351. On Top for Taste: RAMA PREMIUM MARGARINE, 1965

RAMA PREMIUM MARGARINE, Launch Ad,1965

RAMA PREMIUM MARGARINE was launched in 1965, and it was meant to be a more affordable alternative to butter. It was meant to compete against the market leaders, P&G’s Dari-Crème and Star Margarine. RAMA is a blended margarine product made of selected vegetable oils and buttermilk that performs, tastes just like dairy butter, with a long history that goes back to 1870 when butter trader Jans Jurgens van Goch acquired the patent for developing margarine.

Deutsche Jurgenswerke AG took over the marketing and it was only in 1924 that the margarine brand was called “Rahma”, further simplified into RAMA. It was one of the first brands to be advertised nationwide in Germany, and the product history is an important part of the legayc of the country's industries. Unfortunately, the war wiped out the business, only for RAMA to resurface in the 1950s.

RAMA "55% OF HOUSEWIVES SAY..", 1965

In 1965, RAMA was launched in the Philippine market with a full complement of marketing, promotions and advertising programs. Unfortunately, the print ads, as well as the product packaging does not identify the Philippine distributor or manufacturing affiliate, if any. (It may have been Phiippine Refining Co., as in later years, Unilever Bestfoods developed RAMA into a mega brand).

'MRS. DE LEON" TESTIMONIAL AD FOR RAMA, 1966

It ran head-on with Dari-Crème, and it was apparent even in the way it bannered its taste and superior packaging: “Even without seeing, you can always tell the tempting taste of fresh, new RAMA…that melt-in-the-mouth goodness. Foil-wrapped, with a Fresh Flavor Seal , your guarantee that no other spread is fresher.

"MRS. REYES" TESTIMONIAL AD FOR RAMA, 1966

Indeed, RAMA PREMIUM MARGARINE, caused a bit of worry for P&G PMC, as the advertising even aped their own—using testimonials culled from housewives who have tried RAMA. Of these, 55% preferred its fresh, new taste—and this taste superiority was played up on TV and print ads presented by radio and TV personality Cris de Vera. Such formats were typical of P&G advertising.

RAMA RELAUNCH AD, 1968

In 1968, RAMA was relaunched, naming itself as “the spread with a Golden Taste”, whatever that means. Its popularity sputtered  towards the end of the 60s decade, until the product vanished altogether in the Philippine market in the 1970s.

The brand RAMA is being used today by a line of butter, dairy blends, whipping and cooking products,  sold widely in Germany. This innovative umbrella brand was developed under Unilever Bestfoods Germany with products made from high-quality vegetable oils for cold and warm kitchens. The Dutch-German Margarinewerke Van den Bergh manufactured the RAMA line. On July 2, 2018, the Unilever Group sold its spreads division to the financial investor KKR. In South Africa, this line of business was transferred from Unilever to Remgro. Since then, the new Upfield Holdings group has been operating the plants in Kleve and Wittenberg. Becel, Lätta and RAMA are Upfield's best-known brands.

SOURCES:

The Story of RAMA: https://www.rama.com/en-sa/about-rama/the-story-of-rama

RAMA Branding Source: http://brandingsource.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-logo-rama-blue-band-and-planta.html

Van Den Bergh Margarines: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarinewerke_Van_den_Bergh.