Originating from Cebu, PENSHOPPE is a youth lifestyle
brand founded in 1986 by Golden ABC, Inc. It started as a T-shirt fashion store
and enjoyed sustained success in the South, encouraging the company to
expand its market in Manila by opening a branch in SM North Edsa. In less than a
decade, it was competing against the more established Bench, and was gaining
attention for its creative-driven national advertising.
WATCH PENSHOPPE "MIME" 1993 TVC 30s, HERE:
This 1993 campaign “Express Yourself” was one such example featuring a series of young people in an audition setting expressing their dreams and aspirations. “The Mime”, was part of the print series . Since then PENSHOPPE has also used local young stars like Ryan Agoncillo, Cogie Domingo, and even scored a coup by casting global celebrities Mario Maurer, Ian Somerhalder, Ed Westwick, Mandy Moore and Zac Efron. PENSHOPPE’s advertising agencies included Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi and TBWA-Santiago, Mangada, Puno.
SOURCES:
PENSHOPPE, Audution :MIme: TVC, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq_IRQXyOOU, uploaded by FELIXBAKAT76, May 12, 2008.
"CHOOSY MOMS, CHOOSY KIDS", DARI CREME Print Ad, 1984
Procter & Gamble prides itself as having started “brand
management” in product marketing, and the pedigree of success across of its advertising
across all brands proves that. The company even employed advertising “copy
experts” who patrolled their international network for possible advertising
approaches that can be adapted and applied to their other brands in need of
promotions.
Such was the case of DARI CRÈME advertising, which was in
need of revamping in the late 70s. Launched
in 1959, DARI CRÈME was one of the first products of Procter & Gamble PMC
(now P&G Phils., Inc.). It was the first locally manufactured refrigerated
margarine and was introduced as a local alternative to imported butter. All throughout
the 1960s, DARI CRÈME consistently led the butter and margarine market,
preferred for its more buttery taste, availability and price.
P&G's "Adapt & Apply" practice resulted in a borrowed slogan for DARI CREME ad campaign.
In the late 1970s thru the early 80s, efforts were made
to refresh DARI CRÈME advertising in the face of a growing competition that would
come to include new Magnolia Butter and Buttercup. The inspiration for a new
DARI CRÈME thematic campaign came from a Procter & Gamble product from the
U.S.—JIF Peanut Butter. JIF’s success owes much to its advertising with a
slogan “Choosy Mothers Choose JIF”, coined by its creative agency, Grey
Advertising, in 1966. The campaign catapulted JIF past erstwhile leader Skippy
to market leadership around the time of the peanut butter crisis of 1980.
The idea of having “discriminating or choosy mothers” when
it comes to food for their children, resonated
with Filipino mothers—hence Ace-Compton, the local agency of DARI CRÈME localized
the theme into “Pinipili ng mapiling ina”, that became the crux of the product
TV ad series. The TVCs featured a mother showing another mother the difference the
taste difference between DARI CRÈME and another unnamed brand, when slathered
on a piece of bibingka, on a puto, ensyamada, etc.. The new campaign secured
DARI CRÈME’s dominant position in the marketplace, and the commercials became
very popular on TV.
WATCH DARI CREME's "CHOOSY MOMS" TVC HERE
The campaign went a step further when a DARI CRÈME usage
campaign was launched in 1984, but the slogan was not only converted into English,
but was also extended to include discriminating kids. Hence, “Choosy moms with
choosy kids choose DARI CRÈME” (Pinipili ng mapiling ina…at anak!). The campaign
ran for many years, despite it being—well—a mouthful. But P&G didn’t mind,
as the message came across well, and business resumed its brisk pace.
In a twist of irony, a decade after the “choosy moms” campaign,
Magnolia Inc. (then known as Philippine Dairy Products Corp.) acquired DARI CRÈME
from Procter & Gamble Philippines, ensuring the continuity of the
much-loved, iconic brand—and even the “pinipili” slogan, that is still in use
to this day.
LEA SALONGA, in a fold-out print spread for Palmolive, 1990
After Lea
Salonga scored a coup by bagging the role of Kim in Miss Saigon in
West End, every ad agency in the Philippines wanted a piece of her. Previously,
she had appeared as a young child in commercials such as KLIM Milk Powder
and Johnson’s Baby Cologne. Now, as a young woman in the brink of global
stardom, she has gained more popularity, more pulling power and influence,
across a broad range of markets.
