Wednesday, May 29, 2019

223. The Cream and Sunshine Butter!” ANCHOR BUTTER, Print Ads 1966-1981

SPREAD...TASTE...ENJOY, ANCHOR AD, 1966

Would you believe that ANCHOR BUTTER has been around for over 130 years? Yes, the fresh, creamy butter that has always been a favorite in the Philippines is the creation of English farmer Henry Reynolds, who settled in  New Zealand and established a dairy factory at Pukekura in the 1880s with the help of American David Gemmel who also provided him with a butter recipe.


Reynolds invested in  modern dairy machinery and turned out butter blocks made only from the finest milk from Waikato.  It was said that he used an anchor as a logo after seeing an anchor tattoo on the arm of a sailor who had been his regular supplier of milk. That was how ANCHOR BUTTER came to be in 13 November 1886

Initially , the factory managed to churn out only 45 kilograms of ANCHOR in one year, but as his butter gained widespread popularity  and recognition.  It was even awarded a gold medal at the Melbourne Exhibition in 1888. Business boomed and he put up more factories—8 in all by 1896. He sold his products also in London where he had also built a cool store there.

Reynolds sold his lucrative business to the New Zealand Dairy Association in 1896, which was instrumental in the promotion of NZ of dairy products in the United Kingdom.  Up to 90% of New Zealand’s dairy exports were being sold in UK, where ANCHOR became  a best-selling butter.

ANCHOR,  “the leading brand of the choicest butter from the loveliest dairy pastures in the world” and “fresh as a sea breeze, pure as the sunshine”, was ready to expand globally, and was pushed into new markets like America and Asia.
 
THE CREAM AND SUNSHINE BUTTER--ANCHOR! 1970
It was in the mid 1960s that ANCHOR BUTTER became available in the Philippines. As it was distributed here, the ANCHOR had a premium image and sold at a higher cost. It found a niche among the uppity class, even at that time,  Filipinos were into margarines and pseudo-butter that were decidedly cheaper. It was sold in blocks wrapped in paper, and cheaper ½ and ¼ pound block  sizes.

 ANCHOR BUTTER print ads began appearing in weekly magazine in 1966, but placements were intermittent. It was only in the 1970s, when the local NZ Dairy distributor assigned ANCHOR to a full-fledge agency, J. Romero & Associates, which created ANCHOR’s memorable TV commercial.
 
THE PHILIPPINES' LARGEST SELLING BUTTER. 1970
It was a simple series of product application shots---a pat of ANCHOR BUTTER sliding on a hotcake, or on toast, interspersed with eating and reaction shots. What made the commercial appealing was the jingle, sung by the chanteuse Nelda Navarro:

“Fresh, ANCHOR BUTTER
The cream and sunshine butter
Spread…taste…enjoy…
Fresh, ANCHOR BUTTER!”

True to its classy image,  Englih-speaking radio and TV personality Leila Benitez, provided the voice over, extolling the virtues of the pure, creamery New Zealand butter with a diction so polished and perfect. The vintage 70s jingle would be resurrected again in the 1987-88 campaign “Butters Better” campaign.

IT'S WORTH THEIR LOVE. ANCHOR Butter Ad, 1981.
ANCHOR BUTTER would have sporadic advertising on print and TV in the 1980s, especially as it became the No. 1 selling butter in the Philippines in 1981.
 
IT'S WORTH THEIR LOVE. ANCHOR Butter Ad, 1981.
In 2001,  the New Zealand Dairy Group which owned ANCHOR  merged with Kiwi Co-operative in 2001 to form Fonterra Co-operative in 2001. It is a New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative owned by around 10,500 New Zealand farmers, the largest NZ company that supplies  for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports.

WATCH THIS 1987-88 ANCHOR TVC 30s 
USING ITS 1970S JINGLE SOUNDTRACK 
Copyright Fonterra Brands Philippines, Inc. source: https://www.facebook.com/Viewonthe3rd/

Fonterra, which, in Latin means “spring from the land”, continues to market ANCHOR branded dairy products in the Philippines today, that has come to include not just ANCHOR BUTTER, but also powdered milk, cheese, and culinary butter.

