452. A SPREAD OF NOCHE BUENA AND MEDIA NOCHE IDEAS, Various Food Ads, 1965-1987

PUREFOODS HAM, Holiday Highlights, 1965

 Christmas is a time for food manufacturers to go full blast with their advertising moneys by coming out with the all-color layouts showing well-styled food of the most mouth-watering variety. After all, sharing food is the Filipino way to celebrate the holidays. After attending the Misa de Gallo and other religious obligations, whole families come together for their traditional Noche Buena and Media Noche dinners.

The customary NOCHE BUENA (literally, “Good Night” in Spanish) is served each year on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24—and the sit-down meal features the most extravagant dishes ever seen on the family dining table.

 MEDIA NOCHE (Spanish for “Middle of the Night) is a similar grand feast served on midnight, on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31. It augurs more prosperity for the family in the coming year.

Giant food companies like Purefoods, Kraft, California Manufacturing Corp., and Del Monte advertise heavily on a regular basis, during these holiday months, to capitalize on these great Filipino feasting events. 

ROYAL SPAGHETTI & MACARONI, "Royal Celebration", 1979

NEW ZEALAND CREAMERY: Queensland, Ques-O, Che-Vital, 1987

M.Y. SAN SKYFLAKES & FITA, 1987

DEL MONTE PINEAPPLE "New Eating Fun", 1967

KRAFT CHEDDAR, "Media Noche Cheese Soup", 1967

294. ROYAL SPAGHETTI of California Manufacturing Company, 1962-79

ROYAL SPAGHETTI, New Packaging, 1968

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.

CREDITS:

AGENCY: Pacifica Publicity Bureau

Creative Director: Nonoy Gallardo

Copy Group Head: Vince Pozon

Copywriter: Betty Ann Quirino

CLIENT: California Manufacturing Corp. (CMC)