441. 1989 Creative Guild TV Ad of the Month for February, SAN MIGUEL BEER, “Si-Boom!” TVC 60s

A booming victory for San Miguel Beer--Ad of the Month for Feb. 1989!

In 1988, McCann Erickson produced an Ad of the Month winner for SAN MIGUEL PALE PILSEN , a summer commercial that drew raves for its merry mix of popular talents, scenic beach shots, colorful production design, festival vibe,  catchy jingle---and a new San Miguel “Si-Boom Girl”. The high-profile SMB commercial featured the APO Hiking Society alongside San Miguel mainstay, Bert “Tawa” Marcelo who follows the “Si-Boom Girl” as she gambols on the beach.  Followed by a coterie of admirers, the ad jingle borrowed the tune of an Eartha Kitt song-- C’est si Bon--reworked and Tagalized into “Si-Boom”.

 WATCH SMB "SI-BOOM" TVC 90s HERE

uploaded by vibesey, 30 April 2016

The TV ad became an instant sensation, what with the Ati-atihan inspired arrangement,  perfectly sung by Jim Paredes, Boboy Garovillo and Danny Javier, as googly-eyed  Bert Marcelo ogled on. But it was the debut appearance of a sultry babe in white swimsuit that left the most impression on the male audience—Rachel Lobangco, she with the  signature pout and thick brows. For that appearance, she was hailed as “Star Discovery of the Year 1989” by the Creative Guild of the Philippines in their next awards night.

To top it all, SMB’s “Si-Boom” was voted by the Creative Guild jury as the best TVC for the month of February 1989, thus qualifying for the Ad of the Year Finals held at Hotel Nikko Manila Garden the next year.

CREDITS

ADVERTISER: San Miguel Corp.

PRODUCT: San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer

AGENCY: McCann Erickson Phils.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erwin Castillo

COPYWRITERS: Cris Michelena / Erwin Castillo

ART DIRECTOR: Sonny Yñiguez

PRODUCER: Jan Beltran

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Unitel

DIRECTOR: Dante Datu

 SOURCES:

San Miguel Beer "SiBoom" - Philippines , 1989 , 90s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2dESSTwetY, uploaded by vibesey

Lani, Rachel Lobangco, Ang Kanilang Buhay Ngayon: https://kami.com.ph/82471-lani-rachel-lobangco-ang-kanilang-buhay-ngayon.html

The Creative Guild Ad of the Year program, 1990

Photo Sources: IMdb Pro,

144. TASTE THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT! Liquor Christmas Ads, 1936-1966

ENJOY THE HOLIDAY SEASON THE TRADITIONAL TANDUAY WAY! 1966 Christmas ad.

The long Christmas season in the Philippines, is indeed, the time to eat, drink and be merry….for tomorrow, we drink some more! Then, as now, when the holidays arrive, spirits and liquor products vie for  consumer’s attention by launching special Christmas ads in the hope of being included in his shopping list. Here are a few of them:

GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, Old Filipino Custom, 1936

GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL,the world's no. 1 selling gin, has a heritage of excellence spanning more than 180 years. It was originally a product of Destilerias Ayala, Ic., founded in 1834. Its distinctive “marca demonio” label was designed by then-student Fernando Amorsolo, now a Philippine national artist. This Graphic ad from 1936, situates  GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL as part of  old Filipino Christmas customs, that also include serving noche buena lechon.

SAN MIGUEL BEER, Real Pleasure for the Holidays, 1957

SAN MIGUEL BEER  is the Philippines’ best known, and larget-selling  pale lager produced by San Miguel Brewery. It is a beer rich in history, as its parent company was established back in 1890. This midcentury Christmas ad of SAN MIGUEL BEER features two popular showbiz personalities at that time—the lovely Paquita Roces (the original Camay Girl) and the debonaire Fil-Danish actor, Ric Rodrigo.  Paquita was married to screen star Armando Goyena; while Rodrigo, husband of Rita Gomez, would win Asia’s Best Actor award in 1969, for the movie “Igorota”.

SUNTORY, Perfect for Christmas, 1963

SUNTORY Whiskey has its beginning s way back in 1899, when Shinjiro Torii began experimenting with the production of western-style whiskey in Japan. He managed to do that—and more—for in 1937, he created SUNTORY, a truly Japanese whiskey with a distinctive Japanese character—a masterpiece of Eastern artistry. La Fuerza Inc., of the Lim Family, became he local partner of SUNTORY in the 1960s, and this 1963 print ad was part of the product push for the Christmas season.

VOS BRANDY, Keep their Spirits High! 1964

La Fuerza Inc. was a distillery, incorporated in the 1950s  by the Lim family. Its local output were the Siu Hoc Tong energy liquor, C-88 and VOS Brandy, (Very Old Special brandy) which would gain prominence in the Philippine market in the 70s and 80s. Its commercials, known for being campy and sexist, introduced viewers to its most well-known slogan—“Pang romansa…espesyal!”, mouthed by a starlet holding a VOS Brandy bottle. But back in 1964, this VOS Brandy & Gin Christmas ad was pretty standard, safe and direct to the point.

TANDUAY RHUM, say 'Mabuhay'! 1966

TANDUAY RHUM,  by Tanduay Distillers, Inc., is an iconic brand of liquor with origins in a distillery in Hagonoy, Bulacan, acquired in 1856, by Ynchausti and Compania. A plant was built in Isla de Tanduay, near Quiapo and became the Tanduay Distillery. By the 1930s, its rum products were branded as TANDUAY RHUM. In 1934,  Elizalde & Company, Inc.  acquired  thedistillery and  operated it under the  name Tanduay Distillery, Inc. It became a leading producer of rums, liquor brands and other spirits. This 1966 ad capitalizes on TANDUAY RHUM as part of Philippine holiday drinking tradition, a drink hat "adds lilt and luster to the festive air".

