485. 1988 Creative Guild's Radio Ad of the Year, ROYAL TRU-ORANGE "Ganito Talaga Ang Buhay", RC 30s

KID STUFF. In 1988, the Radio Ad of the Year was part of a best-selling campaign that hepled endear a softdrink to its young Pinoy market in an unprecedented way. The softdrink was Royal Tru-Orange, a purebred Pinoy product of faithful old McCann Erickson client Coca-Cola Bottling Co. The campaign debuted in TV and introduced a character destined to be one of the immortals of local Philippine advertising, an amiable, wonderfully regular adolescent named Joey, played by a charismatic young La Sallite named RJ Ledesma.

The very first ad began with the jingle strain: “Ganito talaga ang buhay…”, and the first words of Joey’s lighthearted, causally delivered flashback narration which proved to be the durable and permanent opening salvo for a series of ads harping on the natural goodness of the product and how it fitted in, just as naturally, with the ups and downs of a wholesome young protagonist’s life.

The campaign extended into radio advertising , of which the winning “Mantika” was an involving example. As he McCann creative director Letty Javier recounts, she and copywriter Kathleen Mojica collaborated on a scenario straight from everyman’s childhood experience.

The TV ads have Joey mingling with friends, going to school, and eventually falling in love and maturing over a span of several memorable years. RJ Ledesma practically grew up under the consumer’s watchful eye.

The radio commercial however, harked back to those embarrassing, pre-pubescent moments where every boy would die before being caught running a sissy errand for mom  in this case, buying a bottle of cooking oil from the neighborhood sari-sari. A bottle of Royal Tru-Orange proves the ideal cover-up in the presence of Joey’s pal, Jake, who, it turns out, was set to buy something just as sissy—bagoong. The pals are on equal footing, such all too familiar chores and the very real feelings of apprehension and relief, and the viewer concludes, are part of growing up. It’s a good thing that the softdrink is around to provide company, or even security, in the face of the possible bad trips of this complicated age.

Even without the powerful TV visuals, “Mantika”  effortlessly  captured the awkwardness, as well as the little triumphs  of Filipino adolescence, and softdrinks guzzlers everywhere were invariable touched.

CREDITS:

CLIENT: Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Product:  Royal Tru-Orange

AGENCY: McCann Erickson, Phils.

Executive Creative Director: Emily Abrera

Associate Creative Director: Letty Javier

Copywiter:  Kathleen Mojica

Producer: Jing Abellana

SOURCES: PERFECT 10: A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, published by the Creative Guild of the Philippines,1995. Written and edited by Butch Uy and Alya Honasan.

 

477. 1986 Creative Guild of the Philippines: BERT "Tawa"MARCELO, “Best and Biggest Talent of All Time”

BERT MARCELO, Creative Guild Awards Night, 1987

The Creative Guild of the Philippines awards night was held at the Rizal Theater in 1987, hosted by TV personality Ariel Ureta and Malu Maglutac, former Miss Magnolia runner up and news caster.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of a Plaque of Achievement from the Creative Guild of the Philippines to an advertising icon—BERT “TAWA” MARCELO, who is a regular presence on the boob tube, ever since his first appearance in a San Miguel commercial in the early 1970s, produced by Philippine Advertising Counsellors.

WATCH THE SMB "KALENDARYO" TVC HERE ca. 1974:

The Baliwag native (b. 6 June 1936, Norberto J. Marcelo) embodied the Filipino everyman, made more authentic by his flair for Tagalog, complete with his provincial accent, and a happy-go-lucky attitude, amplified by his signature, high-pitch laughter. 

WATCH SMB "BERT MARCELO & BOSS" TVC HERE ca. 1975-76:

He is best identified with San Miguel Beer, which he endorsed for almost 3 decades, appearing in memorable commercials (“Isang Platitong Mani”, "Si-Boom", “Pupulbusin ko ang Dibdib Mo”, "Kalendaryo", "Bruno", etc) that made him one of the most recognizable personalities on television.

WATCH SMB "BERT MARCELO & BRUNO" TVC HERE, ca. 1976:

The plaque was presented to BERT MARCELO by Jun Urbano, commercial idrector behind his many San Miguel Beer commercials, and the Queen of Philippine Movies, Susan Roces. The citation reads:

ACTRESS SUSAN ROCES & DIREK JUN URBANO PRESENTS PLAQUE TO BERT MARCELO.

“The Creative Guild of the Philippines, under the auspices of the 4As (Asoocation of Accredited Advertising Agencies) Philippines, presents this Plaque of Appreciation to BERT MARCELO, a true original whose name is synonymous with laughter. Bert Marcelo brings in the advertising industry a unique style of product endorsement that blends warmth, sincerity, and humor and for enlivening and enriching the advertising industry with his participation and presence”. 

Signed by:

Mr. Teddy Jurado, President, 4 As of the Philippines

Mr. Cid V. Reyes, President. Creative Guild of the Philippines

Elsewhere, Bert Marcelo also did ads for HITACHI Electric Fans, Sierratone Beds and 680 Department Store. He also was a sought-after host, for talent shows such as “Ang Bagong Kampeon” (with Pilita Corrales) and the Baliksaya roadshows for OFWs worldwide. His silver screen appearances include “Pomposa, Ang Kabayong Tsismosa” (1968) ,“Tisoy” (1969), “Wanakosey” (1977), “Omeng “Mga Mata ni Angelita” (1978), and “Isang Platitong Mani” (1986).  He ran for the governorship of Bulacan in 1995, but lost; passing away shortly after a stroke on 16 Dec.1995.

