Monday, October 13, 2025

527. A Free Christmas Gift from PURICO--BEAUTIFUL 3-DIMENSION BELEN! Promo Ad, 1953



PURICO was the very first product manufactured by Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC), which was later bought by Procter & Gamble. Purico , a cooking-frying-baking lard, came out in 1919 and was promoted extensively though field marketing, advertising and sales promotions.

For Christmas 1953, Purico offered a full-color 3-dimensional cardboard Belen (nativity scene)  that one can have by presenting a boxtop flap plus 10 centavos. The pop-out belen set features cut-out figures and scenery-- "amazingly lifelike!", as the ad proclaimed.

An actual example of the giveaway Nativity set is shown below, plus he complete advertising copy that details the mechancis on how to get the Christmas cardboard Belen free.

YOUR FREE XMAS GIFT FROM PURICO!
BEAUTIFUL 3-DIMENSION BELEN—IN BRILLIANT Full COLOR

 Perfect Christmas touch in your home! Heavy cardboard BELEN with cut-out figures and scenery. Just open and spread up. Amazingly life-like! But remember, only requests by mail will be answered.

For each Belen you want, send One (1) boxtop with flap from any size Purico carton and 10 centavos.. You will get you Belen by return mail. Send for as many as you like but be sure to enclose 1 Purico box-top with flap AND 10 centavos for EACH Belen you want.

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If the coupon in this advertisement is already usedm  just print your name, aand address on the Purico box-top you send. Add the name of this magazine and the date at the top of the page. Send 10 c with each box-top for each Belen you want.

Don’t delay! Offer ends December 15!

Sunday, September 28, 2025

526. RHEA RUBBING ALCOHOL “Walang Patawad sa Mikrobyo” Campaign 1981-1994

JIMMY FABREGAS FOR RHEA RUBBING ALCOHOL, Print Ad, 1994

At the height of the popularity of Green Cross and Family Rubbing Alcohol, a new alcohol brand joined the fight against germs and microbes, and achieved its on measure of success: RHEA RUBBING ALCOHOL.

The product was manufactured, marketed and distributed by PHILUSA Corporation  whose objective was “ provide the Philippine market with a wide range of quality and affordable products.”

RHEA Rubbing Alcohol became its flagship  brand for its line of health and wellness products. Over some 40 years, it  has been considered as one of the most trusted names in the health and wellness industry, with a reputation for being world-class and an affordable heathcare product.

Unlike other alcohol advertising which emphasized usage, RHEA chose to focus on its composition—that of being 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). In fact, IPA is the most effective concentration for disinfection because the water content acts as a catalyst, allowing penetration of cell walls and denature proteins in bacteria more thoroughly.

 

Thus RHEA can kill microorganisms with more efficacy, and its product action inspired the campaign theme: “Walang patawad sa mikrobyo”.  It is favored for use as antiseptic, for disinfection, sterilization, hygienic purposes and general massage.

WATCH RHEA ALCOHOL "GYM MASSEUR" TVC HERE:

 

(Credits: Dateline Anime)

The campaign was launched in 1980, starring a tough looking character in a gym setting who extolls the merits of RHEA Rubbing Alcohol in so many words. He shuts up only when a gym rat reminds him: “Tama na ang daldal, masahe na!” (Stop the talking, give me a massage now!). This original version ran from 1981-ca. 1989-90.

With international referee Sonny Padilla pushing Family Rubbing Alcohol, and Helen Vela recommending Green Cross, a more name endorser was employed in the 1994 incarnation of the “Walang Patawad sa Mikrobyo” campaign.

WATCH RHEA ALCOHOL WITH JIMMY FABREGAS TVC HERE:

 

(Credits: Jojo Baylon-VOTIII)

The quirky actor and musician Jaime “Jimmy” Fabregas was chosen to do the short RHEA TVC. By then, Fabregas was a show biz fixture, who hosted the gag show Sic O'Clock News on IBC 13. He also was seen a wrestling segment reporter of Pinoy Wrestling on PTV 4. What’s more, Fabregas was also a multi-awarded musical scorer for films like Shake, Rattle & Roll (1984) , which won Best Musical Score award at the MIFF.  He would win again in 1997 and 2005, for Rizal sa Dapitan and Kutob, respectively. His RHEA commercials ran from 1992-1994.

RHEA & JAMMY FABREGAS, TODAY

It's a great thing to know that both Product and Endorser are still around today. RHEA Rubbing Alcohol has extended its lines to include Vitamins, Generics and Topicals. Fabregas, on the other hand, boosted his popularity to newer heights via his role as Lt. Gen. Delfin S. Borja in the highly-popular and long-running ABS-CBN action-drama series FPJ's Ang Probinsyano, starring Coco Martin.

 SOURCES:

“Rhea Rubbing Alcohol TVC with Jaime Fabregas (1992)”, Credits to:  View on the 3rd - Jojo Bailon (VOTIII)

“Rhea Rubbing Alcohol TVC 1989”, Credits to: Dateline Anime

Company website, Philusa Corporation, https://philusa.com.ph

Jaime Fabregas, Wikipedia entry, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Fabregas


Wednesday, September 17, 2025

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 

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

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 19th 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 20th 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.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

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.



Wednesday, August 13, 2025

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.


Saturday, August 2, 2025

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.