PALMOLIVE Fold-Out spread features its new 3 soaps with its own skin care system,
The stage
susperstar, however, could only accommodate a few select appearances owing to her
busy Miss Saigon schedule. In her few, short breaks , she did manage to appear
in a few, much ballyhooed commercials like AT&T, Toyota (Saatchi
& Saatchi, shot in London), and PALMOLIVE SOAP, and its new Skin
Care System, produced by Basic/FCB.
WATCH PALMOLIVE TVC WITH LEA SALONGA HERE:
The 3
new PALMOLIVE SOAPS go beyond cleaning because each has its own skin
care system –Skin Cleansing (Palmolive Vibrant), Skin Nourishing (Palmolive
Delicate), and Skin Moisturizing (Palmolive Natural)—to give exact caring
for your skin!
Like Lea
Salonga, the breakthrough star of 1990, the 3 PALMOLIVE SOAPS are touted
as the new breakthrough skin care soaps of the new 90s decade.
CLASSIC PAL "Shining Through" Print Ad, shot at Casa Manila, , 1986
When the new campaign of Philippine Airlines was unveiled
in 1986, local and international audience were thrilled to see the “Beauty of
the Philippines”—from its beautifully-photographed scenic spots to the lovely Filipinas
ever that appeared in the multi-awarded commercials prepared by Avia
Communications.
SHINING THROUGH, Lyrics by Debbie Coloma
But many were also smitten with the music that was used
to score the commercials, particularly the jingle, written by Debbie Coloma,
composed by Russell Jones and sung by Jaime Blanch. He came from a performing family;
actress Marita Zobel (aka Mary Ann Respall Blanch-Roxas), is his half-sister.
LISTEN TO JAMES BLANCH SING PAL JINGLE HERE, posted by betaxfer, 2012
Jaime Blanch was then a stage actor with Repetory
Philippines who did musical plays like Pirates of Penzance. This led to advertising
jobs—as an actor, voice talent and producer. His fine vocals was soon heard all
over the airwaves, which led to a short showbiz career.
Blanch later did Miss Saigon with Lea Salonga at CCP, Les
Miserables and Pirates of Penzance. He also was seen in a supporting role in “The
Dolzura Cortez Story”, the first AIDS-themed film in the country starring Vilma
Santos.
JAIME BLANCH, in 2020.
Blanch moved to the U.S. in 2003 at age 38, settling in
California with his mother and sister, and then to Boston. He has a daughter,
Sofia, with his partner Cristina, and continues to post his music videos on his
FB page, which only means that performing is indeed, in his blood.
In 2002, the PILAK Awards were instituted by the Association
of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4 A’s) to determine
the top 25 ads from the last 50 years, the golden age of Philippine
advertising. Hundred of ads were screened by the country’s top creative agency heads,
until only 100 were left. From these, the 25 cream of the crop were chosen--“patalastas
na walang kupas”---to be honored with the Pilipino Advertising Klasiks
or PILAK Awards.
One of the PILAK Awardees was a fairly new ad from
a SPRITE TV campaign conceived by the powerhouse creatives of McCann-Erickson
Phils. The “Magpakatotoo Ka” (Be
True To Yourself) TV ad series was an instant hit, with its brand of youthful
humor—so comical, yet true, slick editing, stylish look, and fast-paced storytelling—not
to mentioned the over-the top acting. The “Magpakatotoo Ka” pool includes the
famous Piolo & Toni (“I Love You, Piolo!) version, Ryan Agoncillo “Elevator”
version (“Are you in heat?”); Music Teacher; and Basketball “Kaka”
Girl, among others.
WATCH SPRITE "Japorms" TVC HERE:, uploaded by Duvine Gil Reyes
But it was the “Japorms” version that earned the
judges’ nod as a PILAK winner—about a stylish youngster who thinks of himself as
hip and cool when he stepped out in the sun, dressed in jeans, shades, and a
very thick hoodie. He quickly suffers a heat stroke, fainting in front of a gaggle
of girls who offered him cool relief with a bottle of SPRITE. “Obey your
thirst” the ad says, “magpakatotoo ka”. Well, for awhile he did. He
surrenders to the refreshment of SPRITE—then quickly switches back to
his “feeling hip, cool” mode, like
nothing happened. The SPRITE “Japorms” TV also won a Gold Araw Award at
the 1999 Philippine Advertising Congress Awards Night in Cebu.
The 1993 TV Ad of
the Year was an 11-second video commercial with no budget, no production
expenses, and no human talents involved. In fact, the pig that hogs the camera
lens proved to be the underdog that beat several other more expensive efforts
for the plum prize.
