538. Those Adorable DARIGOLD KIDS of the ‘60s: Then and Now

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.

 Pia, now Mrs. Yupangco, is an artist and a freelance writer. In her college years, she became an intern at J. Walter Thompson where she bagged a 7-Up talent gig. Her father, however, thumbed down the idea of her out-of-town shooting, and thus ended her short modeling career.

 “We were nepo babies before it became uso 😆”, recalls Pia when asked how she became a DARIGOLD model. “My dad Louie Benitez was general manager of Darigold in the Philippines, that’s how!.  Even my grade school batch got to go to the Darigold manufacturing and repacking facility!” Pia also vaguely remembers shoting a DARIGOLD TV commercial at the Magallanes Park by the Philprom ad agency.

Soon, the original “nepo babies” were joined by more Benitezes—their cousins! In the 2^nd 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 3^rd 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.

 DARIGOLD’s  life cycle was cut short in 1976 when it ceased production due to contractual obligation problems. But for the Benitez kids, there was no crying over spilled milk. They have all moved on from being accidental commercial talents for an icon brand built by their father, to even more important matters like earning their education, acquiring skills and venturing into different careers, based on their passions—all pursued well, and successfully. DARIGOLD, in a special way, has proven to be “so good for the whole family”—as its longtime slogan says,

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.

536. And you thought Presto only made chocolates: PRESTO COFFEE, 1962

PRESTO COFFEE INTRO AD, "Magnifico!", 1962

“When you want-a good-o coffee, get PRESTO! It’s the very best-o!”

The local PRESTO brand of the Gokongwei-founded Consolidated Food Corp. (CFC)  is so well-associated with chocolate products-chocolate powder drink, cocoa, chocolate bars. Many have forgotten that its pioneer product was a coffee brand.

In 1961, after John Gokongwei Sr,  surveyed the local coffee landscape, decided that there was room more for new coffee brands. The market leader then was the post-war brand Café Puro of Commonwealth Foods Inc., which, by 1951, had become the no.1 selling coffee brand, a position it kept till the 1960s.

And so, New PRESTO COFFEE was launched in 1962—a 100% soluble coffee made from a unique blending process of choice coffee beans. Thus, PRESTO COFFEE claims to have a livelier aroma, and real perk-up flavor. An illustration of a distinctive bemoustached Italian coffee connoisseur accompanied the print ad.

The PRESTO Coffee brand, however was no match to Commonwealth Foods’ popular line of coffee brands that are so well-entrenched in the market. Nestle’s Nescafe, on the other hand, was gaining ground due its more premium image backed by a massive advertising budget.

So, Gokongwei looked at another more viable product venture—and saw SERG’s, which practically monopolized the chocolate market. In the second half of the 60s, CFC introduce a chocolate drink under the PRESTO Brand to test the market. Shortly after, it expanded to include chocolate products. The PRESTO chocolate line began to gain traction in the market, and the PRESTO coffee brand was discontinued. The rest is history for its successful chocolate line that came to include PRESTO ice cream, PRESTO Tivoli  and PRESTO fun fruit drinks.

CFC however, never forgot its coffee beginnings and launched Great Taste Coffee in the 70s. With its superior taste, product quality, and better, more sophisticated marketing support, Great Taste also became a huge better-late-than-never success for CFC.

390. CELEBRATION Luxury Ice Cream by CFC (Consolidated Food Corp.), 1980

CELEBRATION LUXURY ICE CREAM, Launch Ad, 1980

CELEBRATION ICE CREAM, was a premium ice cream brand launched by the Consolidated Food Corporation (CFC), founded in 1961 by John Gokongwei Jr. By 1980, CFC was a major player in the manufacture of foods and beverages,  with an enviable portfolio that includes Great Taste Coffee, Blend 45, and Presto Chocolates and Ice Cream.

To this array of products, CFC added CELEBRATION Luxury Ice Cream, a premium-priced ice cream that was the company’s answer to Magnolia’s Gold Label. “The new standard in ice cream excellence”  was the brand’s battlecry, as it was “richer, smoother, creamier”.

