DAVID 'Indiana Jones Kid' ESTEBAN, for Ovaltine, 1987
On 11 August 1988, the Top Models of Philippine Advertising
were announced at the Creative Guild Ad of the Year Awards Night, at the Metropolitan
Theater. One of the winners cited was
the young DAVID ESTEBAN, who was unforgettable as the feisty, confident kid
adventurer in the Indiana Jones-inspired OVALTINE TVC, that hit the airwaves in
1986.
SHOOTING INDIANA JONES. Courtesy of Direk Jun Urbano
The OVALTINE “Indiana Jones” TVC was actually part of a
pair of commercials inspired by hit action films of the era—the other ad had a “Top
Gun” theme. It was the Indiana Jones
version, however, that proved to be more memorable and Esteban had a lot to do
with it, essaying the role with gusto and bravado. The Lintas-produced commercial
was cast by Myra Mendoza-Portillo and was directed by noted commercial director Jun Urbano. Unfortunately, the TVC is
not available online.
INDIANA JONES KID, Then, and Now. David Esteban
DAVID ESTEBAN went on to pursue his higher studies at the
Ateneo de Manila University and at the University of Western Australia. True to
his adventurous spirit, he worked at the Earth School in El Nido, Palawan which
focused on sustainability and innovation in the ecosystem of the municipality.
He also was employed at the Australian International School in Manila.
DAVID ESTEBAN, TODAY. Source: FB Page
He is a Mobility/Movement Fitness Trainer, plays and
teaches Drums, and s married to the former Dona Tumacder, an educator and yoga
teacher. The couple are vey much into green advocacies, as well as naturopathy,
wellness and healing.
CREDITS
Photo of the commercial talents, courtesy of Direk Jun
Urbano
B&W Photo of Indiana Jones kid, from the Creative Guild
AOY awards programme, 1988.
In 1983, the corporate campaign of the Bank of the Philippine
Islands (BPI) , which traced the bank’s rich, historic past that includes the distinction as being the first bank in the
Islands—was launched amidst much fanfare, glowing reviews and a sense of pride.
The centerpiece material was an incredible TV commercial,
part of an ambitious “Heritage” campaign that brings to focus the impressive
123 year heritage of the country’s first and largest bank. SS&C Lintas
Worldwide-Manila, led by creative head Richard Gerardini, was tasked to do the campaign that took all
of 6 months to plan--from Dec. 1981 to June 1982.
BPI GIRL NIKKI PRIETO, Now a Tarlac congressman, wife of former presidential candidate and former Sec, of Defense, Gilbert Teodoro.
As the commercial included many period scenes, locations
were scouted all over the Philippines. The location crew went to Vigan for a
look-see, but the old houses were all whitewashed and the roads asphalted, so
the search shifted to the south—and thankfully, Nasugbu and Taal—old Batangas
towns—were chosen. The streets were dressed up to look like Pasig and Binondo,
during the 1900s American period. The featured actors, the supporting cast and
the extras were all costumed by leading production designer and wardrobe
expert, Laida Lim Perez.
Casting was another major challenge. Most of the talents were recruited by Mad
Gallaga (wife of film director Peque Gallaga) who assembled name stars like
Joel Torre (fresh from “Oro, Plata,Mata”) and Ronnie Lazaro, to take part in
the ad, along with local townsfolk who portrayed farmers, fishermen and
vendors.
The casting of the BPI Girl was another matter—the agency
team wanted someone who has not appeared in any magazine cover or commercial,
and the client wanted an embodiment of class, chic and timeless mystique.
Monica Louise “Nikki” Prieto (now Teodoro, a Tarlac congressman and wife of Gilbert
Teodoro), then an international marketing student from a Swiss university, was
the final choice. But her school schedule
allowed her only 10 days of leave—so the
shooting of the 60 sec. commercial couldn’t go beyond 2 weeks. Prieto was
promptly sent her round-trip tickets so she could come home for the Philippine
shooting.
ACTORS JOEL TORRE & RONNIE LAZARO, gamely joined the TV commercial cast.
The multi-awarded Image Films, Inc., one of the most experienced
and prestigious production houses in the country was given the blue chip BPI assignment.
Gen. Manager Amar Gambol contacted Pio de Castro III for the directorial
job. De Castro, who had been shooting
films for10 years, was mentored by National Artist Gerry de Leon.
DIRECTOR PIO DE CASTRO III (+) . He would be honored by the Creative Guild of the Ph. with a posthulous Lifetime Achievement Award.
His credentials not only include internationally-awarded
ads (PBM Steel “A Nation is Growing”, Kodak “Times of Your Life”) but also
mainstream films like “Soltero”, and “Ina, Kasusuklaman Ba Kita?”. Commissioned
to compose the jingle music was no less than Jose Mari Chan.