SOURCES:
Fonterra Website: https://www.fonterra.com/ph/en/our-brands.html, accessed 5/28/ 2019
Copyright Fonterra Brands Philippines, Inc.
source:

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

222. For Women Who Smoke: CHELSEA CIGARETTES, 1955-1957

CRISTY ORTEGA, vekvet-voiced singer of Serafin Payawal, for Chelsea, 1955

The idea of Filipinas smoking was not exactly an alien practice early on in our history,  as women—and even children smoked tobacco for leisure.  In the 18th century, tobacco was widely grow in in the islands and became an important and lucrative product for the Spanish government. 

It was so commonplace especially for older women to smoke that the younger, more modern Filipinas were told to shy away from cigarettes. It took Americans to make the practice more “sophisticated” with the coming of imported cigarettes with fancy brand names that were so different from the old-fashioned, local brands like “Alhambra Regaliz”, “Bataan” and “Balintawak”.
 
NORMA CARVAJAL, young model, in an ad for Chelsea, 1956.
“Chesterfield”, “Lucky Strike and ”Camel” sounded cooler and more refreshing—but they were cigarettes that were associated with the masculine market.

In the mid 1950s, CHELSEA Cigarettes were launched in the Philippines by its manufacturer, Larus and Brother Co.,  (Charles and Herbert Larus) of Richmond, Virginia. Under its authority, CHELSEA were distributed by International Tobacco Co., Inc., with offices at Del Pan St., Manila.
 
CONNIE SALES, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957
The products of Larus & Bro. Co. (1877-1968)  were no stranger to the Philippine market.  A first, they produced Smoking and Chewing Tobaco, and its most popular bards was  Edgeworth, introduced in 1903.

The company began to manufacture cigarettes after it purchased the Reed Tobacco Company and adopted it as a subsidiary in 1913. Distribution companies were opened all over the U.S., and its territories. During the World War II, the company’s tobacco supply went to the U.S. Army and its support agencies. In fact, packets of 4 cigarettes were labeled with the words “I Shall Return” and secretly distributed in the Philippines.
 
EMILIE GASPAR, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957
CHELSEA Cigarettes was one of the company’s cigarette brand that was introduced post-war. It  was one of the first products that used the concept of positioning employed in advertising strategies, in which  an image for the product based on a specific and intended audience is created and promoted.

From approximately 1955 to 1957, CHELSEA rolled out a campaign that featured  women personalities—from nightclub singers to models and rising socialites—to extoll the pleasures of smoking the new lady’s brand—“new and fresh as the day it leaves the factory…delightfully mild as I want my cigarette to be!”.
 
PILAR MUYOT, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957
A few of these ads directly targetted to women smokers are on this spread. However, the makers must have also realized that CHELSEA Cigarettes were also suited for men, as smoking, after all, was still a male-dominated practice. A token ad was produced, showing an illustration of a man lighting up a smoke—touting “the fine taste of quality in the special blend of imported  U.S. Virginia tobaccos…mild and mellow…flavored to your taste”.
 
A CHELSEA AD, this time directed to male smokers, 1950s.
CHELSEA Cigarettes disappeared in the market when Larus and Brother Co. was sold to Rothman's of Canada, Ltd. In 1968. The cigarettes were later reintroduced by Liggett and Myers, who had acquired Larus & Brother's trade marks in 1976.

SOURCES:

Saturday, May 18, 2019

221. Creative Guild’s 1993 Print Ad of the Year: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK “Seeing Double”



The 1993 Print Ad of the Year, a Saatchi creation for the Philippine National Bank, a client from 1986 to 1993, gain exploited two-pronged meanings. This time, however, the meanings could be deciphered in the simple, graphic visual image.

The market was the family and/or dependents of the overseas contract worker based in Hong Kong, the product is one of Santiago’s admitted favorites, remittance services, specifically the bank’s new, speedy “Rapidremit” system.

