430. Is That Who I Think She Is? BIBETH ORTEZA for LE CAFE, 1978

 Le CAFÉ was a coffee brand introduced by Commonwealth Food Corp. back in the mid 1960s, and was still going strong in the 1970s. Their promotions—of offering coffee packaged in re-usable glasses and mugs –were very popular with consumers , that they kept these promotional giveaways going.

In 1978, Le CAFÉ was packaged in HONEYGOLD Colored Coffee Mugs, described in the ad as “class-na-class talaga, pang-bisita! Di pwedeng isnabin!”. To push this promo, COMFOODS found an endorser in the person of BIBETH ORTEZA.

Orteza was then a rising TV writer who dabbled in acting. She was the chairman of the University of the Philippines  Repertory Co. in the 1970s, and started her writing career as a Junior Writer at KBS. Her break came, when she became the scriptwriter for “Aawitan Kita”, a KBS music program that starred Armida Siguion-Reyna. By 1978, she added Actress to her resume, and acted in films and TV as a comedienne with a Visayan accent. It was at this time that her potential as an model/talent was spotted by the agency of COMFOODS, who cast her in her first commercial appearance. In 1981, she would also a print ad for UNION Electric Fan. 

 Later, she focused again on writing and promotions, and did work for Blackgold Records. She is credited with writing many successful scripts for TV (OK Ka , Fairy Ko, Magpakailanman, John en Shirley, My Big Bossing, Rio del Mar, Vampire ang Daddy Ko), and Films (Enteng Kabisote, Iskul Bukol: 20 Years After).

 In the late 70s however, BIBETH ORTEZA was a one of the most intelligent, multi-faceted creative talents to animate the TV and Film industry who was praised for her excellent writing and funnybone acting---which, in the words of the advertising copy in her ad—“di pwedeng isnabin!”.

SOURCES:

Bibeth Orteza: Love in the Time of Revolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOelf13dp9k, uploaded by Middle of a Love Story, 

Bibeth Orteza-IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0650988/

Lifestyle.INQ. Bibeth Orteza and Carlitos Siguion-Reyna Return to the Stage to Spill Family Secrets, by Amadis ma. Guerrero, 17 June 2022. ://lifestyle.inquirer.net/405465/bibeth-orteza-and-carlitos-siguion-reyna-return-to-the-stage-to-spill-family-secrets/