376. THE NEW PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC, Inauguration Ads, 1946

COMPLIMENTS OF GREG FALLESGON ADVERTISING

On the occasion of the 124th anniversary of the PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY first proclaimed on June 12, 1898, we bring to you a special selection of commemorative print ads from July 4, 1946--the day the country's independence day was formally inaugurated after the 2nd World War. These 76 year old advertisements, from a special 1946 newspaper supplement,  capture the joy and pride of a new republic, as it takes its place among the nations of the world. Long live the Philippines! 

 

FROM RENEE THORNTON COSMETICS

FROM SAN MIGUEL BREWERY

FROM LA ESTRELLA DEL NORTE

FROM PHIL. PRESS WIRELESS, INC.

FROM SISON GROUP OF BUSINESS

FROM GLO-CO HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTS

FROM CRISPULO ZAMORA SILVERSMITH

FROM LUIS ZAMORA ENGRAVERS

FROM CHINA BANKING CORP.

FROM PEDRO CRUZ JEWELRY STORE

FROM FAR EASTERN AIR TRANSPORT, INC.

225. GREETINGS TO THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC! , Various Ads, 1946

On the occasion of the inauguration of the Philippine independence in 1946, many private enterprises sent out their warmest felicitations to the new republic and its first president, Manuel A. Roxas through their advertisements, a selection of which appear on this feature.

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FAR EAST AIR TRANSPORT

The Far East Air Transport was founded by  Don Salvador & Dona Victoria Araneta in response to the economic recovery of the country from the devastation of World War II. They established  the first Filipino-owned airline in the Philippines called Far east Air Transport. This led them to put up an aircraft mechanics school known today as FEATI University.

GREG FALLESGON ADVERTISING

Greg Fallesgon was one of the advertising and photo engraving store to service the needs of stores that lined up the commercial district of Sta. Cruz, Avenida, and Azcarraga, where his offices were also located. It created ads, window and merchandising materials for retail establishments in the 1940s.

MENZI & CO. INC.

The company that was engaged in such diverse businesses as export-import, insurance and paper manufacturing was founded by Swiss J.M Menzi. He had come to the Philippines as a trader sometime in 1910, formed J.M. Menzi Corp, and acquired rubber plantations in Basilan. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son Hans Menzi, who became a publisher of the Manila Bulletin.

SAN MIGUEL BREWERY

La Fábrica de Cerveza San Miguel opened in 1890 at Calle Aviles, an enterprise began by  Enrique Ma. Barretto de Ycaza y Esteban, after getting a grant from Spain. The brewery, maker of the country’s premiere San Miguel Beer, got its name from the San Miguel district of Manila.

ESTRELLA DEL NORTE

“La Estrella del Norte” was founded by the Levy Brothers (Adolphe, Charles and Raphael) in 1870, and started as a jewelry and watch shop in Iloilo. The Escolta shop became one of the biggest department stores in the country that sold local and imported goods.  It diversified and sold bicycles, appliances, and later, even cars! It had downsized in the 1960s, and today, a small  “La Estrella del Norte store is still in operation in Makati.

CRISPULO ZAMORA SILVERSMITH MANUFACTURER

The leading metalcraft business  in the Philippines was founded in 1890 by Crispulo M.  Zamora (1871-1922), a master engraver. Eminent engraver and silversmith, Crispulo M. Zamora. It was the premiere maker of medals, medallions, trophies,plaques and commemorative coins at the turn of the 20^th century.

PHILIPPINE PRESS WIRELESS INC.

The Philippine Press Wireless, Inc., was an American company that was granted a franchise in 1938 to construct, maintain and operate in the Philippines stations for the reception and transmission of wireless long distance messages, pictures or other matter pertaining to the press. It merged in 1965 with Globe Wireless Ltd. And Mackay Radio and Telegraph Co. and became Globe-Mackay Cable and Radio Corp., a predecessor of Globe Telecom

RENEÉ  THORNTON PERFUME & COSMETICS

Reneé Thornton was a brand of cosmetics established in 1923 by Paramount Cosmetics  with offices  in New York. The products became available in the 1940s throughUy Su Bin & Co which exclusively distributed them.

SISON ICE DROPS

The favorite Filipino ice drop brand in the 1940s was one of the side-businesses of Ed. M. Sison & Co., which was in the business of building and selling air condition, refrigeration unitsand industrial cooling equipment. The company thus, also made ice desserts like ice drops and ice cream. Sison Ice Drops, were made in their Sampaloc plant and were popular for its Pinoy flavors, like buko, pinipig, mongo and keso.

GLO-CO HOLYWOOD PRODUCTS

GLO-CO Beauty Products  were the most popular pre-war cosmetics in the Philippines. Brands like Gloco Beauty Crème Soap, Face Powder and Tonix hair and Skin Tonic were distributed by Asiatic Commercial Corp., and later, Cromwell Cosmetic Export Company, Inc.. Advertised in the Commonwealth years, GLOCO reached the peak of its popularity in the 1950s. Because movie stars endorsed them, they were known as “Hollywood beauty products”

154. Is That Who I think She Is? CARMI MARTIN for FLAIR SHAMPOO, 1979

MY FLAIR LADY.16 yr. old Carmi Martin as an unknown ad model.

