293. PEPSI-COLA’s “Have A PEPSI DAY” Campaign, 1977-79

PEPSI-COLA's’ answer to the huge global success of its rival’s “COKE Adds Life!” campaign was the “Taste the PEPSI Way---and HAVE A PEPSI DAY” thematic campaign. 

 It harkens back to the PEPSI GENERATION that was conceived by advertising man and marketer Allan Pottasch (b.1927-d. 2007) who was first to observe the  youthful, carefree and optimistic culture emerging from the post-World War II baby boom. He thus coined a term to describe these up-and-coming power consumers: the PEPSI GENERATION, with a campaign launched in 1963

Over the next decades, advertising was focused on this Pepsi generation—and HAVE A PEPSI DAY was a continuing effort to engage these baby boomers to include Pepsi in their life. Launched in the U.S. in 1976, the campaign was rolled out in the Philippines the next year, using the internationally-famous jingle, but using local talents and situations.

 Launched in the U.S. in 1976, the campaign was rolled out in the Philippines the next year, using the internationally-famous jingle, but using local talents and situations.

LISTEN TO THE "HAVE A PEPSI DAY" JINGLE HERE:

The challenge for Ace-Compton Advertising Inc., the Makati ad agency tasked with localizing the campaign. The choice of “daily events” thus became critical—it should be within the realm of a Filipino’s social experience,  that can be heighten by the presence of PEPSI—leading to a “brand new moment” that will leave you “alive and feeling free”. 

 Hence, such situations as a tennis match, a trip to the zoo, a kalesa ride—becomes a celebration with PEPSI.

The campaign also had Celebrity versions, featuring top celebrities of the day  like superstar Nora Aunor, and her love team partner Tirso Cruz III. The Aunor TVC commercial had her defining her own PEPSI DAY---a free day without a film shooting, just bumming around, a day all to herself, with just  a bottle of PEPSI for a refreshing change.

HAVE A PEPSI DAY was a popular campaign, but “Coke Adds Life” was hard to beat. The jingle was more catchy, and the commercials featured the younger teen set that were cuter, funnier, more spontaneous in their ways. In the MTV years, Coke commercials were hipper, and more “with the times”.  It didn’t help that in 1977, the PEPSI COLA account was moved from Ace-Compton to J. Walter Thompson, major news that reverberated throughout the whole Philippine ad industry.  Coke regained its dominance, and the PEPSI DAYS were no more.

292. Bubble Gum of the ‘60s: TEXAS of Philip Sweets Mfg. Co.

TEXAS BUBBLE GUM BOX FROM THE MID-1960S.

One of the favorite bubble gums to come out in the 1960s is the pink, square gum in a waxed paper wrapper—the Original TEXAS Bubble Gum. Philip Sweets Manufacturing Co, which has been making candy and confectionary since 1949.

The company, with business address at Isabel Ave.( now renamed Gov.Pascual St.), Northern Hills in Malabon, also had another successful bubble gum brand—Tarzan—which came out in 1965. But TEXAS—which had an American state for a name—was an easy favorite.

 

PHILIP'S NW TEXAS BUBBLE GUM, 2019

In time, the chewy, minty sweet soft bubble gum gained many among school kids growing up in the 60s decade. Readily available in sari-sari stores nationwide, each one cost a centavo, but 5 centavos can get you 6 TEXAS gums.

 

NEW GENERATION TEXAS BUBBLE GUM, 2019

The brand disappeared for many years until Philips, now known as Phisman, resurrected its operations and relaunched an all-new TEXAS Bubble Gum in the 2010s.. The updated packaging captures the vibrant fun, character  and yummy taste  of the gum.  in fact, even its brands of yesteryears—including Tarzan—are now back in the Philippine candy market, winning back baby boomers as well as new millennial fans.

291. Brand Names That Became Everyday Pinoy Words #7: SPRAY NET

MISS SPRAY NET, Non-stick spray, 1966

The company that gave us the brand name “spraynet” which Filipinos use to refer to hair spray was an invention of Helene Curtis. Founded back in 1927 by Gerald Gidwitz and Louis Stein as the National Mineral Company,  it was renamed as ‘Helene Curtis’, derived from the first names of Stein’s wife and son.

From manufacturing mud pack products for salons, the company shifted its focus to creating hair care products like shampoos and tonics. Suave hairdressing became their biggest flagship product.

HELEN CURTIS VINTAGE CAN, Source: gramho.com

When aerosol cans were invented after World War II,  Helene Curtis was one of the first companies to recognize its value, and in 1950 it first used the term “hairspray” for its new aerosol cosmetic hair styling product: SPRAY NET.

