312. Where Are They Now? Advertising Model MARIANNE DE LA RIVA

MARIANNE DELA RIVA in POND'S COLD CREAM AD, 1974

Long before MARIANNE DELA RIVA was seen on the silver screen in blockbuster FPJ movie, and on TV where she found greater fame in telenovela, she was a refreshing presence in fashion circles, social events and in the world of media and advertising.  

The serene beauty with her trademark mole on her forehead had her first public exposure when she was named as one of Manila’s Five Prettiest from 1971-72, picked from 26 nominees. 

The 15 year old was proclaimed at a posh formal reception at Manila Polo Club, along with co-winners Maricar Zaldarriaga, Marianne de la Riva, Baby Corcuera, Emmeline Veloso and Malu Leuterio. 

Fashion guru Pitoy Moreno (+) is credited with discovering her, and featured her in many of his fashions shows. She became a prominent cover girl for many women’s magazines, and soon, advertising casters came knocking at her door.

 Surprisingly Dela Riva  only appeared in a few ads, and there are ony 2 memorable  commercial appearances on record—for ESKINOL, a popular facial lotion from MetroDrug ( J. Romero & Associates) and POND’s Cold Cream (J. Walter Thompson).

 This became a springboard for her to enter showbiz, and her first film was alongside Victor Laurel in “Love Song” (1973) opposite Victor Laurel. Her biggest break was becoming the favorite leading lady of the King of Filipino Movies, Fernando Poe Jr.,  in such movies as “Ang Leon at Ang Daga” (1975), and of course, the legendary ‘Ang Panday IV” (1984). 

WATCH CELEBRITY STORY's MARIANNE DE LA RIVA UPDATE HERE: 

Dela Riva became a household name when she played Luisa in the hit soap “Gulong ng Palad” opposite with Ronald Corveau (as Carding) whom she married in 1979.The series, created by Lina Flor,  lasted from 1977 to 1985. Marianne de la Riva's last project was the television remake of Panday, shown on December 2005.

311. 311. Ministry of Tourism’s, HUWAG MAGING DAYUHAN SA SARILING BAYAN Campaign, 1986-87

 

"REDISCOVER THE PHILIPPINES", launch Print Ad

MOT’s  domestic tourism campaign  for 1986-87 was assigned to hotshot Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, which was on a roll for its string of major creative awards in the local and international front. Again, it came up with a winning theme that DOT approved and which the agency executed under Creative Directors Cid Reyes and Jimmy Santiago.: “Huwag Maging Dayuhan sa Sariling Bayan” (English version: “Don’t be a Stranger in Your Own Paradise”).

LISTEN TO THE MOT JINGLE "Huwag Maging Dayuhan"

The campaign was rolled out using black and white illustrated print ads, as a planned tro-media campaign did not materialize due to budget limitations. Meanwhile, radio jingle studies with lyric  written by Jimmy Santiago (Pilipino version) and Alex Castro (English version) were produced by award-winning composer Caloy Agawa. These were never used, however, as the campaign had a very limited run. In any case, the slogan “Huwag Maging Dayuhan sa Sariling Bayan”, was used intermittently in DOT promotional materials, till the rest of the decade.

AYALA MUSEUM, "Huwag Maging Dayuhan" Print Ad

310. The “BLINDFOLD TEST” Campaign of CAMAY Soap, early 1980s

 

CAMAY BLINDFOLD, "Gigi", Print Ad. ca. 1981

Beginning in 1980, CAMAY, Procter & Gamble’s leading  beauty soap launched a more hard-sell campaign to ward off its perennial arch-rival, PRC’s LUX. LUX had all the glamorous stars at its disposal as it was globally positioned as “the soap of movie stars”.  CAMAY felt that perhaps, the soap would appeal to  women on a more rational level, so sometime in the 1980s, it launched a “blindfold ” tactical campaign to test its new mildness.

