515. CONTINENTAL NOODLE SOUP: The 1st Instant Noodle Soup in Packs, ca. 1950s-60, Print Ads

Before the advent of instant noodle soups in packs like Lucky Me, Maggi, Payless and Nissin’s, a noodle brand in foil packs has been satisfying Filipinos since the late 1950s: CONTINENTAL NOODLE SOUP, developed by Lipton, and distributed locally by the Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever).

When first sold, the brand was simply called Continental Noodle Soup, a dehydrated soup mix that cooked in 7 minutes. The first flavor was the classic Chicken Noodle Soup, made from noodles and chicken flavorings—a far cry from today’s noodles that cook in 2 minutes, available in a range of flavors from your basic chicken and beef to pancit canton, lomi, mami, even Thai and Korean spicy flavors.

Lipton's entry into the soup market is believed to have begun in the early 1950s with test campaigns for Continental Noodle Soup mix. The company also produced other dehydrated soup varieties, including onion soup mix, by the mid-1940s

At 45 centavos per pack, Continental Noodle Soups were expensive, but the copy claims that a pack is good for 4 servings. A sick child was usually served this soup treat, as chicken soup then, as now, a  it was sastisfying, warming, and comforting.

The first advertising were black and white print ads with clip art illustrations. By 1960, the ads, designed by PRC’s ad agency, were hand-illustrated and in full color. In 1964, Continental Noodle Soup was re-branded to the shorter ROYCO Noodle Soup (a coined term for ROYal + COntinental), and this brand name was used in other Asian and African countries. 

The new ROYCO name caught on with Filipino consumers and became a familiar household brand, until the late 70s when the more convenient plastic-packed oriental noodles were launched, displacing ROYCO.

26. Is That Who I Think He Is?: ALFIE ANIDO, for ROYCO

CONTINENTAL ROYCO BEEF & CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, 1964.

Alfonso “Alfie” Anido (b. 30 Dec. 1959) was the son of Bert and Sarah Serrano Anido of Makati. The youngster’s cute mestizo features were apparent at an early age, so much so that he was cast to appear in a Royco Noodle Soup omnibus print ad in 1964, that featured the Chicken and Beef flavor variants.

Continental Royco Soups were produced by Philippine Refining Company, where Alfie’s father was a young executive. Touted as the “Philippine’s Favorite Soups”, the leading 1960s instant soup brand came in trademark foil pouches.

YOUNG ALFIE, age 5, already a professional advertising model.

Anido spenct his grade school at the Ateneo, where Pres. Pnoy Aquino was a batchmate. He was very much into sports, and qualified for the football varsity team. He also continued to appear in many TV commercials. Producers soon came knocking on Anido’s door.

He became a member of the Regal Babies, contract stars of Regal Films who made teen-oriented films. He found fame in the now-classic “Temptation Island” (1980) where he teamed up with Dina Bonnevie. His other films included Katorse, Waikiki (1980), Blue Jeans (1981) and The Diary of Cristina Gaston, released posthumously in 1982.

Model, Actor, 30 Dec. 1959- 30 December 1981.

His shooting death on 30 December 1981 at their Bel-Air home, which happened after an incident at his birthday party with  Katrina Ponce Enrile in Batangas, was reported as self-inflicted. Anido was just 22.  Rumors persisted for years about the alleged involvement of the Enriles but nothing has been proven. This 41-year old Royco print ad is a visual documentation of Anido's  budding showbiz career beginnings, which tragically ended early.