CELEBRATION ICE CREAM Flavors Ad, 1980

When it launched in 1980, the new ice cream introduced 7 flavors—Crème de Luxe, Cappuccino Parfait, Chocolate Fudge Supreme, Harvest Gold Glacé, Nutcracker Choclair, Almond Toffee Classic, and Rum Cherry Cordial.

CELEBRATION Luxury Ice Cream could not maintain the momentum of its launch, overshadowed by the successes of proven brands with iconic names as Selecta and Magnolia, as 2 years or so later, it was out of supermarket freezers. 

348. Prestokolate from CFC: PRESTO CHOCOLATE, Print Ads 1968-1978

PRESTO CHOCOLATES OMNIBUS AD, 1971

The Consolidated Food Corporation (CFC) was founded in 1961 by John Gokongwei Jr., and, after surveying the local coffee landscape, decided that there was room more for new coffee brands. The market leader then was the post-war brand Café Puro of Commonwealth Foods Inc., which, by 1951, had become the no.1 selling coffee brand, a position it kept till the 1960s. 

PRESTO CHOCOLATE DRINK, Print Ad, 1969

CFC was ready to expand its business into new lines, and, after the Coffee, it  set its sights on the Chocolate market. SERG’s at that time, was the indomitable presence in that category, and CFC was now poised to challenge the iconic leader.

PRESTO, LUSCIOUS BITES O'FUN, Print Ad, 1970

In the late 60s, under the PRESTO brand name, CFC launched its first offerings—PRESTO Chocolate Drink, PRESTO Cocoa and PRESTO Chocolate Bar. The brands were supported by an aggressive marketing campaign that was heavy on advertising and point-of-sale materials.

HA-HA-HAPPY PRESTO CHOCOLATE BARS, Print Ad, 1971

As expected, the new PRESTO Chocolate line were favorably received, but what chocolate lovers really went for were the classic chocolate bars. It was but a matter of time that PRESTO developed this bar line and unleashed a multitude of versions and flavors that came to include such variants as Marzipan, Chocolate Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew, Raisins, Orange, Milk Chocolate, Apollo, Milky Bar, Manor House, Krispy Bars, and Wafrets.

PRESTO Manor House, Milky Bar, Apollo, Print Ad, 1978

The intent to create an images for PRESTO as a “Chocolate Master Maker” succeeded as the chocolate products enjoyed varying levels of success. The chocolate drink and cocoa were later dropped, as focus shifted to the chocolate confections. The decision proved to be wise as PRESTO Chocolates--made more appealing with a more polished, trendier, fun-filled advertising-- continued to slay the market, with some products becoming bywords among the younger set.  PRESTO Chocolates thrived all the way to the 1970s decade. PRESTO became a mother brand or its ice  cream line which also enjoyed some success.  

While today, the chocolate bars are long gone from store shelves, the PRESTO name continues to be  carried by the filled snack biscuits and sweets of Universal Robina Corp. (URC),, the new corporate name of CFC today.

264. DRINKING GLASSES from CAFÉ PURO, BLEND 45 AND NESCAFE, BLEND 45, 1966-1975.

Before the 1960s decade, there were just a handful of coffee brands in the market—like Hills Bros. and Chase & Sanborn, which were American imports. Then, Commonwealth Foods, Inc. began manufacturing the post-war brand CAFÉ PURO, and by 1951, it had become the no.1 selling coffee brand nationwide, a position it held until the 1960s came along.

This was when more coffee brands came into the fray--Consolidated Food Corporation (CFC), founded in 1961 by John Gokongwei Jr., introduced BLEND 45, an affordable coffee that became known as “the people’s coffee”, with its budget-friendly price and favorable taste. 

NESCAFE, was introduced in the mid 50s decade by Nestlé, and aggressively advertised in the 60s.

With more competitors coming into the picture, all sorts of promotions were launched to entice customers and add more product value. Using a reusable packaging as added product value was an old—but a proven tried and tested idea. It came naturally for coffee brands too. In the post-war 50s, coffee brands still came in round tins, including NESCAFE.  

Then, with the advent of instant coffee brands, wide-mouth glass jars were utilized, and discarded or sold after use. But what if the packaging had more utilitarian value after the product has been consumed?

