507. JOHN BORROMEO: 1987 Creative Guild’s Top Model of the Year for San Miguel Beer ”Katipunero” TVC 90s.

In 1987, barely a year after the People Power Revolution, San Miguel Beer came out with a 90 sec. epic commercial set in the Philippine Revolution almost a hundred years ago—which is about the same age of the iconic beer product.

The lead talent of the commercial was a katipunero, who marked historic milestones –the birth of his child, the call to arms, victory in war—with a quaff of SAN MIGUEL BEER. The role was played by JOHN BORROMEO, a ramp/commercial model who was a member of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP). His first show was in 1984, when he was cast as a model for Salon de Manila. Born in Batangas, he went to school at the Philippine School of Interior Design. He became a much-sought after fashion and print model, and his contemporaries included Eric Quizon, John Estrada, Gerry Gonzalo, Monsour del Rosario, and Calvin Millado.

 WATCH SAN MIGUEL BEER' "KATIPUNERO" TVC 90s HERE:

But his biggest break was in 1987, when McCann-Erickson caster Efren de Jose cast him for the lead role in the aforementioned “Katipunero” commercial, with Bb. Pilipinas runner up and theater actress Susan Africa, as his infanticipating wife. With his moreno complexion, and dark brooding looks, Borromeo was a perfect choice to play a revolucionario, almost looking like Gat Andres Bonifacio!

That was not lost on the members of the Creative Guild of the Philippines, as when the award season for advertising creative excellence came, JOHN BORROMEO  made it to the list of 1987’s “Top Models of the Year”, along with fellow model Lawrence Pineda (also for another SMB ad), and young models RJ Ledesma and Carmina Villaroel. The Top 10 Models were honored during the Creative Guild Ad Awards Night on 30 Aug. 1988, at the Metropolitan Theater, Manila.

Borromeo also caught the attention of movie producers, and he ended up doing 2 films—“Hiwaga sa Balete Drive” (1988) and “Too Young” (1990) , an Aiko Melendez starrer.

Today, John Borromeo lives with his wife and 4 children in Seattle, Washington. He is an avid cyclist who has cycled all over the U.S. From time to time, he flies home to the Philippines to visit his home province of Batangas.

 SOURCES:

1987 Creative Guild of the Philippines Awards Night program.

 San Miguel Pale Pilsen TVC 1988 (Philippines)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAMccGElW3I

Posted by Advertising Archives, VOTIII

‘They turned modeling into a profession’, by Marina A.S. Benipayo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 13 Oct. 2017, https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/275600/turned-modeling-profession/

John Borromeo FB Page

506. MAGNOLIA MILK IN CANS, ca. 1970

MAGNOLIA EVAP & CONDENSADA, Print Ad, ca. 1970s.

MAGNOLIA, the finest name in dairy products, was known for it fresh,  bottled milk and milk chocolate products. All that changed ij 1970, when MAGNOLIA went into the production of evaporated and condensed full cream milk products--in tin cans. Canned evaporated and condense milk were the most available and most popular forms of milk products that were used on a daily basis then, for a variety of uses.

MAGNOLIA  EVAP and CONDENSED MILK were supported with tri-media advertising, complete with a memorable jingle that found its way on TV and the radio airwaves.

"ANG GATAS MAGNOLIA, EVAP O CONDENSADA

PABORITO NG PAMILYA, MASARAP TALAGA!"

The canned milk did not last long when more modern forms of packaging were intriduced in the 1980s--the Tetra pak. The reconsituted milk in casn were phased out as there were more established brands that weere deeply entrenched in the market, like LIBERTY, DARIGOLD, DUTCH BABY, ALASKA,  which, in a few years would be replaced by tetra milk.

Today, Borden manufactures evaporated and condensed milk under the MAGNOLIA name, but these are not connected in any way related to the MAGNOLIA Inc. of the Philippines.

505. A Tale of Two Evangelines: KOKURYU’s Back-to-Back Beauty Endorsers

MISS RP 1972, EVANGELINE REYES, Top 15, 1972 Miss World

KOKURYU Cosmetics, manufactured locally by Cherry Laboratory Inc., under license from Kokuryu-do Co. Ltd of Tokyo, Japan,  was established on February 1965. It found favor among Filipinas and established a loyal following with its line of cake foundations, lipsticks, and face powders that peaked in the late 60s to the 70s. 

The 70s decade also ushered in the age of pageants jumpstarted by Gloria Diaz’s Miss Universe victory in 1969, and immediately followed by Aurora Pijuan’s triumph in Osaka as our 2^nd Miss International. With beauties in the news KOKURYU Cosmetics became a sponsor of the Miss Republic of the Philippines, a beauty search launched by Mr. Ferdie Villar, to select the Philippine beauty delegate to the London-based Miss World, the oldest beauty contest in history.

In 1972, EVANGELINE “Eva”  REYES, a dusky and statuesque Batangueña, from Lipa City, and a PWU student, won the 1972 Miss Republic of the Philippines from among 30 contenders. Part of her prizes as a Miss RP winner was appearing as the face of KOKURYU in their print ads. The Karilagan model was sent to London to compete in that year’s Miss World pageant. Among her co-competitors was Miss USA’s Lynda Carter, who would go on to greater fame as ‘70s TV “Wonder Woman”. Both reached the Top 15 Semifinals stage and that year’s crown went to Australia’s Belinda Green. It was said that her fellow-contestants raised a howl when Eva failed to make the final cut—they were all rooting for her.

MISS RP 1973, EVANGLINE PASCUAL, 1ts Runner Up, Miss World 1973

The next year, Eva Reyes relinquished her crown to a namesake from Orani, Bataan—EVANGELINE “Vangie” PASCUAL. She also made her appearance in a KOKURYU print ad before she left for London to compete at the 1973 Miss World pageant at the Royal Albert Hall. This time, she nearly won the crown, after a tie with Miss USA’s Marjorie Wallace was broken by judge Gregory Peck. Pascual was named 1^st runner-up. Nevertheless, Filipinos were thrilled at her achievement as a Margie Moran had captured our 2^nd Miss Universe crown only months before in Greece. Everybody knows the story after  the dethronement of Wallace; Pascual was offered to assume Wallace’s duties but not the crown. Rightfully, she refused.

The two EVANGELINES had other things in common other than wearing the same title,  sharing the same name, and promoting the same KOKURYU brand : both did movies after their reigns, though Vangie stayed longer in showbiz while Eva went to the U.S. and worked in a bank, and d part-time modelling. She has 2 sons, Michael and Chris, and is a business woman  in Los Angeles, California. Vangie is the mother of tattoo artist Nino Lapid, and is still very much active in the social scene.