184. “Magandang Umaga Sa Iyo!”: Nestlè SUNRISE Soluble Coffee, 1987.

SUNRISE COFFEE, in new Flavor-Rich Granules form, relaunch ad, 1988.

In 1987, Nestlè Philippines developed a local coffee product that was totally separate and different from their premiere flagship brand, Nescafè Coffee. It was envisioned to be a price brand, to make coffee more accessible to more Filipinos. Named as Nestlè SUNRISE, the coffee blend came in the form of flavor-rich granules—so one need only a small amount to make a rich cup of coffee.

Nestlè assigned the product to Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi, and the agency went to work right away in crafting the communication strategy. The brand name inspired the way Nestlé SUNRISE would be positioned—it would be pushed as your first cup of morning coffee, for morning people who need a quick picker-upper to warm up the start of their day.

Though Nestlé SUNRISE was meant to be a popular price brand, care was taken by the agency to create a campaign hinged on beautiful Filipino traditions. Former DOT secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., was the lead creative director who crafted the launch campaign, together with his team.

WATCH "SUNRISE COFFEE" LAUNCH AD HERE:

Source: View on the 3rd Jojo Bailon

It was he who came up with the theme: “Magandang Umaga sa Iyo”, which is charmingly Filipino. It shows an aspect of typical Filipino habits such as the warmth and vibrance of exchanging morning greetings among people from all levels of socio-economic strata.

This campaign came alive in 3 memorable TV 30s commercials: that were all designed to be morning situations:  “Bride”, “Spoon”,  and “Delivery”.

The “Bride”begins with a slow music that introduces viewer to a Father character, deep in reverie, while sipping a cup of Nestlé SUNRISE. Slowly, he sees a figure walk down the stairs—it is her daughter, dressed in a wedding gown, and the soon-to-be wed bridge greets his father with  “Hi, Papa”. Very quickly, the misty-eyed Father sees his daughter as a young girl, then is jolted back to the present time. The Father escorts her Daughter out, ready to give her away.

“Homecoming”, the second version shows a middle-aged couple having coffee together. Their small talk turns to their Son—a PMA cadet in Baguio-- whom the Mother misses. Little did they know that at that precise moment, the Son arrives to surprise them with a short visit.

The third version, “Delivery”, shows a couple having an intimate coffee moment together, shot at close range. The Woman drops a spoon, and as the Man bends down to pick it up, he sees someone wearing white shoes entering the room. It is then revealed, as the camera pulls out, that the Couple are a Husband and Wife in a hospital room, and the white shoe-shod figure is actually a Nurse bringing in their newly-delivered  Baby Girl (as foretold by the dropping of a spoon). All the the commercials end with the last strains of the jingle--“Maganda umaga sa inyong lahat!”, a pleasant good morning to all.

WATCH SUNRISE New Flavor Rich Granules" 1988 TVC HERE

with Angelique Lazo

(Credits: The CompanY Singers, posted Sep. 10, 2017)

At the 1987 Philippine Advertising Congress in Baguio City, all three Nestle SUNRISE commercials were recognized, winning Individual Golds at the Araw Awards. The Radio ad—which actually was a full song entitle, “Magandang Umaga”, won a Bronze Award.

MAGANDANG UMAGA SA IYO

Gising na, sa tulog na mahimbing

Lumiliwanag ang dilim,

Pati na ang paningin

Nababanaag mo,

Sa dakong silangan

Ang araw ay sumisilip,

Bumabati, dumudungaw

Magandang umaga sa iyo..

Magandang umaga sa iyo.

Magandang umaga sa iyo..at sa iyo at sa iyo..

Magandang umaga..magandang umaga..

...sa inyong lahat!

CREDITS

 ADVERTISER: Nestle Phiilppines

CLIENTS: Levi Castillo, Ed Trivino

AGENCY: Ace-Saatchi & SaatchiAdvertising, Inc.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Ramon Jimenez Jr.

ART DIRECTOR: Kits Yamsuan / COPYWRITER: Alex R. Castro
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT: Sandra C. Puno
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Richelle Mendoza

TVC PRODUCER: Paul Suarez

CASTER: Mario Sarmiento

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Image Films

DIRECTOR: Neil MacDonald

COMPOSER: Charo Unite, Ramon Jimenez Jr.,Alex R. Castro

RADIO JINGLE SINGER: Rene Martinez

JINGLE PRODUCTION HOUSE: Empire Studio

SOURCES:
Sunrise Coffee TVC ith Angelique Lazo; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq2iuGIomWM
published by The CompanY Singers, published on Sep. 10, 2017.