88. “TULOY ANG PASKO”, SAN MIGUEL BEER CAMPAIGN, 1985

TULOY ANG PASKO...basta may San Miguel Beer. Frames from the 1985 TVC

The immediate years that followed after the Aquino assassination was fraught with unrest, uncertainties and public outcry against Marcos. Although the “Ito ang Beer” campaign of SAN MIGUEL BEER was firmly in place and TV commercials featuring the riotous gang of Bert Marcelo, singer Rico J. Puno, ractrack king Jockey Eduardo, boxing champ Gabriel ”Flash “ Elorde and billiards wiz Amang Parica were getting great recall, 1985 still turned out to be a trying year for businessmen in particular, and for Filipinos in general.

The Philippines faced unprecedented economic instability; companies watched their sales plummet.”The problems were economic.” Recalls copywriter Romy Sinson: ”People were having a hard time. There was even a call for the boycott of San Miguel products, as Danding Cojuangco was a personal friend of the Marcoses.

Some morale boosting was in order, and Sinson put the inevitable idea into words.”Despite everything, tuloy ang Pasko. Nothing can stop the coming of Christmas”. Thus SAN MIGUEL BEER's most unforgettable campaign for 1985 was born.

WATCH SMB'S "TULOY ANG PASKO"

1985 TVC HERE:

The result is a commercial that became a Creative Guild Ad of the Month, featuring the usual San Miguel beer barkada, with folk minstrel Florante  singing of the joyful coming of Christmas despite the lean, hard times:

TULOY ANG PASKO, Creative Guild Radio Ad of the Year, 1985 

The radio component of San Miguel Beer’s “Tuloy ang Pasko” campaign did even better as it was adjudged later as the 1985 Radio Ad of the Year by the Creative Guild of the Philippines.

The Jingle, for which Lorrie Illustre put Sinson’s lyrics to music, was a testimony to the Filipino’s resilience and ability to plod on.”Tuloy ang Aguinaldo”, the ad begins, and with that come staples like simbang gabi, caroling, Christmas itself and lest we forget, San Miguel Beer.

San Miguel Beer’s “Tuloy ang Pasko” 1985 campaign, thus joins the long list of memorable San Miguel commercials that have become truly classics of Philippine advertising.

CREDITS:

AGENCY : Philippine Advertising Counsellors

ADVERTISER: San Miguel Beer Corporation

PRODUCT: San Miguel Beer

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nita Claravall

COPYWRITER: Romy Sinson

JINGLEMAKER: Lorie Ilustre

Sources: 
X: Perfect 10, A Decade of Creativity in Philippine Advertising, 1995, Creative Guild of the Philippines, ed. Butch Uy. p. 66-67.

youtube, San Miguel Beer"Tuloy ang Pasko" Philippines, 1985. Posted by advertisingarchive, on 23 July 2016.

84. SAN MIGUEL BEER: “O, Anong Sarap, Isa Pa Nga!” 1971

"O, ANONG SARAP...ISA PA NGA", one of San Miguel Beer's widely
 popular ad campaign with a tagline written by Hotdog member,
Dennis Garcia. ca. 1971

For decades now, San Miguel Corporation, led by its flagship product San Miguel Beer has consistently put out advertisements that make the Filipino proud. The signature beer product—SAN MIGUEL BEER PALE PILSEN—has celebrated the Filipino in his most positive facets.

The San Miguel Beer ad campaigns, in varying degrees, have toasted the Filipino at his best—his irrepressible sense of humor, his regard for tradition, his infectious optimism, and most of all, his taste for the good  life. These values find full expression in the campaign , “O, Anong Sarap! So good…ayos na ang kasunod!,” that was launched in 1971.

“O Anong Sarap!”, was the first Tagalog commercial ever for the country’s no. 1 beer. The landmark ad, produced by Philippine Advertising Counselors (PAC) ran for many years, and featured local showbiz stars—from Bert “Tawa” Marcelo to Dencio Padilla, Gary Lising, Cachupoy and Subas Herrero—a tradition by the brand started way back in the 1960s.

WATCH SAN MIGUEL BEER TVC HERE,

"BOSS", with Bert Marcelo & Subas Herrero

One major contributor to this campaign was a young 18 year-old copywriter who penned the tagline, and went on to create many more San Miguel Beer ads, jingles and slogans. Dennis Garcia—who would also gain fame by being a part of the iconic purveyor of original Pilipino music, the Hotdog Band---came up with “O, Anong Sarap—so good, ayos na ang kasunod!”. He later re-wrote the second part into “Isa pa nga!”, which became even a more popular catchphrase, it replaced “so good…” permanently.

The agency was recognized for its pioneering use of Filipino talents, themes and values in its commercial in 1979 when PAC received the prestigious Tanglaw Awards from the 4 A’s (Association of the Advertising Agencies of the Philippines”.

After the dreadful Martial law years, San Miguel Beer continued to portray the vibrant and hopeful Pinoy spirit in its campaign “Ito ang Beer!”. Dennis worked on the San Miguel account again in 1990 when he was lured out of his expat job in Malaysia by McCann Erickson, to help keep the client in a multi-agency pitch. The chemistry resulted in the successful “Kahit Kailan, Kaibigan” campaign and helped McCann keep the multi-million-peso account .

“A big idea is big only once,” Dennis, once said. And that was what happened in 1971, when people lapped up his very first campaign for San Miguel Beer in 1971, and never had enough of it—“O, Anong Sarap! Isa Pa Nga!”