290. EVER Fragrant Soap of Philippine Refining Co. (PRC), 1959-1971

EVER GIRL 1964, Alice Rosal Barr, was a runner up of Gemma Cruz in the
1964 Miss Philippines of Boys' Town Contest,

In 1959, Philippine Refining Company (PRC) launched a new beauty soap,  on the basis of its fragrant scent.  There was much romanticizing about EVER Fragrant Soap’s unique selling proposition , and its launch ad proclaimed it so--“With the exclusive Tres Chic Perfume from Paris..the perfume that whispers Love me!’,

 

EVER FRAGRANT SOAP, Launch Ad, 1959

The green oval soap was initially available in Manila, but was soon rolled out in the country by next year. It had also acquired a new elegant green package,  to hold in the “cool, refreshing green soap so pleasing to the eyes!”.

 

NEW GREEN PACKAGING FOR EVER FRAGRANT SOAP, 1960

In 1964, EVER Fragrant Soap chose Alice Rosal Barr as EVER Girl 1964. She had earlier placed as second runner up to Gemma Cruz at the Miss Philippine Boys Town search  that year. 

 

THE FIRST EVER GIRL, ALICE ROSAL BARR from Cebu, 1964 Ad

The search for  EVER Girl continued the next year with eve bigger prizes—a trip to the U.S. and a scholarship at the John Robert Powers Charm School in New York, 4 Thousand pesos worth of jewelry and a complete wardrobe from Tres Chic and Eddie Alcantara. What was so noteworthy about this beauty search was that, even married women could join the contest.

 

THE SEARCH FOR EVER GIRL 1965, Announcement Ad, 1965

No amount of promotion, it seem,  could help EVER Fragrant Soap make headway in the beauty soap market, as Camay and Lux had risen as the two formidable beauty brands of the 60s decade.

 

EVER GIRL 1965 SEARCH, Open to all single and married ladies.

In 1971, PRC made a last ditch effort to modernize EVER Fragrant Soap’s image by relaunching it with a more contemporary look, and better looking ads that made use of dramatic and classy layouts. 

EVER SOAP, RELAUNCH AD, 1971

The proposition remained the same,  with “fragrance” as its differentiating point. “Tres Chic “ perfume had become passé, and this time, EVER Fragrant Soap was lavished “with Jeunesse, the perfume you can bathe in!” . 

Unfortunately, EVER Fragrant Soap was lost in the beauty soap war of the 70s, and did not even last the new decade.