 SOURCES:

Bert Marcelo mini-biography: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1416288/bio/

 View on the 3rd,-Jojo Bailon, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2716615658634997, poste 10 Nov. 2021

 4 A’s youtube channel: San Miguel, kalendaryo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWTT-AJP0PI

 The World Archives youtube channel: San Miguel Pale Pilsen,  Bert Tawa Marcelo & Subas Herrero "Boss" TVC 1975 (Philippines), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F04I-ese2as, uploaded by The World Archives, 2023

461. 2010 Kidlat Ad of the Decade: McDONALD’S “Karen/Lolo” TVC 45s’, 2001

McDo's Most Memorable "Karen/Lolo" TVC, Hemisphere-Leo Burnett, 2001

In 2001, Hemisphere-Leo Burnett produced a TV commercial for its client McDonald’s that departed from the usual “good time, great place, great taste” executions that depicted happy folks, delightful kids, smiling customers in a fun-looking place, with a memorable jingle to match.

The 45 seconder “Karen/Lolo” ad  touched  millions just by showing a quiet, simple interaction between an aging grandfather and his favorite granddaughter Karen. Slightly peeved for being called by a different name by the grandfather with a failing memory, Karen’s attitude changed when the grandfather wraps half of the burger to save it   “para sa paborito kong apo….Karen”.

WATCH McDO'S "KAREN/LOLO" AWARD-WINNING TVC HERE:

(TVC courtesy of 4 As Philippines' youtube channel)

The iconic commercial was one of the most multi-awarded ads in history. In 2002, it earned a PILAK AWARD  from the 4As Philippines, as one of the Top 25 Classic Ads from the last 50 years.

KAREN/ LOLO, PILAK Awardee, 2002

At the 1^st Kidlat Ads of the Decade presented by the Creative Guild of the Philippines in 2010,  McDonald's "Karen" TV by Leo Burnett, shared honors along with Philippine Daily Inquirer  "Volcanic Ash" print ad by Ogilvy & Mather and Lotus Spa "Traffic Therapy" radio ad by JWT. The ads were chosen from the Ads of the Year, from 1999 to 2009.

Internationally  "Karen/Lolo” was the first Philippine ad to win a Gold Lotus in the ADFEST.  This unique award is given to works that embody local values whether in terms of culture, religion, beliefs, traditions, language, insights, or context.

 CREDITS:

CLIENT: McDONALD's Philippines

AGENCY: Hemisphere-Leo Burnett

Creative Director: Richard Irvine / Edsel Tolentino

Copywriter: Sheila dela Cuesta/ Art Director: Mike dela Cuesta / Joel Eudela

Producer: Irene Chingcuangco / Talent Caster: Abbey Young/ Jonathan Herr

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Production Village

Director: Thierry Notz / Cinematographer: Larry Manda

"KAREN” AND “LOLO”, Then and Now

Karen de los Reyes. The character “Karen” was played by a fresh-faced 17 year old talent, Glomirose Amor de los Reyes (b. 29 Sep.1984), a St. Benilde student. Glomirose was lured by GMA Networks to join its roster of talents and it was no surprise that she adapted the screen name Karen delos Reyes”.

She was first signed up for the youth series “Click”, and went on to bigger projects, joining the reality show “Survivor Philippines” and appearing as Savannah in the blockbuster fantasy, “Mulawin”. 

Now 39, she is a single mom with a son, Gabriel Lucas, and continues to be active on TV.

Rudy Francisco. The grandfather role was essayed by 79 year old lawyer and actor Rudy Francisco (b. 4 Sep. 1922), younger brother of matinee idol, Fred Montilla. While still a Far Eastern University law student, the younger Francisco moonlit as an actor, making abiut 10 movies during his short showbiz stint (1951-54). He was known for “Teniente Ramirez”, “May Araw Pang Darating” (with Gloria Romero) , “Buhay Pilipino”and Binibining Kalog (with Lolita Rodriguez). He later lawyered for Sampaguita Films.

Rudy’s son is the businessman, commercial director, film-tv-stage actor Raymond Francisco, better known as RS Francisco. Lolo Rudy passed away on 8 May 2019 in Manila, at the venerable age of 96.

 SOURCES / CREDITS:

Photo of Karen delos Reyes, GMA Network

Bios of Karen delos Reyes and Rudy Francisco, Wikipedia

4 AS Philippines youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzLM8oBbIs

441. 1989 Creative Guild TV Ad of the Month for February, SAN MIGUEL BEER, “Si-Boom!” TVC 60s

A booming victory for San Miguel Beer--Ad of the Month for Feb. 1989!

In 1988, McCann Erickson produced an Ad of the Month winner for SAN MIGUEL PALE PILSEN , a summer commercial that drew raves for its merry mix of popular talents, scenic beach shots, colorful production design, festival vibe,  catchy jingle---and a new San Miguel “Si-Boom Girl”. The high-profile SMB commercial featured the APO Hiking Society alongside San Miguel mainstay, Bert “Tawa” Marcelo who follows the “Si-Boom Girl” as she gambols on the beach.  Followed by a coterie of admirers, the ad jingle borrowed the tune of an Eartha Kitt song-- C’est si Bon--reworked and Tagalized into “Si-Boom”.

 WATCH SMB "SI-BOOM" TVC 90s HERE

uploaded by vibesey, 30 April 2016

The TV ad became an instant sensation, what with the Ati-atihan inspired arrangement,  perfectly sung by Jim Paredes, Boboy Garovillo and Danny Javier, as googly-eyed  Bert Marcelo ogled on. But it was the debut appearance of a sultry babe in white swimsuit that left the most impression on the male audience—Rachel Lobangco, she with the  signature pout and thick brows. For that appearance, she was hailed as “Star Discovery of the Year 1989” by the Creative Guild of the Philippines in their next awards night.

To top it all, SMB’s “Si-Boom” was voted by the Creative Guild jury as the best TVC for the month of February 1989, thus qualifying for the Ad of the Year Finals held at Hotel Nikko Manila Garden the next year.

CREDITS

ADVERTISER: San Miguel Corp.