183. Brand Icon: WHITE CASTLE WHISKY GIRL, 1974

CARMI MARTIN, WHITE CASTLE GIRL, 1984-1986

One of the most unforgettable brand ambassadors for a product beginning in the 1970s was not your usual prim and proper college girl type (like Miss Magnolia), or your  fashionable ladies from high society  (like the Rustan’s VIP Council)—but rather a woman in a red bikini.

To make for a dramatic entrance, the WHITE CASTLE GIRL galloped into our TV living room astride a white horse, hair blowing in the wind, as the image of a castle loomed in the background. TV audience—especially male viewers—could not help but stayed glued to the screen as the strains of the catchy jingle, “White Castle, White Castle Whisky, White Castle Whisky ang bilhin”, followed her 30 sec. ride into the hearts of the drinking class. 

MR. JULIUS LIMPE
CEO, Destiliria Limtuaco

WHITE CASTLE 5 Years Old Whisky had always been a national favorite for many years, the product of Destileria Limtuaco, the country’s oldest distillery. The business was founded by 36 year old Amoy immigrant Lim Tua Co, who put up the distillery within 2 years of his arrival in the Chinese enclave of Binondo.  One of his earliest successes  is the medicinal wine, Sioktong.

Unfortunately, Lim Tua Co—who adopted the Christan name Bonifacio—died in 1887. So too, did his only son, Carlos, his heir apparent. A nephew, Lim Chay Seng took over the business in 1926, and shifted the production from Chinese drinks to Western spirits. Thus--WHITE CASTLE WHISKY came to be. It would become one of the company’s flagship brand, blended and aged to perfection in oak barrels, to give the whisky smooth, full-bodied taste, aroma and golden color.

WHITE CASTLE GIRL, EVANGELINE PASCUAL (1974)
Picture courtesy of: JOSE BENIGNO SALVADOR

The business flourished when his son, American-educated James Limpe took over the helm in 1937, a position which was passed on in 1958 to son Julius Limpe, a business graduate the University of Indiana. Julius became an expert blender of all sorts of liquor and spirit, which he patented and produced,  while steering Distileria Limtuaco to its pre-eminent position in the industry.

WHITE CASTLE GIRLS, AGNES RUSTIA (1975) & PEACHY VENERACION (1978)
SOURCE: www.limtuaco.com

To him also goes the credit for creating the imagery of the WHITE CASTLE GIRL. After all,  Mr. Julius Limpe was also an artist, so he also put his creativity to work in WHITE CASTLE WHISKY marketing and advertising. He conceived of a narrative that was fairy-tale like—a princess in a red bikini chanced upon a group of men while on a bareback ride on the beach astride her white horse.

WATCH "WHITE CASTLE WHISKY" CLASSIC 1978 TVC HERE:

(Source: ADman 1909,  Jul. 19, 2007)

To distract the men who had taken fancy on her, she brings out a bottle of WHITE CASTLE and drops it on the sand, diverting the men’s attention to the drink. The ruse worked and the princess in the red bikini rides safely back to her castle with a red turret. Sylvia Licauco had the honor of being the first White Castle Girl

WHITE CASTLE GIRL, TETCHIE AGBAYANI (1982). SOURCE: www.limtuaco.com

Along the way, the “princess” element was dropped, which, in a way was alright, as the first WHITE CASTLE GIRL to appear in a promotional material—i.e. calendar-- was a beauty royalty—Evangeline Pascual, Miss Republic of the Philippines 1974 and Miss World runner-up. It would seem that Miss RP automatically became a WHITE CASTLE GIRL, as in the case of Agnes Rustia and Peachy Veneracion.

WHITE CASTLE GIRL, LORNA TOLENTINO, 1982.
SOURCE/ Photo Credit: Jose Benigno Salvador

Two years before her Playboy splash, Visitacion “Tetchie” Agbayani reigned as the 1980 WHITE CASTLE GIRL. Even former child star, actress Lorna Tolentino, rode the bandwagon in 1982, at age 21.

WHITE CASTLE GIRL, CARMI MARTIN, 1984

The WHITE CASTLE GIRL exuded a sexier air with the casting of voluptuous Carmi Martin from 1984-86. From thereon, that bombshell mold was used in the selection process.

WHITE CASTLE GIRL,LYKA UGARTE, 1986. SOURCE: www.limtuaco.com

The pouty beauty Lyka Ugarte, was a perfect follow-up to Martinl she held the for 2 years. Star of ST (Sex Trip) movies Cristina Gonzales snuggled with the white horse in the 1992 calendar.  Glydel Mercado’s topless appearance in 1996. At the turn of the new millennium, the WHITE CASTLE GIRL started to look more provocative with her come-hither poses, as seen from the calendars of Angela Velez, who did several versions from 1999 to the first half of 2000s. The horse became an afterthought.