Carmita “Carmi” Martin, (b. 7 Aug. 1963) entered showbiz through the modeling route. Before she made a splash in a Dolphy movie,  Carmi was auditioning for modeling jobs, and one of her early ads was for FLAIR Shampoo, a product of Cromwell Commercial Co., which used to manufacture the highly popular  Glo-Co brand of cosmetic and personal products in the 1950s.

FLAIR Shampoo was available in 3 variants—Lanolin Glow for normal hair, Protein Rich for dry and damaged hair, and Lemon Fresh for oil hair. Carmi was just 16 when she appeared as the anonymous model for FLAIR Shampoo, which proved to be a short-lived brand.

For Carmi, however, her rise to stardom was just about to start. In fact, just a year after, she was cast in the blockbuster movie, “Dolphy’s Angels” , along with Liz Alindogan, Anna Marie Gutierrez and Yehlen Catral. More movies with the Comedy King followe after: “Stariray”, “The Quick Brown Fox”, “John En Marsha”, “Dancing Master”, “Dino Dinero”, and Dobol Trobol (her last movie with Dolphy, 2008).

Carmi also was to become the leading lady of action stars--Fernando Poe, Jr., Lito Lapid, to name a few. Her comedic talents showed when she was paired with Chiquito, Jimmy Santos, Redford White, and the popular triumvirate Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon

By the mid 1980s, Carmi was a top sexy star, starring in hit TV series like Chicks to Chicks (1984), That’s Entertainment (1987) and hosting her own show with Roderick Paulate, “Tonight with Dick and Carmi” (1988-91). She went on to make notable films such as “Cain At Abel”, “Bagong Hari”, “Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim”, “Hot Property” and her comedy hit “Working Girls”.

Of course, as a certified star, Carmi’s modeling services were now eagerly sought by more high-profile, and better-known brands. At the height of her career, she bagged a plum  endorsement deal sought-after by many commercial  celebrities—Carmi was chosen to be the WHITE CASTLE Whiskey Girl.

SOURCES:
wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmi_Martin
Photo: pep.ph: https://www.pep.ph/lifestyle/photos/9673/would-you-believe-these-stars-are-in-their-50s

101. GLO-CO TONIX: The Hair and Skin Grooming Secret of Filipino Matinee Idols, 1951

Early 1936 GLO-CO print ad.

One of the most popular brands of cosmetics before the war was GLO-CO Beauty Products that had brands like Gloco Beauty Crème Soap, Face Powder and Tonix hair and Skin Tonic. The GLO-CO personal care line, manufactured and distributed by Cromwell Cosmetic Export Company, Inc., (later, Cromwell Commercial Co.), reached the peak of its popularity in the 1950s, with the help of brilliant marketing.

Like Camay and Lux, GLO-CO—first advertised in 1936-- employed famous movie stars to appear in their advertising—both Philippine male and female icons of the silver screen. GLO-CO products were soon being branded as “Hollywood beauty products”, despite the anachronism.

Its unisex line of grooming products, GLO-CO TONIX (along with Brilliantine and Liquid Brilliantine) was actually pushed by male celebrity endorsers—to give fragrant care to skin and hair. A few of these print ads from 1951, which appeared on the covers of the leading movie magazines of the day, appear below:

RODOLFO “RUDY” RUIZ says “a massage of GLO-CO TONIX leaves my scalp stimulated—I feel wonderfully refreshed!”. This popular movie actor began his career in the 1940s and was touted as the heir-apparent of the late star Rudy Concepcion. He has already done a few films when he signed up for the Merchant Marines, a job that took him to Japan where he met his wife, Japanese actress Shirley Yamaguchi. The marriage was short-lived, Rudy returned to Manila and moviemaking—doing well-received post war films like Aklat ng Pag-Ibig with Rosa del Rosario (1951),  Ang Buhay at Pag-ibig ni Dr. Jose Rizal  and Heneral Paua (1956).

“I like its masculine fragrance best!”, says PANCHO MAGALONA of GLO-CO TONIX.  The debonair son of a  Philippine senator, Pancho was one of the most well-known leading men of the late 40s-50s. With his wife Tita Duran, he starred in many Sampaguita Pictures blockbuster movies that catapulted the Tita-Pancho love team to national popularity. He appeared in some Hollywood films like The Hook (with Kirk Douglas) and Merrill's Marauders (with Jeff Chandler) that were shot in the Philippines. This  Famas Best Actor ( 1958,  "Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig") is also best-known as the father of the late master rapper, Francis Magalona.

“There’s nothing better than GLO-CO TONIX for perfect grooming”, says the actor-director-producer  FERNANDO POE SR., The celebrate movie personality  made 1930s films like Zamboanga and Giliw Ko, and also directed the first Darna film in 1951. The Spanish mestizo movie icon is also a doctor of dental medicine and a member of the Philippine army. Poe died in 1951 of rabies, at the peak of his career and in the middle of a film production, so this GLO-CO print ad was one of the last project he finished. He is the father of another Philippine movie legend, Fernando Poe Sr., one of his sons with Bessie Kelly.

Other handsome movie stars featured in GLO-CO TONIX ads included Jose Padilla Jr. , Manuel Conde, Efren Reyes, Armando Goyena, Tony Arnaldo and Oscar Moreno. Looking at these ads, you could see that that they are professionally-crafted and photographed, had a single-minded promise (“excellent hair and skin care that leaves a pleasant fragrance”), and strategically placed as back covers of magazines. No wonder, GLO-CO remained at the forefront of personal and beauty care through the rest of the 1950s.