329. UNI-CHARM NAPKINS : “Parang Wala, Kahit Meron” Campaign, 1983

UNI-CHARM WITH TCP* "PARANG WALA, KAHIT MERON", 1983

Sometime in the late 70s, Mondragon industries Industries was founded by Jose Antonio Gonzalez, who would become our Tourism Secretary in 1986. The company was initially engaged in the production women’s intimate fashions—from brassieres to panties and lingerie. The underwear products  became instant sensations in the 80s, and became Mondragon’s flagship brand. With this success, the company forayed into other women’s products, and the result was UNI-CHARM Sanitary Napkins.

TINA REVILLA for UNI-CHARM, 1983

UNI-CHARM was specially design with TCP—for Total Comfort and Protection.It has a special absorbent multi-layer system that absorbs faster to keep you drier than ordinary pads.Plus, it was the only napkin at that time that was individually wrapped. In 1983, UNI-CHARM was launched with a campaign using the theme line: “Parang wala, Kahit meron”. 

BONG DIMAYACYAC/ CITA CAPUYON for UNI-CHARM, 1984

The  brand had the endorsements of 3 celebrities: Pops Fernandez (a young entertainment personality), Tina Revilla (TV host and producer), and Gloria “Bong” Dimayacyac (Miss Asia 1973). There was also a TV commercial as part of the campaign component. 

POPS FERNANDEZ for UNI-CHARM, 1983

The campaign elevated awareness for UNI-CHARM and the brand enjoyed moderate success. With the diversification of Mondragon, UNI-CHARM was dropped from the product portfolio. Today, “Unicharm” name is owned by a Japanese firm that makes sanitary pads and chidren’s diapers.

328. DELY "Tiya Dely" MAGPAYO FOR LIBERTY EVAPORADA, 1966

"TIYA DELY" as LIBERTY EVAPORATED MILK ENDORSER

When it comes to caring for children, they say that “Mother Knows Best”, but maybe, just maybe, aunts can’t be far behind, especially if that aunt is “Tiya Dely”. “Tiya Dely’, Fidela Magpayo Reyes in real life  (b. 29 Oct. 1920/d. 1 Sep. 2008), was a pioneering broadcast icon of the golden age of  Philippine radio in the 50s. Her radio program was prefaced with a distinctive voice: “Ito ang iyong, Tiya Dely….”. It was the go-to show for people with problems of all sorts—from troubled hearts, lovelorn people, students in dilemma, common folks needing a shoulder to lean on. For years, she dispensed counsel and sage advice,  so that others may find the light at the end of the tunnel.

With such a huge amount of trust placed on her, it is no wonder that LIBERTY EVAPORADA featured her in print ads back in 1966, which follows the narrative format of her program, In the print ad, she gives words of advice about the nutritional values of the evaporated milk and their equivalent in meat and vegetables. With such a credible influencer, who would not believe Tiya Dely.

LIBERTY EVAPORADA, pint ad 1966

  “Tiya Dely” had a long fruitful career as a radio announcer. At age 87, she was still an anchor of DZRH radio program Serenata Kolektibista (later Serenata Filipina), in a segment that showed her interest in kundiman and rondalla music. Magpayo suffered a stroke while on board on the evening of 30 August 2008, passing away 2 days later on September 2008.

SOURCE:

Dely Magpayo, wikimedia

327. BENCH/ International Stores Print Ad, 1996

THE GLOBAL FACES OF BENCH, Print Ad, 1996

By 1996, the country’s premier clothing store, BENCH/ was at enjoying the fruits of its success. It had been established in 1987 by founder Ben Chan, as a t-shirt store with an outlet in SM Department Store. So successful were the t-shirts that it paved the way for Chan to include full clothing lines for men and women, fragrances, fashion accessories, footwear, food, houseware, and other lifestyle products.

In less than a decade, BENCH/ expanded overseas, and by 1996, had branches in Singapore, Riyadh, Al Khobar  (Saudi Arabia) and Yokohama (Japan).