WHITE CASTLE GIRLS Glydel Mercado (1996) & Angela Velez (1999)
SOURCE: www.limtuaco.com

To drum up excitement, a nationwide search for a new WHITE CASTLE GIRL for 2007 was launched, resulting in the victory of beauty queen Gemma Gatdula. Her reign went awry when she was dethroned; she was replaced by former Wowwowee dancer, RR Enriquez. Current WHITE CASTLE GIRL is actress Meg Imperial.

WATCH WHITE CASTLE GIRL "LORNA TOLENTINO" TVC HERE:

(Source: Liquor Express, posted May 20, 2018)

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it".--this saying might as well apply to WHITE CASTLE advertising. Apparently, the campaign with the WHITE CASTLE GIRL continues to work, and thus endures to this day, give or take a few refreshments. After 4 decades, the girl in the red bikini continues to charge on her white steed, past the white castle with a red turret—as fast as the galloping sales of WHITE CASTLE WHISKY!

SOURCES:

http://www.limtuaco.com/tv_commercials.html

Gemma Gatdula: http://www.abogado.com.ph/ca-rules-white-castle-girl-dethronement-invalid-firm-ordered-to-make-good-on-prizes/

WHITE CASTLE WHISKY CLASSIC PHILIPPINE TVC (1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQT4qU6mlT8, posted by ADman 1909,  Jul. 19, 2007.

LORNA TOLENTINO-WHITE CASTLE GIRL 1982, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us4DAWw8Mws, posted by Liquor Express, May 20, 2018.

MANY THANKS TO MR. JOSE BENIGNO SALVADOR FOR THE USE OF HIS WHITE CASTLE PICTURES (Evangeline Pascual,Lorna Tolentino, White Castle paper label), PEP.PH  and MR. BORJ MENESES (for Gemma Gatdula's photo)

182. Skin Soaps for our Teen Years: DR. KAUFFMAN, NEKO, WONDER SOAP

HOW I SURVIVED TEEN-AGE ACNE. A trio of medicated soap essentials popular in the 60s through the 80s.

Then, as now, the pubescent and teen years are a period of great anxieties for young Filipinos. The age where his appearance becomes very important as his social circle expands, is also the time when acnes can begin. In the 60s and 70s, Filipino teens survived acnes and pimples by depending on affordable medicated soaps from the boticas—not, mind you,  on the expensive, imported anti-acne creams that were often hard to find.

DR. KAUFFMAN'S SULPHUR SOAP, 1960

DR. KAUFFMAN’S SULPHUR SOAP

For over a century, sulfur has been  employed by western dermatologists to treat a range of  skin conditions including scabies, warts, dermatitis, and of course, acne. Dr. Carl Ernst Kauffman was a Berlin University graduate who first concocted sulphur bitters and other derivatives in the 1830s. 

DR. KAUFFMAN's MEDICINAL SULPHUR SOAP, 1979

His inventions were discovered by druggists Aaron P. and Frank L. Ordway, who would use his formula to make Dr. Kauffman products. The Boston-based company moved to New York in 1896. Today, A. P. Ordway & Co. still manufactures DR. KAUFFMAN’S SULPHUR SOAP. Millions of teens have sworn by the efficacy of this traditional soap in its old-fashioned wrapper, and the iconic brand continues to be popular worldwide.

NEKO, very early Philippine ad, Graphic, 1929

NEKO SOAP

“The genuine germicidal soap” was available in the Philippines as an imported brand in the late 1920s, and was advertised in the leading publications of the day as an ant-deodorant. The NEKO brand is a trademark of Parke, Davis & Co, once America's oldest and largest drug maker. 

NEKO, HOSPITAL SOAP FOR THE HOME, 1986

It has since been acquired by Warner–Lambert in 1970, then bought by Pfizer in 2000. NEKO’s active ingredient is mercuric iodide, a disinfectant which helps stop rashes and acne (course, mercury is now banned in cosmetics). Today, NEKO contains Trichlorocarbanilide a powerful germicide, in combination with a high quality soap.

 

WONDER SOAP, 1979

WONDER SOAP

WONDER SOAP was developed way back in 1953 by doctor and medical researcher Jose Perez of Bulacan, who initially produced a whitening soap. But he further improved on the formula; aside from bleaching or whitening the skin,  it now also could  remove “ pimples, freckles, dandruff, scabies, itching, head lice(s), rashes, falling of hair, and shallow wrinkles”. 