LISTEN TO BPI HERITAGE TVC
"Cherished Part of Me" Jingle Here:
The filming took up to 12 days of hard work, and every
single day had its own challenge. Billboards and electric wirings had to be
taken down or camouflaged with tree branches and cadena de amor vines, and
whole rowhouses in Taal had to be whitewashed in Taal to reflect the look of
the era.
WATCH THE BPI 'HERITAGE' TVC HERE:
A town Marian procession with lit carrozas had to be staged. And even Nikki Prieto’s
modern girl gait had to be toned down to reflect the demureness of an early 20th
century Filipina. Where an average 60 sec. ad cost about Php 200,000 to produce
in the 1980s, the bill for the BPI ad cost up to several times more.
But everything was worth the wait, and the laborious
hours that went into the final crafting the TV ad. When BPI president Xavier Loinaz
previewed the film, he instantly fell in love with it. When the “Heritage” TVC aired
in early 1983, it was hailed for its epic proportions, Filipino theme, technical
and production design excellence, and a
memorable tuneful score. These significant impressions were not lost in the
next Philippine Advertising Congress Awards as “Heritage” won a slew of
technical and craftsmanship awards.
CREDITS:
AD AGENCY: SSC
Lintas: Manila
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE
DIRECTOR: Richard Genardini
CREATIVE DIRECTOR:
Bing Baloy
ART DIRECTOR: Olive
Mestidio
PRODUCTION: Image
Films, Inc.
DIRECTOR: Pio de
Castro III
CASTING: Mady
Gallaga
PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Laida Lim Perez
JINGLE COMPOSER:
Jose Mari Chan
SOURCES:ISLANDS, a publication of the Bank of the Philippine Islands,
vol. 1 no. 2, “Heritage: The Making of a Commercial, by Ma. Socorro Naguit, pp.
25-28. July 1983.
The Philippines caught the Music Television (MTV) fever
in the 1980s, which used music videos presented by by video jockeys or VJs. The
creatively-produced videos used early computer techniques, quick, out-of-synch
editing, spliced with mood footages and unrelated visuals—a fresh look that appealed
to the young generation of that time.
"You'll never look at music the same way again"—the
24 hour MTV channel proclaimed—and it delivered that promise, building a
world-wide fanbase while exerting significant influence on its audience.
Ad agencies took note of this—and Lintas: Manila—sold the
bold idea of using MTV style ads for Philippine Refining Co.’s CLOSE-UP TOOTHPASTE, which is
positioned as the toothpaste for young
Filipinos. Maria Lourdes “Diame” Alba, the woman behind this concept, relvealed
that the use of an MTV-style commercial to relaunch the gel toothpaste that has
been in the market since the early 70s, was an experiment in breaking out from
the mold of youth advertising.
Since it was difficult to present the MTV imageries using
a traditional storyboard, the Lintas creative opted to make a rough video using
past CLOSE-UP footages edited with
computer effects, using Gwen Guthrie’s reworked “Close to You” song.The ideas
was met with the PRC marketing team’s approval, then headed by Peter Dart and
Angie Lacson.
Lintas: Manila then assembled a creative production team
headed by Director Jun Reyes to produced the longest commercial in history: 2
minutes and 17 secs.—a fanciful, a little irreverent, a bit amusing and a romantic
music piece—that was promoted a a TV event. When the CLOSE-UP “Close to You” ad unfolded on Philippine TV in early 1987,
the MTV was met with amazement and
acclaim, with many thinking it was a slick, foreign material. Teeenrs went agog over the commercial, and
college-age students lapped it up, and the ad became a marketing case study in
schools.
WATCH THE CLOSE-UP “Close to You” MTV Ad here: Published by ALGLecaroz, 18 Sep. 2011
Since then,
Lintas:Manila have produced 3 more MTV style commercial versions—“Closer to
your Love”, by Al Jarreau and “When I Fall in Love” (1988) by Natalie Cole.
WATCH CLOSE-UP "When I Fall in Love" TVC 1988 Here:
A local
recording company packed a CD selection of love songs entitled CLOSE-UP Love Songs”, inspired by the campaign. The CLOSE-UP ad also won a slew of Gold trophies
at the 1987 Philippine Advertising Congress,winning for Best TV, Personal
Products; Best in P.O.P. and Collaterals; Best in Production Design; Best Multi-Media Campaign.
CREDITS:
ADVERTISER: Philippine Refining Co. (PRC)
PRODUCT: Close-Up Toothpaste
AGENCY: Lintas: Manila
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Diame Alba
ART DIRECTOR: Jo
Chua/ Nap Jamir
PRODUCER: Bong Malsi
PRODUCTION HOUSE: Unitel
DIRECTOR: Jun Reyes
DOP: Boy Yñiguez
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR: Art Dumaup
ANIMATOR: Pete Jimenez
SOURCE:
De la Torre, Visitacion: Advertising in the Philippines,
Tower Book House, 1989.