PRODUCT: San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer

AGENCY: McCann Erickson Phils.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erwin Castillo

COPYWRITERS: Cris Michelena / Erwin Castillo

ART DIRECTOR: Sonny Yñiguez

PRODUCER: Jan Beltran

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Unitel

DIRECTOR: Dante Datu

 SOURCES:

San Miguel Beer "SiBoom" - Philippines , 1989 , 90s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2dESSTwetY, uploaded by vibesey

Lani, Rachel Lobangco, Ang Kanilang Buhay Ngayon: https://kami.com.ph/82471-lani-rachel-lobangco-ang-kanilang-buhay-ngayon.html

The Creative Guild Ad of the Year program, 1990

Photo Sources: IMdb Pro,

435. 1994 Creative Guild Ad of the Month for July: MOTOLITE “Tawid” TVC 30s

July 1994 Winner!! MOTOLITE "Tawid" TVC by Basic/FCB

Humor is the charm of this MOTOLITE Brake Fluid TV ad that won a nod from the Creative Guild judges as the best commercial for July 1994. Blame it on the hyperbolic acting of the well-cast talents who dramatized to the max the fear of being run over by a brake-less vehicle. 

The over-the-top acting was so sit-com funny, that the models could give even present-day comedians a run for their money. The composition of the shots and the editing added to the ridiculous hilarity of the situations. The judges weren’t even looking at the production design (was there any?) or listening to the score gone haywire--they were just riveted at the paradoxical effect of the comedy happening in the face of impending tragedy. Now that’s funny!!

CREDITS

Advertiser: CC. UNSON
Product: MOTOLITE

Agency: BASIC ADVERTISING
Creative Director: BOY LEUTERIO
Copywriter: EMIL REINTAR
Art Directors: REY TOLENTINO / EGAY OLIVA
Artist: PETE CLEMENTE
Producer: PAM PAJARILLO
Caster: TESS GELLA

Production House: ELECTROMEDIA

Director: MANDY REYES
Producer: MERIE VILLAMAYOR
Cinematographer: LESLIE GARCHITORENA
Prod. Designer: GAY GUILLERMO
Post Production: VIDEOPOST
Recording Studio: HIT PRODUCTIONS
Sound.Music Composer: BRIAN CHUA

434. 1993 Creative Guild TV Ad of the Year, ANTI-SMUT "Baboy" CAMPAIGN, Basic / FCB

The 1993 TV Ad  of the Year was an 11-second video commercial with no budget, no production expenses, and no human talents involved. In fact, the pig that hogs the camera lens proved to be the underdog that beat several other more expensive efforts for the plum prize.

The ad was one of the many pro bono efforts handled annually by Basic/Foote, Cone & Belding. The client was a non-governmental organization called Anti-Smut Philippines, and creative director Tere Filipinia recalls how two members of the two-year old organization approached them one day with no advertising experience , no parameters, nothing but an intention: to fight smut.

“They didn’t even know what advertising was,”Filipinia recalls. “It’s when we have accounts like these na puwede kaming magwala.” The whole agency was gathered for some brainstorming , and ideas were scattered like dirty tabloids. Copywriter Chris Martinez remembers some of the far-out examples. “May kumakain ng tabloid, may lolong masama ang tingin sa apo.” “Several ideas were just too sexy,” Filipinia recalls. “I guess the challenge was how to show smut without having to show smut.”

Filipinia relied on plain consumer insight to figure out the proper approachto hitting the market of downscale, libidinal tabloid readers. “You couldn’t get these guys by making them feel guilty. It definitely wouldn’t work, either, if you told them they were wasting their time, that they should just read books. Manhid na ang mga taong ‘iyan.”

Watch the 1993 TV AD OF THE YEAR "Anti-Smut-Baboy" TVC HERE

Source: 4 As Philippines you tube channel

Martinez opted for insulting the viewer in the most harmlessly graphic and unbelievably literal way possible. The ad, he says, may have worked because of its “pure concept. It’s almost stark.”It opens with a frontal shot of a smut publication, presumably hiding the guilty reader, whose face the first-gime viewer is immediately dying to see. The surprise comes when the page is dropped, and an extreme close-up of a real pig , snout practically on the lens, is revealed, accompanied by the accusation that’s  almost spat out: “Ang baboy mo!”.

Filipinia recalls how enthusiasm almost died down for the project, and how the creative team rushed last-minute production to make sure the ad made the cut-off date for qualification for a Creative Guild award. “It’s much easier to aim for awards with pro bono campaigns,” she reveals. “We call these our ‘therapy accounts’ , because they allow us to create what we want.

The ad involved a team effort of professionals who all worked gratis: visualizer Jo-Ann Cordero, producer Juliet Mutia, director Jun Austria, production house Production Village, and composer Jimmy Antiporda, who produced an excellent soundtrack that gave the ad its high-impact, straightforward drama minus a catchy jingle or sound effects, aside from the pig’s punctuating snort.

The ad received inconsistent exposure, also because air time was given away gratis, but it was apparently seen on the air often enough to be noticed, and to be adjudged a winner. It even attracted the attention of piggery owners, Filipinia reports, who then wrote a formal letter to lament how the ad was giving the business a dirty name. Interestingly, the ad failed to win recognition on any of the international competitions it was entered in. Martinez believes the discrepancy is cultural. “It’s probably only in the Philippines that the word baboy has such a string meaning.”

 CREDITS:

AGENCY: Basic /FCB                                   

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tere Filipinia / ART DIRECTOR: Jo Ann Cordero

PRODUCER: Juliet Mutia / DIRECTOR: Jun Austria

SOUNDTRACK: Jimmy Antiporda / PRODUCTION HOUSE: Provil

 ADVERTISER: Anti-Smut Philippines / PRODUCT: Anti-Smut Campaign

SOURCE: Butch Uy and Alya Honasan, Perfect 10: A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, p. 60,published by the Executive Committee of The Creative Guild of the Philippines, an affiliate of the 4A’s of the Philippines.