CRYSTAL ANNIVERSARY GLASS WITH FLIP-OFF CAP, 1966 Print Ad

This led to the  idea of packaging instant coffee in drinking glasses that could be used long after the last coffee drop has been sipped. The glass serves also as a remnder of the pleasure of the coffee-drinking experience. It also helped that specially-designed, set-building glasses encouraged repeat purchases as they became collectibles.

 

CRYSTAL ANNIVERSARY GLASSES, 199 Print Ad

The free, giveaway glasses were given fanciful names to appeal to consumers’ eye. As expected, market leader CAFÉ PURO came out first with its “Crystal Glasses”--to celebrate its 15th anniversary-- with flip-off plastic caps in 1966. 

GLASSES, PITCHER AND SHAKERS FROM CAFE PURO, 1967 Ad

The promotion was so enthusiastically received that the next year, CAFÉ PURO launched  their “Philippine Dance” glass series—with not just 12 glasses but also coffee shakers to collect.

 

CAFE PURO RAINBOW GLASSES, 1969 Print Ad

In 1969, CAFÉ PURO offered its “Rainbow Glasses” collection, with “colors a-glow-glow”! There were 6 colors of glasses to choose from.

 

IMPERIAL CRYSTAL GLASSES FROM BLEND 45, 1967 Ad

Not to be outdone, BLEND 45 came up with its “Windsor Crystal Party Glasses” and “Crystal Imperial Glasses” offer, which were all successful.  The more premium NESCAFE introduced its decaffeinated brand in squat "diamond" glasses with repeating diamond shapes in raised relief. Many of these glasses could still be found being used in many Filipino homes to this day, still stored and kept in glass cabinets after all these years.

 

NESCAFE ESPRESSO IN DIAMOND GLASS, 1975 Ad

Eventually, the promotions came to include storage jars, pitchers,--and with the surge in popularity of coffee houses—coffee mugs in glass and ceramic, like what NESCAFE and CAFÉ PURO use.  BLEND 45, meanwhile, has done away with glass bottles and uses only foil packs today.

234. Brand Stories: BLEND 45 of Consolidated Food Corp., 1963-1984

THE VERY FIRST PRINT AD OF BLEND 45, launched in 1962, as a price brand.

The Consolidated Food Corporation (CFC) was founded in 1961 by John Gokongwei Jr., and, after surveying the local coffee landscape, decided that there was room more for new coffee brands. The market leader then was the post-war brand Café Puro of Commonwealth Foods Inc., which, by 1951, had become the no.1 selling coffee brand, a position it kept till the 1960s.

BLEND 45 IN WINDSOR CRYSTAL PARTY GLASSES PROMO, 1967

Consolidated Foods’ first coffee brand was Presto, launched in 1962. But it was the second locally-made soluble coffee brand that made a major dent in the 1960s coffee market” : BLEND 45. It was so named as a cup of mixed coffee contains at least “45 choice coffee beans”.

BY 1968, BLEND 45 WAS THE NATION'S LARGEST SELLING COFFEE.

Filipinos took to the aroma and distinctive flavor of BLEND 45, but what made it really popular and attractive to consumers was its cheap price, much less than the regular coffee then available. At 3 centavos per cup, BLEND 45’s grew and became known as “poor man’s coffee”—in a good way.

BLEND 45 IS SO AFFORDBALE, YOU CAN DRINK IT DAY AND NIGHT!

As Mr. Gokongwei recalls in an interview, “The price was very good, and the product was very good. So we had good pricing, good product, and good presentation,”

BLEND 45, PERFECT FOR AFTER LUNCH.

In just 2 years after its launch, BLEND 45 overtook Café Puro and rose to become the largest-selling coffee brand in the Philippines (Presto was discontinued, but the Presto trademark was kept and reserved for the chocolate line of CFC).

EDDIE RODRIGUEZ, DRAMA ACTOR, FOR BLEND 45, 1973

BLEND 45’s advertising peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, employing the most credible and popular endorsers of that period: Eddie Rodriguez, Boots Anson-Roa,Ariel Ureta, and Susan Roces. Its unique selling proposition was set into a catchy jingle to remind coffee lovers of the “45 choice coffee beans in a cup of BLEND 45”.

BOOTS ANSON AND PETE ROA, CELEBRITY COUPLE, FOR BLEND 45, 1981.