The “blindfold challenge” was a format used before by CAMAY in the U.K. when it launched its new scent—Camay Wildflower. A blindfolded woman was asked to figure out the scent by smelling  a perfume bottle int which a soap has been inserted. Once she identified the “perfume scent”, her blindfold is removed and her cheeks are lathered with CAMAY soap.

The format was borrowed and was used to challenge a relatively unknown Filipina to test the gentleness of her beauty soap against CAMAY. She lathers one side of her cheek with her current soap, the other cheek with CAMAY. At the end, she is asked to choose which side felt smoother  and more “banayad” on the skin. Invariably, the CAMAY side always won.

A parade of newfound girls were recruited to do the “blindfold test” commercials, to draw in more mass appeal. They were not as well-known as previous talents, but still were referred to as CAMAY girls. Some of the models included the fashion model Gina Leviste, a band singer named Esperanza Tatlonghari (aka Zsa-Zsa Padilla), Angeli Pangilinan, member of the band Music and Magic (future talent management agency owner and wife of Gary Valenciano). A  few memorable lines came out if these popular ads-- as a result of the models’ discovery of Camay’s superiority over their current soap brands.  Upon removing her blindfold, for examples, a surprised Angeli squealed—“Hah? CAMAY? Akin na lang twooooohhhh!”

CREDITS: AGENCY: Ace Compton Advertising / CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gryk Ortaleza / COPYWRITERS: Menchu Arrogante, Mimit Zialcita / CASTER: Baby Dumaup, Myra Mendoza / PRODUCER: Dante Datu / ADVERTISER: Procter & Gamble Philippines

309. Beauty Queens as Ad Models: PILAR DELILAH PILAPIL, Bb. Pilipinas 1967

ESKINOL AD, 1967

One of the most photographed beauties of the late 1960s was Pilar Delilah Pilapil, a homegrown mestizo beauty from Liloan, Cebu who was crowned Bb. Pilipinas of 1967. Then 17 years old, she represented the country at the 1967 Miss Universe Pageant in Miami beach, won by American Sylvia Hitchcock. 

BB. PILIPINAS AD, 1967, with PILAR

But greater things were in store for her after her reign. Producers sought her for television and the movies, and that’s how she started her long and enduring showbiz career that has spanned 4 decades, and counting. When the popular comic strip “Tisoy” of Nonoy Marcelo was turned into a TV series, Pilapil was cast as ‘Maribubut”, Tisoy’s (played by Jimmy Morato) love interest. She went on to do a musical show “This Girl..Pilar!” as well.

ESKINOL GIRL PILAR, 1967

ESKINOL PRINT AD, 1968

Her first film was no less than the FPJ-directed “El Niño”, and action  with1968 with Andy Poe as her leading man. She was linked with Dolphy after doing “Dolpe De Gulat” and “El Pinoy Matador” in the enxt 2 years. Winner of 2 Best Actress Awards (Urian and MFF) , Pilapil has an impressive body of screen work to her name, including “Kailan Ba Tama Ang Mali” (1985), “Tinik Sa Dibdib”,  “Napakasakit Kuya Eddie”, and “Bakit Ako Mahihiya” in 1997. 

MIRINDA ORANGE AD, Pilar Pilapil with Bert Leroy Jr., 1967-68

She ran unsuccessfuly for a senatorial seat in 2004 and authored her biography in 2006 in a book entitled “Woman Without A Face”. Pilapil has a daughter Pia, with Salvador Laurel.  Divorced from her Spanish husband Michel Ponti in 1987, the born-again Pilapil married Pastor Bernie Penas in 2002.  In 2011, Pilapil was  attacked by suspected carjackers and kidnappers, but survived her ordeal. 

BEAR BRAND AD, 1967-68

A staple of TV soap series, Pilar Pilapil  is currently doing “First Yaya” for GMA 7 as of February 2020. 

A PAIR OF VONNEL ADS, 1968 

The celebrated beauty graced many magazine covers as well as modeled for blue-chip brands during her celebrated years, a few of which are featured on this spread.