It was so-called because of its superior hold on hair, that allowed women to keep their 50s bouffant and beehive hairdo as if protected by a net-- higher and longer, with just a spray.

SPRAY NET became such a successful product that other beauty care products joined the hair spray bandwagon, like Aqua Net. It was said that SPRAY NET became so popular that it even outsold lipsticks!

Advertised in 1966 in the Philippines. SPRAY NET was a huge hit among modern Filipinas. As it becae a dominant brand in the market, everyone started calling other branded aerosol hair sprays as “SPRAY NET”.

By the late '60s, tastes in hairstyles changed, with celebrities like Twiggy and Mia Farrow popularizing simpler, shorter, and more natural hair styles. Sales for hair sprays declined slowly. This was further aggravated when it was discovered that aerosol products contained Chlorofluoro Carbons (CFCs), that harmed the environment . A pre-1970 ingredient, vinyl chloride, was found to cause cancer.

HELENE CURTIS, 1966 Print Ad

Aerosols continued to be widely used as safer alternative ingredients were used. Helene Curtis now produces Thermasilk Shape and Hold Spray and Salon Selectives Spray. Though the iconic product is long gone, baby boomers still call any hair spray by that name—SPRAY NET!

SOURCES:

Inset Photo: https://gramho.com/explore-hashtag/helenecurtis

Wikipedia: Helene Curtis Industries, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Curtis_Industries,_Inc.

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.

289. Father and Son Endorsers: LEOPOLDO SALCEDO & EDGAR SALCEDO for PIEDMONT Cigarettes, 1966

PIEDMONT, CHOICE OF 2 GENERATIONS, 1966 Print Ad

One of the oldest American cigarette brands that found its way in the Philippines was PIEDMONT Cigarettes, made by Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. (L&M), a company incorporated in the 1870s in St.Louis, Missouri. Though it was acquired by the American Tobacco Co. (ATC) in 1899,  L&M continued to operate, introducing PIEDMONT in 1905. Some of its early brands included Chesterfield, L&M, Fatima, American Beauty, Home Run, Imperiales, Coupon and King Bee.

PIEDMONT Cigarettes was available in the Philippines after the war, as it was a popular brand among Americans. It was marketed actively in the 1950s through the 60s, and made use of celebrities and authority figures to push the brand.

In 1966, PIEDMONT print ads featured the father-and-son tandem Leopoldo Salcedo and Edgar Salcedo, both popular film actors.

Leopoldo  Salcedo,  (B. 12 Mar. 1912/d. 11 June 1998), known as “the Great Profile” was the Philippines’ answer to John Barrymore. By the 60s, he was already an established senior star, a long way from his bod-a-bil beginnings.  He broke into films in 1934, debtuing in “Sawing Palad”, but 1939 was his breakthrough year when he starred as Macario Sacay in Lamberto Avellana’s “Sacay”of LVN Pictures .

THE GREAT PROFILE

His career was interrupted by the war, so he returned to performing in stage shows while secretly engaged in underground activities. Post-war, he starred in he formed his own production outfit which produced movies with socially-relevant themes like “Bisig ng Mangagawa” (1951) and “Batong Buhay (Sa Central Luzon)”. 

Salcedo’s peak was during this period and the 60s decade saw him essaying his most famous title role in Gerry de Leon's “The Moises Padilla Story”, a 1961 bio-flick of about the heroic politician who was murdered after refusing to withdraw his candidacy. For this, he was awarded the Famas. He won another Famas for a supporting role in “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon”(1976). His last film was in Raymond Red’s “Sakay”, a role he originated years before.

His son with Trinidad Salas—Edgar Salcedo—also forayed into movie making and achieved a certain measure of fame in the mid-1960s as a member of Sampaguita Pictures “Stars ‘66”—a group of young love teams tagged as most likely to reach full stardom. 

Photo: Pinterest

The young Salcedo was paired with Gina Pareño. The other stars include Loreta Marquez-Dindo Fernando, Rosemarie-Pepito Rodriguez, Blanca Gomez-Bert Leroy Jr., Shirley Moreno-Ramil Rodriguez.

While Stars’66 were featured in light romance comedies, Edgar Salcedo had a chance to appear with his father Leopoldo in the 1966 action movie, “Laman ng Aking Laman”, which they both topbilled. 

The movie, from United Brothers productions, also starred Rita Gomez and Rosemarie. He did “Pedro Valiente” (1971) and “Milyon” (1980), his last known film.

But in 1966, the Salcedos were at the top of their game, credible and well-known enough to push PIEDMONT Cigarettes, in the familiar white and gold package, and “the choice of two generations”.