The success of BLEND 45 paved the way for another successful CFC coffee brand—Great Taste Coffee—its first soluble granule coffee.

SUSAN ROCES, QUEEN OF PHILIPPINE MOVIES, FOR BLEND 45, 1984.
Photo: www.susanroces.blogspot.com

Today, the brand--as well as its success—endures. BLEND 45 is still sold at a price every Filipino can afford. Now, as part of the Universal Robina Corp.’s beverage portfolio, BLEND 45 even has a single-serve instant coffee pack and a 3-in-1 sachet at popular prices of P1.50 and P4.00  in sari-sari stores.

WATCH BLEND 45'S "SUSAN ROCES" TVC 1984

The product’s taste appeal  has been made more attractive with such as new flavor innovations as BLEND 45 Kondensada, Pula, Barako. Gokongwei’s vision to see a Pinoy brand on the breakfast table of every Filipino, has been achieved—with BLEND 45.

CREDITS:
BLEND 45 TVC 1984:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv4Nao3oo38, posted by Dateline Anime, 13 Sep. 2017.
SUSAN ROCES Blend 45 Ad: www.susanroces.blogspot.com

232. SUKI SOY SAUCE: THE Philippine Brand of the World-Renowned KIKKOMAN, 1963-64

SUKI SOY SAUCE, Teaser Ad, 1963

When SUKI SOY SAUCE was launched in the Philippines in 1963,  it was made clear that it was the local  brand of the world-renowned “Kikkoman”. Kikkoman’s history goes as far back to the 17th century, when the forefathers of the Mogi family concocted the dark brown seasoning sauce from soy, wheat, water and salt in the Japanese town of Noda. Kikkoman Soy sauce won honors at Expo Vienna in 1873 and Expo Amsterdam in 1881 for its quality and taste.

SUKI SOY SAUCE LAUNCH AD, 1963

 In 1917 the Japanese Mogi and Takanashi families founded Noda Shoyu Co. Ltd. The company name was changed to Kikkoman Shoyu Co. Ltd. in 1964 and to Kikkoman Corporation in 1980.

In 1963, a Philippine subsidiary-- The Philippine Shoyu Company, a division of the Acoje Mining Co, Liloan, Cebu—began producing SUKI SOY SAUCE, using the same Kikkoman formula that took more than 300 years to perfect---choice, imported soy beans, wheat grains and pure salt. No spices are used, no artificial flavoring.

SUKI SOY SAUCE, Sutaining Ad, 1963

SUKI SOY SAUCE was launched in 1963, with great fanfare using tri-media advertising, and Japanese imagery like cherry blossoms and kimono-clad Japanese ladies. The bottles, whih came in 4 sizes, were distributed by Consolidated Food Corp.

The product caught the fancy of Filipinos who were familiar with the distinctive soy sauce flavor of Kikkoman, but its price—higher than ordinary soy sauce brands—proved to be a factor in its market longevity. By the start of the new 70s decade, SUKI SOY SAUCE was gone. In 1970, Acoje Mining Co. attempted to produce a purely local soy sauce with the brand name “Lotus”, but the product never got off the ground due to brand name infringement issues.

SUKI SOY SAUCE, Sustaining Ad, 1964

Today, Kikkoman is the world soy sauce market leader and it is distributed by Kikkoman Philippines, established in 2011.  

194. WHEN COLGATE WAS A SOAP BAR, AND HUNT’S WAS CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL…

Just the mention of iconic brand names like COLGATE, PALMOLIVE, or PUREFOODS instantly conjure images of the products they represent: Toothpaste, Shampoo, Meat Products, respectively. But at one point in their brand history, the names were also applied by their companies to other products, now long gone. Here are some of them.

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1. COLGATE SOAP (1956)

Since its launch as a toothpaste brand in 1873, COLGATE has, at one point, become a generic name for toothpaste. It was the first to be packaged in tubes in 1896. Colgate is associated with oral hygiene with products like mouthwashes, toothbrushes, and dental floss. COLGATE Toothpaste was introduced in the Philippines in 1926 by the Palmolive Co, Philippines, which, in 1949, became Colgate-Palmolive Philippines.  Palmolive was known for its soap, so this is probably the reason that in 1956, COLGATE SOAP was introduced to the Philippine market. The idea didn’t catch on—maybe it conjured images of brushing your mouth with soap!