WONDER SOAP, 1979

Thus, WONDER SOAP was born, which met a measure of success in the 70s, notwithstanding the petition of Crisanta Y. Gabriel to have the registration covering the trademark revoked, which she claimed she owned (the Supreme Court ruled in Perez’ favor). WONDER SOAP is distributed today by Philusa Corp. Its competitor is no less than C.Y. Gabriel.

SOURCES:

Dr. Kauffman’s Sulphur Soap:

http://db.ipohworld.org/view.php?type=id&id=8487

https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2014/12/dr-kaufmanns-sulphur-bitters-etc-etc-etc/

Neko Soap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke-Davis

Wonder Soap: http://www.federislaw.com.ph/wp-content/themes/federis/files/GABRIEL%20vs.%20PEREZ%20[G.R.%20No.%20L-24075,%20January%2031,%201974].pdf

181. It’s Here! America’s Newest Washing Discovery! BREEZE: The First Philippine Ads, 1962-1968

THE LAUNCH AD OF BREEZE 'Washes Doubly Clean". Magazine double-page spread. 1962

Philippine Refining Company (PRC), started as an oil milling business in the country as early as 1916, but it was only in 1927 that it was incorporated until it was acquired by Unilever Goup. 

1966 box

By the start of the 1960s, PRC had become a worthy competitor to Philippine Manufacturing Co. P&G, with a portfolio that included margarines, beauty soaps (Ever, Lux), shortening/cooking oils (White Band, Camia) and detergent bars, specifically the very popular Wheel. As one can see, all these products had competitive counterparts from PMC.

But when PMC launched the highly successful powdered detergent TIDE in 1957, PRC  was caught flat-footed and it took 5 years for the company to respond. But when it did, the product touted as America’s newest washing discovery—BREEZE—also took off and became a major player in the powdered laundry detergent segment.

BREEZE was actually launched in the U.S. market by the Lever Bros. in 1947 as a soapless, cleaning product. It was heavily supported with promotions and advertising, and became an established brand by the mid 1950s, so it was the perfect product to match to TIDE which had a hold on the powdered detergent market. The first ad appeared in 1962, which referred to the product as "America's newest washing discovery", in an age of colonial mentality.  TIDE, of course, was touted as "a sensational new washing discovery.")

 

BREEZE SUSTAINING AD, 1963

BREEZE was initially sold in pouches, and then in boxes. With its unique benefit—“BREEZE washes doubly clean—clean all over, clean all through”—the detergent’s dual promise, with a value-for-money undertone proved very appealing to Filipino housewives, and by 1963, it was drawing converts and new users by the thousands.

 

BREEZE "BANDWAGON" SUSTAINING AD, 1963

It is  accurate to say that TIDE and BREEZE grew the powdered detergent category in the Philippines, and both brands helped in popularizing a new detergent form that was looked at as more modern, more advanced, than detergent bars. It was one of the first brands to use music marketing; on radio, local singer Ruben Tagalog was hired to sing kundiman paeans to the art of  the wash.

 

DOUBLY CLEAN BREEZE AD, 1964

BREEZE consistently stuck to its “double clean” benefit, and further fortified this promise with the claim--“one soaping…one rinsing..no bleaching”.

 

THE ICONIC  HOUSEWIFE SNUGGLING TO BREEZE-WASHED SHEETS, 1965

In 1965, BREEZE ads began featuring an iconic outdoor shot of a woman with windblown hair, snuggled close to a bundle of clean, white sheets in her arms. The shot was meant to visualize “the fresh-air cleanness of clothes washed with BREEZE”.

 

NEW BREEZE, WITH INSTANT WASHING POWER, 1965

This picture would be used on the front panels of BREEZE boxes, as well as in its first relaunch since 1962. In 1966, BREEZE with New Instant Washing Power, was introduced. The new, improved BREEZE had quick-acting, power-packed suds that instantly work at once on stubborn stains and dirt. The results are clothese “so clean, you can even smell the freshness”.

 

FRESH-AIR CLEANNESS! 1966

This messaging would be used for the next two years, 1967-68. As a new decade dawned, PRC would go easy on BREEZE advertising, as by 1967, it was kept busy introducing its second laundry powdered detergent brand, the short-lived “RINSO”.

 

SMELL THE FRESHNESS. 1967

BREEZE would survive the rise of syndet (synthetic detergent) bars in the 1980s; today, BREEZE, (like its staunch competitor, TIDE), remains available in the Philippines, in powder and in the new liquid form, powered with ActiveBleach. The brand also continues to be advertised.

THE REAL TEST OF CLEANNESS. 1968

SOURCES:

Various Sunday Times Magazine issues

Breeze detergent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeze_detergent

Unilever Ph, website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever_Philippines

Then and Now, Magazine 1961, Philippine Refining Company, p. 27