124. Brand Stories: BEAR BRAND MILK in the PHILIPPINES

BEAR BRAND, the oldest milk brand of Nestle in the Philippines, has been nurturing the health of generations of Filipinos for over 100 years. It was produced by the Bernese Alps Milk Company, established in 1892 by the famed hotelier  César Ritz, with master cook, Auguste Escoffier, on a vast tract of land brought from the von May family.

In 1895, it began producing milk in exportable quantities that became the legendary “bärenmarke”—Bear Brand. The iconic package bears the illustration of a sitting mother bear feeding her baby bear on her lap with a nursing milk bottle, a brand character that has since remained unchanged.

BEAR BRAND Sterilized Milk was available locally as an imported brand since 1906, and one of the first to be extensively advertised. Turn-of-the-20^th century ads identified the product as “Leche Suisa” (Swiss Milk”), bearing the “Marca Oso” (Bear Brand). It was soon being referred to as “Marca Oso” or “gatas oso” by Filipinos at that time.

BEAR BRAND Sterilized Milk came in 155 ml. tin cans, and were exclusively imported by local Philippine agents, Lutz y Compania, later taken over by Sprüngli & Co., a big importing company with offices at 28 Calle David in Manila.

The milk was extensively promoted via advertising and sponsorships of national events, and it left its mark in the first ever Manila Carnival of 1908. BEAR BRAND was the sole product in the company’s prize-winning float hat featured a giant bear, along with a giant BEAR BRAND milk can.

1929, BEAR BRAND AD, GRAPHIC MAGAZINE.

1929, BEAR BRAND AD,"Best by the Test", GRAPHIC MAGAZINE

1935 BEAR BRAND AD, PHILIPPINE FREE PRESS

1936 BEAR BRAND AD, "Health Personified" ,GRAPHIC 

By the end of the first decade of the 20^th century, BEAR BRAND Marca Oso became a household name, and it would continue to endure for the next 6 decades.

1957 BEAR BRAND AD, "Young and Old", PHILIPPINE FREE PRESS

1953 AD, WOMAN & HOME MAGAZINE

By 1967, BEAR BRAND was available in 3 sizes: Small 150 g. can, Big 500 g. can and Family 950 g. can. It was also available in Full Cream powdered form, sold in one pound, vacuum-packed, reusable aluminum can.

1964 BEAR BRAND AD, 'Good Looks", Sunday Times Mag.

1965 BEAR BRAND AD, "Nimble", Sunday Times Mag.

BEAR BRAND was eventually acquired by the world's largest food and beverage company—Nestle. As early as 1895, Nestle products like Milkmaid, were being marketed in the Philippines. It was only in 1911 that the Nestle and Anglo-Swiss dairy Company was put up in Binondo to set up its operations here.

1967 BEAR BRAND AD, "3 Sizes", STM

1967 BEAR BRAND AD, "Best Milk Around", STM.

World War II forced the suspension of its operations, but after the war, the company re-emerged as Filipro Inc. In 1976, BEAR BRAND came under Filipro Inc., with the launch of BEAR BRAND Instant Filled Milk Powder.

1968 BEAR BRAND AD, with Bb. Pilipinas, Pilar Pilapil, STM

1968 BEAR BRAND AD, with model Baby Santiago, STM

Ten years after, the company finally became Nestle Philippines, which, to this day, continues to be driven by its mission to nurture generations of Filipino families, with quality brands known the world over—including the history-rich milk with the mark of the bear—“marca oso”—BEAR BRAND.

SOURCES:

Nestle Phils. website: https://www.nestle.com.ph/

Barenmarke website: http://www.baerenmarke.de/DE/unsere-welt/

http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/File:Logo_Baerenmarke.jpg

Allother photos: Alex R. Castro Collection, sourced from various magazines indicated,