4 As PHILIPPINES youtube channel 

428. Creative Guild Print Ad of the Month for May 1984: JOLLIBEE "THE CHAMP" Langhap-Sarap

BIG LANGHAP SARAP WINS BIG! Creative's Choice for May 1984

The CHAMP “Langhap-Sarap” ad was an introductory campaign of Jollibee ‘s new product intended to be the top of Jollibee’s line of hamburgers and a major competitor of McDonald’s Big Mac. Having noticed that Jollibee is the only hamburger in the country that has a nice smell. Basic’s creative group led by creative director Minyong Ordoñez emphasized this aspect and came up with “langhap-sarap”, which literally means “smell good”. Furthermore, it dramatized the taste superiority of the CHAMP, it having a cooked-in taste that is not present in American burgers. The CHAMP patties boast of being not just plain patties but complete with seasonings, onions, and even enriched with egg.

 “Sapin-sapin ang sarap” was used to introduce the CHAMP’s other fillings like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayonnaise and catsup. Each new ingredient was color printed for emphasis , were pasted together, before finally shot into a transparency, the end result of which is the colored ad of “Chomp, chomp, the CHAMP”.

 CREDITS:

ADVERTISER: JOLLIBEE CORP.

AGENCY: BASIC ADVERTISING

Creative Director: Minyong Ordoñez / Art Director: Roy Babia

Account Executive: Achie Sy / Print Producer: Gerry Arellano

Photographer: Eddie Go / Food Stylist: Lydia Go

SOURCE: ARAL Newsletter issue 1984

 

425. Creative Guild TV Ad of the Month for May, 1984: NIDO MILK "No. 1"

NIDO'S # 1, Chosen as Creative Guild's TV Ad of the Month for May, 1984, by AMA.

399. 1987 Creative Guild’s Radio Ad of the Year: PEPSODENT “Brush-Your-Teeth Crusade”

The PEPSODENT momentum carried over into the following year. After successfully hitting families with the mini-pack, PRC wanted to impress the kids and Socky Pitargue (JWT Creative Director) and company decided on a public service campaign that could pit the new toothpaste against market giant Colgate. The winning ad and the campaign were christened “The Brush-Your-Teeth Crusade”, and the idea, Pitargue says , was all about “writing a set of instructions that would be easy to remember.

Butch uy write the lengthy commercial, what he called “ang kwento ng Pepsodent,” in Pilipino, and had a gentle-voiced teacher/mommy character taking youngsters on a guided tour of their oral cavites, taking them left, right (‘kaliwa’t kanan”), up down (“taas-baba”) and around (“pa-ikot-ikot”). Uy didn’t forget to take side trips to the back of the teeth and the gums as well.

The commercial ended with a proper “Mumog-mumog, whoooosshh!” and was soon being memorized and recited by kids in public schools all over the country.

 SOURCE:  This article originally appeared on: Perfect 10, A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, pubished by the Exeutive Committee of the Creative Guild of the Philippines, First Edition 1995.  pp.72-73

368. Creative Guild’s TV Ad of the Month for Jun. 1996: JAG ANTI-FIT “Merman”

JIMENEZ DMB&B's winning ad for Jag Anti-Fit, aired June 1996

Jeans ad featuring merman makes waves

(from a PR article published in the Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin, Sep. 1996)

The new JAG Anti-Fit commercial is making waves, literally, with its focus on a mythological sea creature. Titled “Merman”, the ad is catching the fancy of viewers. It features a man shown swimming with a fishtail, then removing it afterwards to put on a pair of JAG Anti-Fit Jeans.

Using a merman as model for denim jeans is indeed a fresh idea,

Australian model MATT CHENEY, a competitive swimmer, and did all the swimming scenes in the ad.

“We had to think Anti-Fit. I think this is synonymous to being rugged, daring, comfortable and even controversial”, says Jun Reyes, the commercial’s director.

“When we say jeans, it usually refers to tight-fitting denims, so the idea behind the commercial is to show how we can feel comfortable with jeans”, adds Alex Castro, who collaborated with Reyes on the JAG ad. “ We fitted a man with the tail of a fish to show how constricting denims can be. It shows the limitation of movement. It is not relaxed, not comfortable. Then we show JAG breaks out of the denim stereotype”.

 WATCH JAG ANTI-FIT "MERMAN" TVC HERE:

Source: JAGJeansPh

To make the commercial work, the team relied on realistic props and materials. Says Reyes, “it took hours to put the fish tail on the model. He had to wake up at 4 a.m. for the make-up artist to work on him. We really made sure that the tail would appear as though it was a part of him. We used prosthetics so that the tail would look real. And the tail was detailed for the model so that it would not make him uncomfortable. We had a another tail on reserve in case it got damage. The model had to be carried by 4 men to the beach.

JAG ANTI-FIT "MERMAN' TVC SHOOTING IN BOLINAO, PANGASINAN

Choosing the ideal site for the commercial was also crucial. The shoot was shot in 2 locations: Anilao, Batangas for the underwater scenes, and Bolinao, Panagsinan for the beach scenes.

Reyes and Castro said the commercial was easy to do. They shot the underwater scene for a day, and the scenes above the water overnight.

Since models count a lot in the success of a commercial, JAG made sure they had a perfect merman in its ad. “We had to look for a model who is rugged and suave at the same time. These qualities we found in Matt Cheney, who is a swimmers and a model from Australia. He was paired with Carol Dunbar to add appeal to the commercial. Together, they epitomize the image of JAG—young, spirited, adventurous”, Reyes explains.

The prosthetic fish tail was molded on the model's body

Mythological creatures, gorgeous bods, and a cool concept. With all these elements combined, the JAG Anti-Fit commercial is already making a big splash on TV screens.

NOTE: JAG ANTI-FIT ‘MERMAN’ TVC was adjudged by the Creative Guild of the Philippines for the month of September 1996.