“It’s an interesting audience,” Santiago observes,”you’re talking to the people waiting here for the money. “Mainit na ang ulo niyan. It’s a very emotional market.”

Yet, Santiago and his team, composed of creative director Mario Monteagudo, writer Edsel Tolentino, art director Randy Tiempo, and artists Lulu san pedro  and Tracy Montinola, skipped the overtly emotional approaches commonly employed for such complex, close-to-home subject as the Filipino laborer. “You can always talk to labor exporters, show pictures of workers,” Santiago says ,but it’s hard to be emotional in print. The speed must be the message.

As fast as the snap of a finger. Or as the ad shows, fast as the blink of an eye,the “kisapmata” or fleeting moment it tales for a closed eye to open.  “People easily lose interest in a newspaper message. It has to be simple. The visual has to tell the story”.

The bonus, courtesy of Monteagudo, was the witty cultural reference. The “kisapmata” also mared the difference between a slit eye, the kind you’d find I a Chinese Hong Kong native, and the long-lashed orb of the Pinoy. The double entendre again fell smoothly into place; PNB couldn’t have asked for a simpler, more appropriate visual representation for the people of a foreign land—one that happened with the big idea as well. This big idea was speed; if you happened to get the cultural connotation, as well, then Santiago be doubly happy.

The bank’s aggressive advertising did its job. PNB became the leader in the remittance field, and the campaign also contributed to the perceieved credibility of the country’s national bank.

CREDITS:
AGENCY: ACE-SAATCHI & SAATCHI
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRCTOR: Jimmy F. Santiago
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Mario Monteagudo
COPYWRITER: Edsel Tolentino
ART DIRECTOR: Randy Tiempo
PRINT PRODUCER: Beloy Anegeles
ARTISTS: Lulu San Pedro, Tracy Montinola
ADVERTISER: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK
PRODUCT: PNB Remittance

SOURCE:
PERFECT 10: A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, 1995, p. 36

Saturday, May 11, 2019

220. Political Ads: YULO-MACAPAGAL of the Liberal Party, 1957


The 1957 Presidential Elections of the Philippines saw the candidacies of several distinguished Filipino politicians from different major parties. The elections were held in the year that the country was still reeling from the airplane crash death of President Ramon Magsaysay in March. Vice president, Carlo Garcia had to assume his office and serve the  remaining 8 months of the deceased president’s term.
 
SLOGANEERING. Yulo's camp launched a slogan-making contest to engage voters.
When the official election season of 1957 kicked off, the major contenders for the executive posts of President and Vice-President respectively, included incumbent Carlos P. Garcia and Jose Laurel Jr. (Nacionalista Party),   Jose Yulo and Diosdado Macapagal (Liberal Party), Manuel Manahan and Vicente Araneta (Progressive Party) and Claro M. Recto and Lorenzo Tañada  (Nationalist  Citizens’ Party) .

WINNING BY WORDSMITHING. 50 pesos for weekly winners!
José Yulo (b. 24 Sep.1894/d. 27 Oct. 1976) was born in Bago, Negros Occidental. A U.P. law graduate, and a bar topnotcher, he rose to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (1942-45) during the Japanese Occupation. Previous to this, he was  the Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939-41.  He had the distinction of serving in all he branches of the government.
 
MAKE MAC WIN! The Macapagal camp organized pro-Macapagal groups that they 
could mobilize for cascading information and distribution of campaign materials.
Running mate Diosdado Macapagal (b. 28 Sep. 1910/d. 21 Apr. 1997) was an alumni of the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, and worked as a government  lawyer. His political career began in 1949 when he was elected as a Pampanga congressman.

The Yulo-Macapagal tandem had many campaign stunts to engage the voting public—and among these were a Slogan-Making Contest, with a weekly cash prize of Php 50.00 for the winning slogan.
 
HOW-TO'S ON MAKING A MAC GROUP IN YOUR COMMUNITY, 1957 Ad
Macapagal, on the other hand, promoted the organization of pro-Macapagal groups in Philippine communities, a network support to help push his candidacy in the provinces. They were equipped with campaign materials for posting in their neighborhoods, and the officials were used to cascade information about Macapagal’s platform to people in far-flung places.

