When readers opened their magazines in 1963, they were treated to a spread of colored ads of DARIGOLD MILK featuring wide-eyed, happy-looking kids—perfect models of the milk’s promise of healthy goodness and tender love.
By that time, DARIGOLD was the No. 1 milk brand in the country, backed by its savvy marketing and well-crafted advertising, professionally made by its ad agency, Philprom, founded by Pete Teodoro in 1945. Not bad for the evaporated milk brand that had to be imported all the way from Seattle to be introduced in the Philippines in 1953.
The 1963-1964 campaign was launched first with a lead-off print ad featured 2 vignette shots of a young mom with her school-age daughter holding a glass of milk in one hand. In the foreground are two younger siblings with their toys, showing the boy giving her little sister a peck on her cheek.
A separate ad was spun off using the version with the two siblings being wowed as they are handed with a glass of DARIGOLD Milk.
The next in the print ad series showed a fair-haired girl holding a glass of DARIGOLD Milk with the headline: “More, more, more…DARIGOLD gives you more!”. A jingle based on that line was created by the agency and became a national hit.
The last ad was a Black & White ad with 2 spot colors, touting the leadership
position of DARIGOLD, which by then was the most preferred and
best-selling brand. A curly-locked boy in a DARIGOLD shirt leading a
trike race was the main visual, to drive home the point of the no. 1 milk in
the market.
A quick search of the identities of the kiddie models yielded so many fascinating facts that are now inextricably linked with the milk brand’s history. In the 60s, the country head of DARIGOLD was Mr. Louie Benitez, a member of the prominent Benitez Family that included statesman and educator Dean Conrado Benitez and senator Helena Tirona Benitez.
Louie’s sister, Leila Benitez was
known as the First Lady of Philippine TV, famous for hosting the first Student
Canteen, and, what else—DARIGOLD Jamboree in 1965. Even DARIGOLD’s
ad agency had a Benitez connection; Fred Benitez was a co-founder
of Philprom.
It was no wonder then that the models in the aforementioned print ads were also Benitezes—Mr. Louie Benitez’s own wife and children.The kick-off ad that showed a Mom and her daughter, was no less than his wife Nena Mapa-Benitez and daughter Annie, on her lap. Annie now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The two kissin’ kids with their toys on the floor are
siblings Ricky and Pia Benitez. Ricky Benitez grew up and worked
in his father’s trading company. He is now a Pastor who lives in Bacolod.
Soon, the original “nepo babies” were joined by more Benitezes—their cousins! In the 2nd print ad, the winsome child with her glass of DARIGOLD was portrayed by Mitos Benitez (now Yñiguez). She was the daughter of Mario Benitez—brother of Louie, more well-known as the founder of the classic MARIO’s, the hugely popular Italian Restaurant, located in Baguio. Today, Mitos continues the family’s restaurant business tradition, by running the highly-rated Hill Station , a comfort food restaurant at Casa Vallejo in Baguio City.
Mitos’ brother—Anton Benitez, on the other
hand, was the curly-haired trike rider speeding
ahead of other cartoon racers in the 3rd print ad. A La Salle
graduate, Anton along with brothers Fil and Marlo now runs
MARIO’s, which recently opened a branch in Clark Field, Pampanga.
SOURCES:
FB Messenger interview with, Pia Benitez-Yupangco
Contributed photos from the Benitez children
Photo od the Benitezes as adults, from their FB groups.
Photo of Mitos Benitez , by Wig Tysmans
Many thanks to Lisa Nepomuceno-Mapua for facilitating
contact with the Benitez siblings.