CREDITS:

AGENCY: JIMENEZ DMB&B

Copywriter: ALEX R. CASTRO / Art Director: NIKKO CORNELIO

Producer: PAUL SUAREZ / Account: ANNA DOMINGO

PRODUCTION HOUSE: UNITEL

Director: JUN REYES

D.O.P. BOY YÑIGUEZ, LEE BRIONES / Editor: IKE VENERACION

Production Design: TOMMY NG / Executive Producer: Deet Castillo

ADVERTISER: FIL-PACIFIC APPAREL INC.

Marketing Manager: Veng Taningco / President: Angeline Siy

SOURCES: JAGJeansPh, youtube video /  Manila Buletin, The Phlippine STAR press releases.

366. Creative Guild’s 1990 TV Ad of the Year: DEL MONTE SPAGHETTI SAUCE, “Novices” TVC 45

The 1990 Ad of the year reeks of foreign (specifically Italian) flavor, but was actually a locally-written, locally-produced effort full of recognizably Pinoy values and pushing a product that is an apparent bestseller among Filipino housewives.

“Novices” was a 45-sec. TV ad created by McCann-Erickson for Del Monte Philippines’ unadulterated spaghetti sauce, touted as having the most authentic Italian flavor because of its generous serving of herbs and spices.

“Del Monte had been a McCann client “forever”, recalls president Emily Abrera, who was both writer and creative directors for the ad. “When I joined the agency 17 years ago, they were already here.”McCann had already launched the product a couple of years earlier with a hugely successful spoof entitled “Godfather” featuring a Vito Corleone/Marlon Brando deadringer an won raves for the ad’s production values,

“Clients wanted something just as good,”Abrera says, “and the idea was still to do something sort of Italian,” to again underscore the product’s authentic flavor.”

 A commercial full of nuns was not the first storyboard approved for productions; the original idea was to stage a raucous family gathering in the true Italian tradition.

“My father is Italian”, Abrera asserts,”so there was certainly a lot of noise in my family!”. Everybody thought that the nuns would be more unusual, however, and then account manager Rosanna Henares went as far as consulting real-life sisters about the idea.

 WATCH DEL MONTE SPAGHETTI SAUCE "Novice" TVC Here:

Uploaded by Kape WithCream

The images were ideal; the convent  setting, with its cast of hard-working, industrious residents, stressed the points of ready-made product that tasted as heavenly as the traditionally-prepared favorite. (“Two hours, mother!”, one of the novices exclaims), and the Mother Superior, sublimely played by stage actress Benita Steiger (the production had to wait until Steiger returned from a London vacation), was the epitome of domestic authority whipping up meals with divine mandate. “Remember, it’s a Christian country,: Abrera says of the Philippines, ‘and nuns are always taught never to take credit.”

 As the possibility of offending the religious sensibilities of viewers, Abrera changed the final line from”Praise the lord”, to “Praise Him”, which Steiger delivers with upturned, knowing eyes in response to the novice’s compliment,  “Praise you Mother.” 

BENITA STEIGGER, with Repertory Phils. Actors

The end copy, “Preferred by mother” is the ideal double-entendre endorsement  from both the domestic and religious sectors. “There was definitely a chuckle factor, but we didn’t want to make fun of anybody,”Abrera says. It was certainly more charm than humor.

The ad was shot in 3 days in te arched ruins of an abandoned Manila bank building that looked appropriately solemn with proper lighting and set design. Once again, casting proved critical. “We wanted young girls who looked absolutely virginal,” Abrera says, “and this was one of those cases where, if you didn’t have the right faces, the ad wouldn’t work, even if you had a good idea.”

The youngest talent was 12 years old, and the carefree lasses were not above lifting their heavy cheesecloth costumes between takes to air their sweating legs. Smoke, camera filters, Joey Luna’s ethereal; production design on a low budget, and Butch Perez’s inspired direction contributed to the making of a polished, truly different commercial with an underlying Filipino sensibility.

“Oh, but we have a lot of common with the Italians, don’t you think?”, Abrera asks, Enoighto proper; Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce to the top of its market.

CREDITS:

AGENCY: McCann-Erickson    /    ADVERTISER: Del Monte Philippines

PRODUCT: Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce

CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ COPYWRITER: Emily Abrera

ART DIRECTOR; Ding Villamor   /   PRODUCER: Baby Enriquez

DIRECTOR: Butch Perez

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rody Lacap  /   EDITOR: Billy de Leon

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Joey Luna

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Electromedia

 REFERENCES:

Article lifted from: PERFECT 10: A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, edited by Butch Uy, p.54

Photo of Benita Steiger: FB page of J. Virata.

DEL MONTE SAUCE NOVICE 45s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfujgpORNCA, uploaded by kapewithcream

349. JULIO DIAZ, Creative Guild's 1987 Best Actor in a TVC, GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL “Homecoming”, 1987

During the Creative Guild of the Philippines Ad of the Year Awards Night held at the Metropolitan theater in Manila on 30 August 1988, the first ‘Models of the Year’ awards were given. Ten best commercial models were cited for their effective portrayal of distinctive characters who showed skillfull acting that “captured the drama between product and consumer”.

Creative Guild Ad of the Year 1988 program

Acting awards were also given and that year’s winner for BEST ACTOR IN A TV COMMERCIAL for 1987 -88 went to the rising young star JULIO DIAZ, a film and stage actor. He had received a Best Actor Gawad Urian Award nomination for his performance in Takaw Tukso (1986).

 The commercial in which he starred was for GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, produced by Philippine Advertising Counsellors/BBDO. Entitled “Homecoming”, the TV ad was part of the brand’s  then-thematic campaign “Ikaw at Ginebra…Magkasangga!”.

 WATCH GSM "Homecoming TVC" with Julio Diaz

The ad is a story about  a  prodigal son, who may have worked for years in a big city like Manila or even abroad, returning to his small town. There, familiar faces and memories welcome him, capped by a reconciliation with his family and a reunion with his barkada—over GSM of course.