It would seem that Macapagal’s gimmick worked better than that of Yulo, as after all the votes were counted, he found himself the runaway winner of the Vice Presidential position, beating Jose Laurel Jr. Yulo, on the other hand, placed second to Carlos Garcia. This was the first time that the elected president and vice president came from different parties. Macapagal would eventually be elected the 9th President of the Philippines in 1961.


Today, political stunts and gimmicks are threatening to overshadow the competence and credentials of candidates—remembered more for their Voltes 5 jingles, useless giveaways, silly slogans, ridiculous posters and cash prizes. Politics, after all, is about public service, not public entertainment, of which we already have enough these days.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

219.Over 20 Glasses of SUNQUICK, Print Ads 1970-71

PICK A QUICK! Sunquick Orange Concentrate Intro Ad,1970

The refreshingly different orange drink that made waves in the Philippines in 1970 was developed by Danish brothers Jep and Flemming Petersen. They succeeded perfecting a process of concentrating real orange juice  and produced a juice drink first launched in the United Kingdom in 1966 as SUNQUICK Orange Concentrate.

Needless to say, SUNQUICK became an incredible success, and the company began advertising in 1968, that propelled the product to eve greater heights. It became an international brand as SUNQUICK in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia—including the Philippines in 1970.

SUNQUICK Orange Concentrate was bottled locally by Marina Sales, Inc. in Mandaluyong, a distribution company that has been in business since 1954.

When it was launched in the Philippines through print and TV advertising, it created by a buzz because of its concentrate form. One need only to add water to make an orange drink that has 5 times more orange juice than ordinary fruit drinks in the market. At that time, only Julep and Sunkist were the only other available orange juice choices.


VALUE-FOR MONEY SUNQUICK MAGAZINE ADS. 1970

The initial interest in SUNQUICK Orange Concentrate was dampened by the perception that it was too expensive for a bottled product. Also, the use of concentrate was largely unknown. So, SUNQUICK embarked on an aggressive value-for-money campaign. One small bottle of SUNQUICK, the ad message conveyed,  could actually make 20 glasses of orange juice drinks!

LISTEN TO THE 1970 SUNQUICK JINGLE 
as sung by The Ambivalent Crowd

A TV commercial was the vehicle for SUNQUICK’s value-for-money message that featured the young, talented members of the Ambivalent Crowd that included Pol Enriquez, Celeste Legaspi, Cynthia Patag, Gigi Escalante, Mae Cendana, Pinky Marquez and Berg Villapando , among others. The much-sought after singing group had Willy B. Cruz as musical director.

REPRICED VALUE-FOR MONEY AD. The original 17 centavos per glass
has risen to 23 centavos due to inflation in 1971.

The Ambivalent Crowd were shown frolicking in what looked like a garden setting, as they sang the memorable “Over 20 Glasses of SUNQUICK” jingle that was specially composed by Jose Mari Chan.

SUNQUICK 1971  MAGAZINE AD

Decades later, SUNQUICK is one of the world’s most popular concentrates, present in over 70 markets. Though no longer active in traditional advertising. its business continues in the Philippines, under  SUNQUICK Philippines, finally established in 2012.

1970 SUNQUICK FLAVORS: Orange, Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Grapefruit

Other than the flagship brand, SUNQUICK, its line has expanded to include Lemon, Mango, Pink Guava & Strawberry, Mandarin, Blackcurrant, Ice Tea Lemon and Tropical flavors—perfect summer refreshment for the family! 

2019 SUNQUICK FLAVORS. Share the Joy of 8 Flavors!

These are supported through merchandising, sales and online promotions. Concentrating on great taste for many years now, SUNQUICK has truly succeeded in its mission embodied by its new slogan: “Share the Joy!”

SOURCES:
Sunquick Philippines FB page
Sunquick History: https://www.sunquick.com/