2. HUNT’S FRUIT COCKTAIL (1957)

HUNT’S is an iconic brand name, founded ay back in 1888 in California. It is well-known as a maker of preserved tomato products like sauce, paste, expanding into tomato-based pork and beans—which has become synonymous with the name. HUNT’S Pork and Beans is known by almost every Filipino in the 1950s as it was a staple “emergency” canned product. Not very many know that there was also a HUNT’S FRUIT COCKTAIL introduced in the Philippine in 1957. That’s because the original company, Hunt Bros. Fruit Packing Co.,(founded by Joseph and William Hunt) also canned fruits and vegetables, a business which boomed in California. The product did not really do well locally.

3. LADY’S CHOICE VIENNA SAUSAGE (1965)

California Manufacturing Company (CMC) was established in 1955, and immediately became well-known for its line of spreads that included jams and mayonnaise. LADY’S CHOICE was one of the company’s early brand successes in the Spreads Market. The first products were LADY’S CHOICE Jelly, Preserves, Mayonnaise, and by 1965, the line had expanded to include other food products like macaroni, spaghetti, and of all products—LADY’S CHOICE VIENNA SAUSAGE! Eventually, the canned sausages were phased out after CMC realized that the spreads (Mayonaisse, Salad Dressing, Sandwich Spread) were the Lady’s Choice brands that were bringing in the money. Unilever bought the company, along with Bestfoods in 2000.

4. PALMOLIVE POMADE (1955)

The world was introduced to PALMOLIVE in 1898, when the B. J. Johnson Soap Co., gave us a soap bar made of palm an olive oil, hence the brand name that endures to this day. PALMOLIVE Soap was known to Filipinos in the late 1920s when it was distributed in the Philippines by Palmolive Co. Phils. The soap brand even became more familiar after the merger with Colgate,  and  the PALMOLIVE line was soon extended to include talcum powder, shampoo, and male-oriented products. In the mid 1950s, the company launched PALMOLIVE POMADE—“the pomade for successful men”. There was also, briefly a PALMOLIVE  Skin and Hair Tonic, produced at the same time. Apparently, the brilliantine pomade and tonic did not last long, but PALMOLIVE as a soap and shampoo brand proved to be more enduring.

5. POND’S LIPS LIPSTICK (1960)

POND’S, has a rich, 150 year history as the maker of POND’S  Cold Cream, the world’s first moisturizer that does not require refrigeration, and POND’S Vanishing Cream, which made women’s skin soft, supple and dewy. In 1846, American pharmacist Theron Pond developed the Pond’s Extract, with a unique tea extract from witch hazel that helped restore skin damage below the surface. The face creams were introduced to the country when the POND’S Company merged in 1955 with the Chesebrough Manufacturing Co., which already had an extensive line-up of facial care products. By the 60s, POND’S was an established brand of cosmetic beauty products. An effort to extend the line to include make up products was attempted in 1960 with the launch of POND’S LIPS—lipsticks “for irresistible lips”. But  Filipinas resisted the idea, preferring the facial cream more instead,  so POND’S LIPS was discontinued.

6. PRESTO COFFEE (1962)

The taipan George Gokongwei founded the Consolidated Food Corporation in 1961. It is best known for producing Blend 45 that gave Nescafe and Café Puro a run for their money. Next, CFC launched its chocolate products, so the PRESTO brand. With treats like Nips, Manor House, Milky Bar, Apollo Chocolate Bars and Wafrets, PRESTO came to be associated with chocolates. There was even a PRESTO Cocoa and PRESTO Chocolate Drink. But PRESTO did not start as a name for chocolates—but as a coffee brand. In 1962, PRESTO COFFEE was launched by CFC as a complement to Blend 45. PRESTO COFFEE was retired when CFC decided to single-mindedly build the Blend 45 brand which was enjoying tremendous  market success, and make it their flagship brand. PRESTO later was used as a name for CFC’s ice cream brand, and today, it is acookie brand of Universal Robina Corp. (URC).