GSM "Homecoming", screengrab from commercial

Diaz had no dialogues in the TVC and the moving commercial relied on his emotive skills. For his Best Actor award, he was cited “for sympathetically essaying the role of a modern man rreturning to the fold of family and friends” and “for a deeply internalized characterization, proving that the human face, even in the absence of speech, is the eloquent instrument of emotion”.

JULIO DIAZ, in later years, Julio Diaz FB page

Diaz went on to become an accomplished film actor receiving prestigious more nominations from FAMAS (Best Actor, Sakay (1993) and Bayani (1992), Gawad Urion and Young Critics Circle. Diaz was well known for such films as: Sinner or Saint (1984), Paano Tatakasan ang Bukas? (1988), Kailan Ka Magiging Akin? (1990), Bayani (1992), Sakay (199),The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995), Segurista (1996), Batanes (2007), Serbis (2008), Kinatay (2009), and Biyaheng Lupa (2009).He was also seen in popular TV series like ABS-CBN  “Asintado” (2018) and “Ang Probinsyano” (2016).

SOURCES:

Youtube Video: Ginebra, uploaded by fiastatah, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXB8CUdBNhY

Youtube video: ANG KWENTO NG NAGING BUHAY NI JULIO DIAZ, uploaded by SikatTV, Jan. 5, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxsyiBHKzqY

Photo: Lifted from Chisms

philnews.ph: Julio Diaz Breaks Silence Following Arrest During Drug Operation

Julio Diaz FB Page

296. Where Are They Now? THE MANOEUVRES of CO.B Perfect Company, 1994

 COMPANY B TRADE AD FOR ISETANN,1994

In the late 80s and 90s, the MANOEUVRES were one of the hottest male dance groups in the country, along with Streetboys and Universal Motion Dancers. Established  in 1984 as WEA Dynamics, and later Octo-Manoeuvres, by WEA Records, the original dancers-- Uriel Policarpio, Ronnel Wolfe , Jon-Jon Supan, Rene Sagaran and Jojo Lapena—promoted music records by way of dance on TV and in events.  Brothers Jason and Joshua Zamora, and Jon Cruz later joined the group.

The dancers gained notice when they supported Gary Valenciano in his blockbuster major concert “Pure Energy” at the Folk Arts Theater in 1987. Their career as male dance group would be linked with Gary V, when Genesis Entertainment—a talent management group under  Gary’s wife, Angeli Pangilinan—signed them up. They became simply known as MANOEUVRES.

The MANOUEVRES took the concert scene by storm with their participation in the concerts and other events of the country’s biggest and most popular entertainers—from Regine Velasquez, Sharon Cuneta, Jaya to Martin and Pops. But it was with Gary V that they were most associated with; head choreographer Uriel Policarpio choreographed many of the “hataw” moves that the energetic singer  did in many of his concerts.

The group became visible in TV dance shows, noontime programs and even had stints in Southeast Asian countries, Canada, U.S., Italy and East, performing for the overseas Pinoy market. In time, the MANOEUVRES were holding their own dance concerts (even a 25^th anniversary concert)  that were always sold out.

With the measure of fame the group achieved, the MANOEUVRES managed to snag a few commercial endorsements  that included blue chip clients like Magnolia, Royal Tru-Orange and Coke. One fashion brand they also promoted in 1994 was CO.B (COMPANY B. )  a flagship brand of Tri-Union International, a big apparel company that created a youth line of denims and tops.

Four members—Uriel Policarpio, Jonjon Supan, Jason and Joshua Zamora appeared in trade ads of CO. B, on leading newspapers and magazines. They were  featured in a TV 30s  spot ,”Voices/Dances/Strings”, which became a Creative Guild Ad of the Month in 1994. The commercial was created by Hemisphere-Leo Burnett, led by Creative Director Maun Bondoc, Lilit Reyes and Betsy Baking.

Many of the members used their showbiz exposure to venture into other fields like Acting and directing, in the case of the Zamora brothers. Jon Supan became a managing Director of Hotlegs. But almost all of the original members including Uriel Policarpio (who fully recovered from a quadruple bypass)  and Rene “Mr. Flex” Sagaran continue to be involved in dance, conducting workshops and choreographing numbers for shows.

UPDATE! The 4 MANEOUVRES Today

The MANOEUVRES are still very much around and active today, with new generation members. Their FB group states that they are now under the management group of Artistation, Inc., handler of some of the biggest names in show business today.

SOURCES:

Photo Updates: FB Maneouvres FB Page

Photo Co.B. 1994 Souvenir Program Creatuve Guild Ad of the Year

Retro-5: Memorable Dance Groups in Recent History, 

https://starcinema.abs-cbn.com/2014/4/21/news/retro-5-memorable-dance-groups-in-recent-history-4420

278. Creative Guild’s 1986 Print Ad of the Year, P&G Phils., IVORY “Purity”

IVORY "PURITY" PRINT AD,  1986 Creative Guild Print Ad of the Year

ISA MUNANG PATALASTAS CONTINUES  ITS  TRIBUTE TO MR. RAMON R. JIMENEZ JR. (14 Jul. 1955/d. 27 Apr. 2020),, or simply MONJ to his colleagues, whose passing at the age of 64 is mourned the Philippine advertising industry that he inspired. After his illustrious career, he was named as the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, promoting the country via his well-received and hugely successful campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” . Before he left Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi in 1988 to join wife Abby in their agency, Jimenez &Partners, MonJ was a VP-Creative and Executive Creative Director at Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi. One of his blue chip P&G accounts was IVORY Soap. Here is the story behind the print ad he helped create with his concept team, and which went on to bag the 1986 Creative Guild of the Philippines Print Ad of the Year.

