352. Pitoy Moreno, "Asia's Fashion Czar" for BAN ANTI-PERSPIRANT, 1974

JOSE 'PITOY' MORENO FOR BAN ANTIPERSPIRANTS, 1974

BAN ROLL-ON DEODORANT was a deodorant brand developed by Bristol Myers Co., that was launched with a revolutionary packaging—a rol-on dispense. Bristol-Myers had acquired the makers of Mum deodorant--Mum Manufacturing Co.—and had wanted to add an antiperspirant brand to its product line.

The result was an effective antiperspirant packaged in a dispenser modeled on the ball-point pen mechanism that was earier desined by employee Helen Leah Diserens (1919-2008). It came out under the name Mum Rolette in 1952, but problems with the applicator caused it to be removed from the market. 

After extensive product and packaging improvement, the anti-perspirant was reintroduced in the U.S. as BAN ROLL-ON in 1955, with massive advertising and marketing support for its national roll-out.

It would take almost 2 decades before BAN ROLL-ON was introduced in the Philippines, and the fashionable ads made use of the “fashion czar of Asia”—Jose “Pitoy” Moreno as an endorser, supported by the appearance of top models Ping Valencia and Eva Reyes, also Miss Republic of the Philippines-World 1972.

The connection between body odor and fashion was explained in the copy:“Perspiration marks can ruin even the most fashionable look…BAN stops perspiration effectively---no sweat to ruin your style”.

PITOY MORENO / PING VALENCIA, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1974

The uppity-looking ads complemented the premium price of BAN, which, aside from the Roll-On, included  a Dry BAN Cream. To underscore the importance of its flagship product, the campaign ended with the tagline “BAN. America’s No. 1 Roll-On Antiperspirant”, to appeal to the target’s sense of colonial mentality.

PITOY MORENO / EVA REYES, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1974

BAN slipped into obscurity towards the end of the 70s decade, and the BAN products available in the market today are made by Kao Brands Co. As for Pitoy Moreno, he was accorded a National Artist Award by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, only to be revoked by the Supreme Court in 2013 after finding that it had been given without due process as stipulated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

PITOY MORENO / EVA REYES, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1975

SOURCES: 

Ban website: https://www.bandeodorant.com/en-us/

Deodorant History and its invention: http://omenter.com/deodorant-history/#:~:text=The%20small%20company%20was%20bought,the%20name%20Ban%20Roll%2DOn.

Pitoy Moreno, Wikimedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitoy_Moreno

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.

350. Pop from the Past: GOODY ROOT BEER

GOODY PRINT AD, ca. 1960

GOODY ROOT BEER was produced by the U.S.-based Goody Company Minneapolis. F.F. Halili Enterprises in Balintawak acquired the license to bottle this vintage soda favorite, It is interesting to note that F.F. Halili Enterprises was owned and founded by Fortunato F. Halili, the governor of Bulacan.  Its Balintawak brewery produced the short-lived Halili Beer which was looked at as a first real threat to San Miguel Beer.

Pic: pinterest

Halili had also entered into an agreement with Mission Beverages, a U.S. company established in 1956 which was in the business of the wholesale distribution of beer, ale, porter, and other malt beverages.

GOODY ROOT BEER was manufactured in the late 1940s, but it only arrived on Philippine shores in the late 1950s, after F.F. Halili became one of its international bottlers. It came in clear bottles with the Goody Boy trade character on the neck, as well as on the crown.

 The back of the bottle reads: "Wholesome and Refreshing, Contains-carbonated water, sugar, flavor derived from natural roots, herbs and barks, colored with caramel color. Bottled under authority The Goody Company Minneapolis, Minn. Bottled by F.F. Halili, Balintawak, Quezon City Exclusive Distributor for the Philippines."

GOODY ROOT BEER was promoted in B&W and colored ads in magazines. This 1960 ad describes GOODY as “the softdrink with a SNAP!”, with a promise to give drinkers drinkers “the full feel of refreshment…tingling all the way down!”

GOODY ROOTBEER MERCHANDISING. Pix: worthpoint.com

Today there is a GOODY root beer brand in the Philippines mande to order from Intercor Food Products (IFP) Manufacturing Corporation, but which has nothing to do with the original American brand.

349. JULIO DIAZ, Creative Guild's 1987 Best Actor in a TVC, GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL “Homecoming”, 1987

During the Creative Guild of the Philippines Ad of the Year Awards Night held at the Metropolitan theater in Manila on 30 August 1988, the first ‘Models of the Year’ awards were given. Ten best commercial models were cited for their effective portrayal of distinctive characters who showed skillfull acting that “captured the drama between product and consumer”.

Creative Guild Ad of the Year 1988 program

Acting awards were also given and that year’s winner for BEST ACTOR IN A TV COMMERCIAL for 1987 -88 went to the rising young star JULIO DIAZ, a film and stage actor. He had received a Best Actor Gawad Urian Award nomination for his performance in Takaw Tukso (1986).

 The commercial in which he starred was for GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, produced by Philippine Advertising Counsellors/BBDO. Entitled “Homecoming”, the TV ad was part of the brand’s  then-thematic campaign “Ikaw at Ginebra…Magkasangga!”.

 WATCH GSM "Homecoming TVC" with Julio Diaz

The ad is a story about  a  prodigal son, who may have worked for years in a big city like Manila or even abroad, returning to his small town. There, familiar faces and memories welcome him, capped by a reconciliation with his family and a reunion with his barkada—over GSM of course.

GSM "Homecoming", screengrab from commercial

Diaz had no dialogues in the TVC and the moving commercial relied on his emotive skills. For his Best Actor award, he was cited “for sympathetically essaying the role of a modern man rreturning to the fold of family and friends” and “for a deeply internalized characterization, proving that the human face, even in the absence of speech, is the eloquent instrument of emotion”.

JULIO DIAZ, in later years, Julio Diaz FB page

Diaz went on to become an accomplished film actor receiving prestigious more nominations from FAMAS (Best Actor, Sakay (1993) and Bayani (1992), Gawad Urion and Young Critics Circle. Diaz was well known for such films as: Sinner or Saint (1984), Paano Tatakasan ang Bukas? (1988), Kailan Ka Magiging Akin? (1990), Bayani (1992), Sakay (199),The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Segurista (1996), Batanes (2007), Serbis (2008), Kinatay (2009), and Biyaheng Lupa (2009).He was also seen in popular TV series like ABS-CBN  “Asintado” (2018) and “Ang Probinsyano” (2016).

SOURCES:

Youtube Video: Ginebra, uploaded by fiastatah, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXB8CUdBNhY

Youtube video: ANG KWENTO NG NAGING BUHAY NI JULIO DIAZ, uploaded by SikatTV, Jan. 5, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxsyiBHKzqY

Photo: Lifted from Chisms

philnews.ph: Julio Diaz Breaks Silence Following Arrest During Drug Operation

Julio Diaz FB Page