BENCH/ owes part of its success to its  advertising which set new standards of excellence in advertising; its first TV ad in 1991  featured up –and-coming matinee idol Richard Gomez.

In the mid 1990s, BENCH/ engaged the services of a small, but hotshot ad agency, Jimenez DMB&B (formerly Jimenez & Partners, jointly founded by couple Abby Lee Jimenez and Ramon Jimenez Jr., the future Tourism Secretary). The agency continued BENCH/’s winning streak at various editions of the Philippine Advertising Congress, garnering honors in the Araw Creative Awards competitions.

In 1996, the ad agency created for BENCH/its  international stores campaign to flaunt their  latest credential. The components included a billboard (set up in Magallanes), a TVC and a print ad, shown on this page. The ad featured  “citizens” of the countries in which BENCH/ had opened a store, dressed in their native attires but with  various  BENCH/ products (hankies, towels, fashion accessories) incorporated in their look. 

Representing the Philippines was young actor-model Jomari Yllana,  one of the original “Gwapings”, a member of the teenybopper group  that rose to fame in the 1990s ( Mark Anthony Fernandez, Eric Fructuoso, and Jao Mapa completed the group). After his showbiz days, he came a race car driver, councilor, and a businessman. He is formerly married to actress Aiko Melendez, but they remain good friends. 

Another one of the talents in the BENCH/ branch ad who forayed into showbiz was 17 year old Carlo Agassi, who represented the Al Khobar branch. Of Middle-Eastern descent, Carlo (Amir Carlos Damaso Vahidi Agassi, in real life),  became a member of ABS-CBN's stable of  talents called Star Magic. The actor, model, rap artist finished a psychology degree from La Salle, and also ventured into the restaurant business. Agassi continues to appear on TV today.

 After 1996, BENCH/ continued to solidify its image as a world brand by opening other outlets and stores overseas—in the United States (Daly City, California), China (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian), Kuwait,  Bahrain and Myanmar.

 CREDITS: 

AGENCY: JIMENEZ DMB&B : WRITER: Abby Lee Jimenez/ ART DIRECTOR: Don Sevilla III / ACCOUNTS: Mio Lejano Chongson / PRODUCER: Paul Suarez

CLIENT: Ben Chan, Suyen Corp.

SOURCES:

Photos; Jomari Yllana (mubi.com), Carlo Agass (imdb.com)

Information: wikimedia.com for Bench/, Jomary Ylana and Carlo Agassi

Many thanks to Don Sevilla III for additional information.

326. Everybody Loves COCOA RICOA by Philippine Food Industries Inc., 1962 Ads

COCOA RICOA was the pioneer product of the  Philippine Food Industries, Inc. when it bgena its operations in the chocolate processing and manufacturing plant along EDSA in Mandaluyong in 1956. The brand became a traditional favorite for chocolate lovers, using COCOA RICOA for the chocolate breakfast drinks, cakes, custards, ice cream, cookies and other chocolate-based goodies.

The product was advertised heavily in color ads that often carried recipes to promote its varied usages, although the chocolate powder was mostly used for hot and cold drinks. COCOA RICOA was also produced in blocks, and in sweetened powder and syrup form, for versatility of use. 

It attained such popularity that in 1962, a thematic campaign was launched to create a”bandwagon effect” for the brand. “Everybody Loves Cocoa Ricoa” featured every member of a Filipino family attesting to COCOA RICOA’s flavorsome, chocolatey appeal as used in their specific favorite choco treat: Lola for her “champorado”, Lolo for his “Chocolate Español”, Mama for her chocolate cake, and so on. 

Today, COCOA RICOA is still being produced, led by its  COCOA RICOA Breakfast Powder, still in its familiar, but modernized deep turquoise packaging by Commonwealth Foods, Inc, which  has owned the brand since 1968. COCOA RICOA is one of the few trailblazing, locally-produced chocolate product brand that has survived the test—and taste—of times, inspite of the  greater availability of imported brands in the Philippine market, proof that after all these years, “Everybody loves COCOA RICOA!”