402. MAGGI SEASONING: Wakes Up the Taste of Food!, 1980

MAGGI is an old brand named after Julius Maggi, who, in 1872  took over his father's mill in Switzerland, and introduced product innovations for the kitchen. Before Filipro became Nestlé Philippines in 1986, it had already acquired the MAGGI brand. 

Its early products were meant to compete against the more established KNORR products, hence the launch in 1980 of MAGGI Bouillon Cube and MAGGI Liquid Seasoning.

MAGGI Liquid Seasoning may look like soy sauce, as they are made in the similar way and are rich in umami. But Maggi is made from hydrolyzed wheat protein with a flavor that is deeper and more complex than soy sauce.

The all-out launch of MAGGI Liquid Seasoning in 1980 included a TV commercial with a mother as presentor, and these series of print ads visualizing the theme “Wakes up the flavor of…”.  Familiar dishes like Macaroni, Pork Chop and Siomai were featured in quarter-size color magazine ads, that appeared in pairs,  in leading magazines.

MAGGI Liquid Seasoning slowly made a dent on Knorr’s seasoning business, and would be rebranded in the 1990s as MAGGI Savor. It continues to be produced today with many variants; other than the Classic Flavor, it is available in Garlic, Calamansi, Hot Chili and ChiliMansi flavors,