Binondo-based Ki Lin Tong Lim Tong Te as its sole distributor. It was also
extensively advertised all through the 1920s-30s in leading magazines and
newspapers of the day.
1929 TIGER BALM, Philippine ad.
1929 TIGER BALM, Philippine ad.
The product was most popular among the Chinese
communities around the world, and the business was a a huge success, turning
the brothers into rich tycoons.
1929 TIGER BALM, Philippine ad.
They engaged in philanthropic works, donating
money to charities, schools and newspapers in their adopted countries. Boon Par
not only built mansions, Singapore, Hong Kong and Fujian, but also a theme park--the
TIGER BALM Gardens.
TIGER BALM GARDENS, HONG KONG, postcard, 1960s
After the brothers died (Boon Par in 1944 and Boon Haw in
1954), the TIGER BALM business
remained in quandary.It was soon taken over by British conglomerate Slater
Walker in 1969. But when the company was plagued with financial crisis, Singaporean
banker Dr Wee Cho Yaw gained control of the business in 1981 and began
rebuilding the company and, eventually the brand, TIGER BALM.
Today, TIGER BALM
is a flourishing brand available worldwide, distributed in countries such as
Brazil (Pomada del Tigre), Scandinavian countries (Tiger Balsam), France (Baume
du Tigre), Spain (Balsamo Tigre), Saudia Arabia and the U.S. where it was
positioned as a sport balm. TIGER BALM
is readily available in the Philippines, as t has been since the 1920s, in
leading drugstores and Chinese specialty shops.
SOURCES:
The story of 100 years of business & legacy of 'Tiger Balm' - YourStory:
