The Philippine manufacturing plant known as the
California Manufacturing Company (CMC) began operations in 1955, and its
pioneer product was the iconic ROYAL
line of pasta products. The most popular of course, is ROYAL SPAGHETTI, which, from the 60s until today, continues to be a
familiar sight in daily meals, birthday, fiesta celebrations and holidays.
ROYAL SPAGHETTI WITH MEATBALLS, 1962
There was even a canned version of ROYAL SPAGHETTI, complete with meatballs, launched in 1962, but did
not take off, as it is the habit of most Filipinos to prepare and customize
their own spaghetti and pasta dishes. ROYAL
SPAGHETTI was packed in yellow and red cardboard cartons with the familiar “Royal”
font that has remained unchanged over the years. Also aavailable was ROYAL Macaroni, in shell and elbow types.
ROYAL SPAGHETTI CHRISTMAS AD, 1979
ROYAL also
joined the instant noodle bandwagon in 1978, with its Chicken and Beef variants
in pouches (“Noodles na mainit…in just
two minutes!) , but it was its pasta flagship brand that would remain
consistently popular. The advertising was handled for the longest time by
Pacifica Publicity Bureau, and its memorable campaigns included the “Royal celebration”
campaign, rolled out in the Christmas of 1968.
In 2014, Food and beverage firm RFM Corp.acquired the ROYAL Pasta brand from the Unilever
Group, which had bought CMC in 2000. ROYL
thus joined RFM’s own pasta line under the “Fiesta” brand, still in exsistence
today. The transaction was valued at over P2 Billion, which covers mainly the
Royal brand and inventories. For 6 decades now, ROYAL SPAGHETTI continues to be a bestseller, made to match with a
whole new line of pasta sauces, for taste variety.
The film, “The Last Emperor”, was making waves in Hollywood
in 1987 when Pacifica Publicity Bureau produced a memorable KNORR REAL CHINESE SOUP commercial with lush imageries inspired by the said movie, which the agency entitled "Kowloon"
KNORR SOUP, with Richard Tan. Print Ad, 1987
Knorr Chinese Soups, with their one of a kind flavor--
captured the authentic taste of the real thing—with just the addition of one
egg! The product was The commercial this came alive with a jingle-based commercial that came across as
genuinely Chinese.
There was a character who looked suspiciously like PuYi (the last emperor) garbed in similar costume
mouthing a memorable line, “GoodAh!”, a court attendant with a high-pitched
voice (a eunuch?) and a pleasant singing presentor who cracks an egg on the
head of an attendant who sounds like a high pitch court eunuch.
Then, there's a Westernized Oriental in the person of singer Richard Tan (before he
added an extra “n” to his name), who looked dapper in a tuxedo.
A 30-second version waslater created to ride on the momentum of the ad's popularity, entitled "Last Emperor", minus Richard Tan.
WATCH THE KNORR CHINESE SOUP
TVC 30s(2nd version "Last Emperor") here: Uploaded by MultiJLambo, 5 Mar. 2012
The popular Knorr
Chinese Soup (“Kowloon”) commercial, with the Crab and Corn flavor as lead
variant, was directed by well-known director, Boldy Tapales. It was voted by
members of the Creative Guild of the Philippines as the best as the top ad for
December, and by the year’s end, competed against an array of monthly
finalists—including favorites, won by the sleek, technically-produced TVC of
Shell Brake Fluid.
CREDITS
AGENCY: PACIFICA PUBLICITY BUREAU
CREATIVE HEAD: Joy Cortez
ART DIRECTOR: Danny Arada / COPYWRITER: Carmille Agana
ACCOUNT: Anna Domingo PRODUCTION HOUSE: Electromedia
DIRECTOR: Boldy Tapales / ASST. DIRECTOR: Mae Paner
CLIENT: California Manufacturing Corp.
Sources:
1987 Creative Guild Ad of the Year Program
de la Torre, Visitacion. History of Advertising in the Philipiines, Torre Publishing. Manila. youtube, 1988 Knorr Chinese Soup featuting Ruchard Tan,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XujASMlQqmA, Uploaded by aianchan, 19 Sep. 2017. youtube, Knrr Real Chinese Soup,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hDs3FkFdw4, uploaded by MultiJLambo, 5 March 2012.
