136. Brand Icon: TITA FRITA of Tita Frita Banana Catsup 1989

1989 TITA FRITA CATSUP AD, with the wholesome Rita Avila.

As Nestle’s Tita Maggi was winding down her reign, another “tita” appeared on the ad scene as the brand name for a condiments line by Zest-O Corporation. TITA FRITA included bottled tomato and banana catsup, and hot sauce.

To launch the new products, the company created a brand character in the mold of Tita Maggi—wearing a chef’s hat, an apron over a colored shirt.

They found the image of TITA FRITA in Rita Avila, then a 24 year old actress with 2 years of showbiz experience under her belt. She had dabbled in commercial modeling in her teen years, and no one knew at that time that her career was about to soar with her appearance in so-called "ST" films, with soft core content.

Surprisingly, the wholesome TITA FRITA character took off when the ads aired, and so did Avila’s rise to stardom as a sexy, and later as a dramatic actress.

Today, TITA FRITA is  no longer as extensively advertised (now sold as institutional products). However, Rita Avila, aka TITA FRITA, continues to enjoy her showbiz career to this day, on both the TV and film screens.

.

SOURCES:

Image: http://www.listal.com/viewimage/13388311

Tita Frita Photo Source: Mr. & Ms. Magazine, 1989.

Info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Avila