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In 1986, clients and agencies wth a prevailing fear of white space were thrown off their swivel chairs by what appeared (or, in this case, didn’t appear) in several major newspapers. The full page was prited in special white paper and bore the headline, “You are looking at IVORY PURITY”. The text was printed, in an appropriately delicate  type, and the visual was simply a blank space framed by thin black border.

Ivory Phil. Ad, 1930s

The ad, “Purity”, was Ace Compton’s second winner, and was made possible by the fact that “ we were feeling a lot braver,” says Jimmy Santago. The client was global manufacturing giant Procter & Gamble, a Compton client for some 38 years  at the time the revolutionary ad was run, and this was the company’s third attempt at launching IVORY SOAP. “After two failures, it was no longer that sensitive a product.” Recalls Santiago. “The market was tired of it.” Santiago credits the brilliance of "repositioning” with reviving public interest in IVORY and taking its Philippine sales figures to unprecedented new heights.

The first two times it was launched , IVORY had been marketetd first as a soap for teenagers, and then as a family bar. The provincial teen markets, accustomed to heavily perfumed toiletries, also didn’t take too well to IVORY’s non-existent scent. Plus, the agency had to reckon with Filipnos’ completely different—and for the product, potentially damaging –-concept of “purity” at that time. “Pure was understood to be harsh, or concentrated, like a detergent,” Santiago recalls. The description was giving everybody the wrong idea.”

The time came to launch IVORY anew as a baby soap and an exceptionally pure product. The creative team was likewise in a fix about presenting a baby soap wthout unleashing the babes. Baby-filled ads were already the specialty of main competitor Teneder Care—“and we certainly  didn’t want Tender Care to sell any more soap!”Santiago says.

All of Compton’s creative teams were thus invted to pitch ideas for the xciting new projects, and art directors instinctively began by doodling babies—until Santiago declared it was time to leave the babies to someone else. He suggested a blank piece of paper, whiter than standard ash-colored newsprint, whose dirty color simply wouldn’t get the message across. Art director Melvin Mangada, then a fresh college graduate, framed the page n the simple black border, and writer Isabel Gamboa provded the straightforward copy highlighted by the brand logo. “The PUREST SOAP there is,” the copy reads, key words were capitalized for effect, and readers looking down at the white expanse couldn’t help but agree that, yes, this was as spotless as you could possibly get.

BACK TO BABIES. Ivory Ad, late 1986

The ad was a complete surprise. It broke several rules, not the least of whch was the tried and tested procedure of sung a baby to sell a baby product. The absence of a cute face seemed like a sure step towards marketing disaster. Also, client Procter & Gamble was an advertiser traditionally averse to wasting space or departing from bestselling formulas. “Cases like these are exceptions,” Santiago says, because you’re out there to jolt the market. Procter & Gamble’s  General Manager was pleasantly jolted himself, enough to call the ad “brilliant” and refreshingly “discontinuous”.After a time, however, client “got worried,” Santiago recalls, and eventually succumbed to convention by running more baby ads. “But after ;etting us come up wth the ad we wanted, it was alright,” Santiago laughs—especially after “Purity” won a Clio citation.

CREDITS:

AGENCY: Acre Compton Advertising, Inc.

ADVERTISER: Procter & Gamble, Philippines

PRODUCT: Ivory Soap

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Mon Jimenez Jr.

COPYWRITER: Isabel Gamboa

ART DIRECTOR: Malvin Mangada

277. 1989 Creative Guild’s Radio Ad of the Year: Glaxo’s DEQUADIN , “Do Re Mi” RC 30s.

(THIS WEEK’S POST IS A TRIBUTE TO MR. RAMON R. JIMENEZ JR. (14 Jul. 1955/d. 27 Apr. 2020),, or simply MONJ to his colleagues, whose passing at the age of 64 is mourned the Philippine advertising industry that he inspired. After his illustrious career, he was named as the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, promoting the country via his well-received and hugely successful campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” . Back in 1989, MonJ was already making waves as a co-CEO (together with his equally talented wife, Abby Lee Jimenez) of a small agency, Jimenez & Partners. One of their joint works was a celebrated commercial written for DEQUADIN, which was named as the the year’s best radio ads by the Creative Guild of the Philipines, in a tie with Colgate’s “Nguya” radio ad.)

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The year 1989 marked the first time that two radio ads tied for the year’s honor. The first ad “DEQUADIN Do, Re,Mi” showed a novel way to present an undeniably antiseptic product, a throat lozenge, whose previous advertising exposure was limited to scientific testimonials in what Jimenez/DMB&B co-CEO Abby Jimenez calls “the pesteng ahem tradition”. The client, pharmaceutical firm Glaxo, had been advertising for 6 or 7 years, using the same authority figure in a white coat, but there was very little product awareness. “There was a need for truly impactful advertising:.

Abby’s co-CEO husband,Mon Jimenez Jr. , discovered that Dequadin’s biggest competition was a decidedly non-medical little green candy called Storck. “The earth-shaking news was that everybody knew you couldn’t die of a sore throat. People were simply not taking sore throat seriously as Glaxo was. So we had to lighten up a little”.

The solution was to produce “a commercial that celebrated the end result”, according to Mon. “We wanted a clear demonstration of throat power”, Abby adds, and that earch for “the well-est throat in the world” led the Jimenezes to young tenor Nolyn Cabahug, who blew the agency away with his o-the-spot demonstration.

LISTEN TO THE DEQUADIN AD 

BY CLICKING THIS LINK:

DEQUADIN 'DO RE MI' TV AD

As for possible jingles, several operatic pieces were eliminated until the agency was left with the simplest jingle of all. Abby recalled how, as children, she and her bother would try to outdo ech other by singing higher and higher notes. Cabahug ended up delivering an up-front powerful series of octaves that begins a capella and builds up to a convincing crescendo.

