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| 1957 MAGNOLIA CHOCO-VIM "Healthful! Refreshing!" Print Ad, |
To the baby boomers growing up in the late 50s and 60s, a
bottle of CHOCO-VIM was a delicious
chocolate drink that was always a welcome treat. Introduced in 1957, CHOCO-VIM was manufactured by Magnolia
Dairy Products of the San Miguel Brewery.
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| MAGNOLIA CHOCO-VIM EARLY BOTTLES, 1957-1960s |
At only 15 centavos per bottle, CHOCO-VIM could be served hot or cold, and the energizing,
chocolate flavored-drink became an instant favorite in no time all. It was
first sold in tall, softdrink-like bottles, but after a while, shifted to a
shorter, squatter bottles.
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| CHOCO-VIM & MILK-O-VIM |
Many though, preferred to drink the healthful drink when
it is served freezing cold. When kept in the ref, one could actually see the
chocolate goodness settling at the bottom. One quick shake is all it took to
wake up the refreshing, chocolatey goodness that ‘s perfect for snacks or meal
times.
A companion dairy milk-based beverage, MILK-O-VIM, was
also produced, a sort of a sweet malted milk drink, packed in a similar bottle,
but this variant did not catch on.
CHOCO-VIM came
out with a smattering of black and white print ads in the late 50s and 60s, and
enjoyed a decade of success. The ads appeared in top weekly magazines like
Women’s, Graphic, Philippines Free Press and other dailies.
However, new strides in milk technology caused the
phase-out of the bottled product in the late 1960s. Beginning in 1969, CHOCO-VILM was replaced by Magnolia
CHOCOLAIT, an all-new high-grade chocolate milk drink in new glass
bottles.
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| MAGNOLIA CHOC-VIM ADS, 1960s. |
Eventually, bottles were eased out in favor of new
packaging innovations including aseptic cartons, tetra bricks, and doy packs
that caused the introduction of other chocolate milk brands like Daisy, Milo,
Selecta Moo and Chuckie. But CHOCO-VIM
will always be looked at with much fondness, for having started our love affair
with the first ready-to-drink chocolate goodness in a bottle!
SOURCES:
Pe, Roger . “The Choco-Vim Diaries”, Philippine Daily
Inquirer, 30 Sep. 2011, https://business.inquirer.net/22157/choco-vim-the-dairy-diaries
http://flyandflea.blogspot.com/2010/09/142-drinking-vitality-choco-vim.html
I think the bottled choco vim wasn’t replaced with chocolait in 1969 coz’ i was born 1968 and during my pre school and elementary years this was my favorite drink after school. We had a store in aldevinco where one of the mercos was.
ReplyDeleteAgree... It May have been replaced by the mid 70's...
DeleteDuring my geade school days in the middle to late 60's, they sold Choco Vim along side Chocolair at the De La Salle Grade School canteen in taft. Chocolaut was priced higher than Choco Vim.
ReplyDeleteChoco Vim was not replaced by Chocolait. They were sold at the same time. Chocolait survived, Choco Vim did not and was phased outm
ReplyDeleteConclusion of this article is wrong. Chocolait did not replace Choco Vim. They existed side by side for a time in the mid to late 60's until Choco Vim was phased out.
ReplyDeleteI still have fond memories of this chocolate drink which my lola used to sell in her sari-sari store. I was born in 1967, it lasted until in the early 70's.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in gradeschool in De La Salle Taft in the 60's and inro the early 70's, Choco Vim was sold together with Choco Lait at the school's large outdoor canteen.
ReplyDeleteThe difference was the Choco Vim was cheaper than Choco Lait. I think because of the higher milk content of Choco Lait. I remember that the Choco Lait tasted very milky, while Choco Vim had a stronger chocolate taste and was sweeter. Something similar to the taste of Magnolia's chocolate Popsicle, if it was melted. The Choco Lait also bothered my stomach a bit because I was lactose intolerant.
IIRC, Choco Vim was priced at something like 17 centavos, while the Choco Laite was 50 centavos each. What I could remeber was, I could buy two Choc Vims with my daily allowance with enoigh money left to buy a bag of chips or some candy, while I could only afford one Choco Lait daily.
The students considered Choco Lait to be the recess drink of the rich kids in school, while everyone else bought the more affordable Choco Vim. Another difference was, you had to shake to Choco Vim before drinking, because some chocolate solids tend to settle at the bottom of its glass bottle. You did not have to ro that with Choco Lait.
It was funny that the canteen sold the Choco Lait at a different side of the large canteen in school. So there were different lines for Choco Vim and Choco Lait buyers. the Choco Lait Buyers lined up at tue side of the canteen facing the main building of the school where all the classrooms are, while the Choco Vim buyers lined up at the side of the canteen facing the large soccer field of the school. The regular softdrinks were sold on the canteen side that faces the campus quadrangle. I think there were actually small signs above the counters of the canteen instructing kids where to line up for each drink.