7. PURE FOODS JAM (1965)

Founded in 1956, PURE FOODS was put up in Mandaluyong by a group of enterpreneurs which first produced hams, bacons and hot dog sausages.  It is in the manufacture of quality meat products that PURE FOODS built its name. Over the years, however, it forayed into other food products—making catsup, chili con carne, bottled pickles—and in 1965, the company put out PURE FOODS JAMS. The bottled spreads included Mango, Pineapple, Guava, and Mango-Pineapple. Eventually, PURE FOODS stuck to making products it knew best, and today, it is the leading maker of quality meat products in the country.

113. The Modern Fast-Frozen Ice Cream: PRESTO ICE CREAM ADS, 1978-1979

 

PRESTO ICE CREAM. Flavorite for July, Print Ad, 1979

In the 1970s, Magnolia Dairy Products pretty much lorded it over the Philippine ice cream market, but there were a few more players that dared challenge the leader. Some of these included the 60s brand Silver Bell, the scoop ice cream station Coney Island, and Selecta Ice Cream which was sold in limited quantities in supermarkets.

Then, in 1975, Consolidated Food Corporation owned by the taipan John Gokongwei, ventured into ice cream production and introduced PRESTO ICE CREAM, which, to Magnolia, loomed as a serious contender to deal with. After all, Gokongwei  had a history of aggressively marketing its products that found favor in the Philippine marketplace.

Beginning in 1954, when he put up Universal Robina Corporation which launched snack items like Jack ‘n Jill, candies like Nips, Maxx, Dynamite, and noodles, like Nissin’s. Gokongwei wanted to diversify like what multinational companies were doing, and so in 1961, he put up  Consolidated Food Corporation which produced two initial successes—Blend 45 and Great Taste Coffee,  brands that at one point soundly beat Café Puro and Nescafe,

CFC had used the brand name PRESTO earlier, in the late1960s, for its chocolate snacks. Now it wanted to capitalize on that already-familiar name by calling its newest ice cream product--PRESTO ICE CREAM. It  was directly aimed at Magnolia, but with a twist—it was significantly cheaper than the ice cream leader. “Anything you’ve always wanted in an ice cream, for less!”, the colored print ads bannered.

 

What more could you want in an ice cream? Dec. 1979

To Magnolia’s well-entrenched “Flavor of The Month”, PRESTO responded with “Presto Flavorites for the Month”, and during special times like the Christmas holidays,  not one, but two “flavorites” were launched. 

PRESTO, too, had counterpart products for Magnolia’s Frozen Delights—a line of ice cream novelties.  PRESTO Funwich—two chocolate cookies with ice cream in between-- attained popularity in the late 1970s, and so did PRESTO Tivoli Ice Cream Choco Bars, Funsticks, Heaven in a Bar and Calypso Cream Bars.

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Made with the modern 'Fast-Freeze' Process, 1979

PRESTO ICE CREAM touted its modern “Fast-Freeze” process of manufacturing ice cream. Fast-frozen ice cream means ice cream at the peak-of-freshness.  At its height, PRESTO even lent its name to the Gokongwei-owned basketball team, that played in PBA from the 70s thru the 90s –the PRESTO Ice Cream Makers.

WATCH 'PRESTO' 1980 TVC HERE

(Courtesy: View on the 3rd)

Despite the initial hoopla and the millions spent in pushing the brand, PRESTO could not make significant inroads into Magnolia’s turf. Magnolia countered with the price brand Sorbetes, but even then, by the late 1980s, the rising cost of materials started to affect the local ice cream industry. CFC stopped its PRESTO Ice Cream production altogether by the mid 1990s, as the ice cream landscape changed when RFM bought the Selecta brand and turned it into a market leader, overtaking Magnolia by 1997, this, despite a joint venture by Nestle. 

Today, PRESTO  still exists in the URC porfolio—but only as a cream cookie brand, under the “Jack and Jill” line. With its demise, PRESTO  Ice Cream joins other discontinued Gokongwei product ventures like Yahoo Juice Drinks, Robina Chickens and Mark Electronics.

SOURCES:

Unilever website: https://www.unilever.com.ph/brands/our-brands/selecta.html

Universal Robina Corp. website:http://www2.urc.com.ph/
youtube, Presto ice Cream TVC 1980, published by John Castillo Soberano, My 7, 2017