The TV ad begins with a frame of the tenor’s face, but the radio commercial takes off with pure sound. It is onely when Cabahug pauses before the last “DO” of his 3^rd octave  that the product makes its perfectly-timed appearance. “the final note is brought to you by DEQUADIN”—no explanations or product analyses necessary. By this time, listeners who have been impressed Cabahug’s formidable range are absolutely amazed by what the product has allowed him to do.

The radio commercial did not only catapult DEQUADIN to new heights of consumer familiarity. It also did much to the career of Cabahug, now one of the country’s opera stars, and for classical music in general. Plus “Do Re Mi” was the campaign that turned a small agency called Jimenez and Partners into the powerhouse of creative work that it is considered today.

SOURCE:
This article originally appeared on:

Perfect 10, A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, pubished by the Exeutive Committee of the Creative Guild of the Philippines, First Edition 1995.  pp.76-77

VIEW ON THE 3RD, by JOJO BAILON, Nolyn Cabahug for Dequadin, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2009299202443075
DoReMi pix: https://www.bethsnotesplus.com/2012/01/do-re-mi-songs.html

Dequadin pix: honestbee.ph

275. TESSIE TOMAS, CREATIVE GUILD HALL OF FAME AWARDEE 1990

On the 18^th of May 1990, at the star-studded Ad of the Year Awards held at Hotel Nikko Manila, the Creative Guild of the Philippines paid tribute to its very own--TESSIE HERMOSA TOMAS—by according her a Hall of Fame award.

The former agency creative-turned-show biz star, Tessie Tomas (b.31  October 1950), was to showbiz born. Her mother, Laura Hermosa was a famous radio personality, a much sought talent who voiced classic radio serials as well as radio commercials during the fledgling age of Philippine advertising.

14 YEAR OLD TESSIE modeling for PALMOLIVE with mother LAURA HERMOSA

Tomas finished Broadcast Communications at the University of the Philippines and opted to follow a different path—advertising.  She cut her teeth at Ace-Compton Advertising and then moved to McCann –Erickson where the gifted copywriter wrote successful campaigns for blue-chip client Johnson & Johnson products (Remember Johnson’s Baby Powder--“Ikaw Lamang, Wala ng Iba” campaign).

Tomas rose quickly up the corporate ladder; she was sent to London and New York for further training, and upon her return, she was named as the creative head of McCann-Erickson, the first Filipina creative director.

TESSIE TOMAS, the first Filipina Creative Director of a multinational ad agency.

But her showbiz genes impelled her to foray in stand-up comedy even as she conceptualized campaigns and wrote product slogans. Tomas joined a comedy troupe that included Subas Herero and Noel Trinidad (himself, an ex-agency man) and started performing at a popular bistro in Magallanes,”The Windmill”. 

She introduced  whole brand of humor to a willing audience--more cerebral, less slapstick, comedy that made funny commentaries on our social state, from the perspective of unforgettable characters. Tomas took a jab at corrupt politicians, and celebrated the resilience of Filipinos. Suddenly, Tomas became the talk of the entertainment circuit!

CREATIVE GUILD OF THE PHILIPPINES CITATION

In early 1983, she did the unthinkable--she  resigned from her steady and stable corporate job and decided to plunge headlong into the dizzying, dazzling world of showbiz-- a world she was born in, and whose challenges she was now set to embrace.

Her first one-woman show—“Miss Margarida’s Way”—featured her as the demented, underpaid schoolmarm, which proved to be her first hit. Like a true creative, Tomas wrote most of her material, and created alter egos like social worker Charito Calubaquib, Boni Buendia “da bold star”, sex therapist Natassia Kinky, Saudi wife Mimay Timtiman, Japanese geisha Sakura Bitsu-Bitsu, Princess of Leyte Gulf Lady ‘Day, and Miriam Defensor Saanmanmagtago.

TESSIE TOMAS WITH CHAMPOY GANG, 1984

When she joined the hit comedy show “Champoy”, Tomas introduced the wacky umbrella-wielding weather girl “Amanda Pineda” who made dire observations about our social conditions under a repressive government, with her fearful forecasts for the nation, sugar-coated with her brand of seemingly-innocent humor and catchy punchlines.

TESSIE TOMAS as MELDITA

But her most famous perosna was “Meldita”, a deluded, larger-than-life  take on the First Lady. Each staging exposed Rizal Theater SRO crowds to the lurid madness that was Malacanang: from Meldita’s  stormy relationships with Macoy and rebel child Imee, her royal fantasies, her obsessive-compulsive drive to make the Philippines great again. But it was also a story about finding fulfillment and acceptance by all means and at all costs, which Meldita always sought but never gained.

HAKONE SARDINES AD,as Sakura Bitsu-Bitsu 1989

Tomas not only received accolades for her tour-de-force performance, but also death threats. But she couldn’t care less; it was her craft that spurred her on--her pioneering one-woman shows had given her the avenue.

It was just a matter of time that movie producers saw her talent. From the stage to the screen, Tomas proved to be an equally effective performer. Her first film was “Broken Marriage” in 1983.

TESSIE TOMAS MODELLING FOR CHIZ WHIZ, channeling Barbara Tengco, 1993

Then in 1987, she was cast in the international TV series “A Dangerous Life” based on the dying moments of the Marcos regime, where she bagged the coveted role of—who else?—Imelda Marcos. For this, she won an HBO Best Actress nomination.

She found another groove on television by becoming a TV host. For six years, Tomas hosted the popular morning talk show, “Teysi ng Tahanan”. At the same time, she was in the cast of the highly-acclaimed “Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata” as the rich, but paranoidal  Barbara Tengco. Her other critically-received movies include “Separada” (she wrote the screenplay) “Ploning” and “100”.

THE MANY FACES OF TESSIE TOMAS

Happily married to marine biologist, British Roger Pullin, Tessie Tomas is also a mother of an artist, U.S.-based deigner Robin Tomas. After playing a supporting role in the ABS-CBN soap opera The Blood Sisters, Tomas and her husband moved to the Isle of Man where the family is now quietly and happily settled.