The ad was one of the many pro bono efforts handled
annually by Basic/Foote, Cone & Belding. The client was a
non-governmental organization called Anti-Smut Philippines, and creative
director Tere Filipinia recalls how two members of the two-year old organization
approached them one day with no advertising experience , no parameters, nothing
but an intention: to fight smut.
“They didn’t even know what advertising was,”Filipinia
recalls. “It’s when we have accounts like these na puwede kaming magwala.”
The whole agency was gathered for some brainstorming , and ideas were scattered
like dirty tabloids. Copywriter Chris Martinez remembers some of the far-out
examples. “May kumakain ng tabloid, may lolong masama ang tingin sa apo.”
“Several ideas were just too sexy,” Filipinia recalls. “I guess the challenge
was how to show smut without having to show smut.”
Filipinia relied on plain consumer insight to figure out
the proper approachto hitting the market of downscale, libidinal tabloid
readers. “You couldn’t get these guys by making them feel guilty. It definitely
wouldn’t work, either, if you told them they were wasting their time, that they
should just read books. Manhid na ang mga taong ‘iyan.”
Watch the 1993 TV AD OF THE YEAR "Anti-Smut-Baboy" TVC HERE
Source: 4 As Philippines you tube channel
Martinez opted for insulting the viewer in the most
harmlessly graphic and unbelievably literal way possible. The ad, he says, may
have worked because of its “pure concept. It’s almost stark.”It opens with a
frontal shot of a smut publication, presumably hiding the guilty reader, whose
face the first-gime viewer is immediately dying to see. The surprise comes when
the page is dropped, and an extreme close-up of a real pig , snout practically
on the lens, is revealed, accompanied by the accusation that’s almost spat out: “Ang baboy mo!”.
Filipinia recalls how enthusiasm almost died down for the
project, and how the creative team rushed last-minute production to make sure
the ad made the cut-off date for qualification for a Creative Guild award.
“It’s much easier to aim for awards with pro bono campaigns,” she reveals. “We
call these our ‘therapy accounts’ , because they allow us to create what we
want.
The ad involved a team effort of professionals who all
worked gratis: visualizer Jo-Ann Cordero, producer Juliet Mutia, director Jun
Austria, production house Production Village, and composer Jimmy Antiporda, who
produced an excellent soundtrack that gave the ad its high-impact,
straightforward drama minus a catchy jingle or sound effects, aside from the
pig’s punctuating snort.
The ad received inconsistent exposure, also because air
time was given away gratis, but it was apparently seen on the air often enough
to be noticed, and to be adjudged a winner. It even attracted the attention of
piggery owners, Filipinia reports, who then wrote a formal letter to lament how
the ad was giving the business a dirty name. Interestingly, the ad failed to
win recognition on any of the international competitions it was entered in.
Martinez believes the discrepancy is cultural. “It’s probably only in the
Philippines that the word baboy has such a string meaning.”
CREDITS:
AGENCY: Basic /FCB
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tere Filipinia / ART DIRECTOR: Jo Ann Cordero
PRODUCER: Juliet Mutia / DIRECTOR: Jun Austria
SOUNDTRACK: Jimmy Antiporda / PRODUCTION HOUSE: Provil
SOURCE: Butch Uy and Alya Honasan, Perfect 10: A Decade of
Creativity in Philippine Advertising, p. 60,published by the Executive
Committee of The Creative Guild of the Philippines, an affiliate of the 4A’s of
the Philippines.
JIM ARANETA, THEN & NOW. From a kid talent, to a proud grandfather!
In 1975, Colgate launched a new Fluoride toothpaste
called PROOF, a revolutionary toothpaste that promised to reduce tooth decay.
The introductory Colgate PROOF ad featured a cute, bright-eyed 10 year old boy which
left quite an impression on the newspaper reading audience.
That boy with his signature bangs was JIM ARANETA.
He recalls that a talent scout went to his grade school at Colegio de San
Agustin sometime in 1974. This caster went through most of the classrooms
looking for the right young boy to appear in the print and TV ad, and singled
out then nine year old Jim.
Before he knew it, Bates-Alcantara, the ad agency
assigned to Colgate advertising, scuttled him off to a studio to shoot the Print
and TV ad for New Colgate PROOF. Little JIM also did a TV version
of Colgate PROOF ad (which, unfortunately has not been found yet), but
he recalls he only had a one-liner –“Ang sarap!”.
JIM, A BUSINESSMAN TODAY, CALLS TAGAYTAY HIS HOME TODAY.
Today, JIM is a 58 year-old father of 3 children, and a doting
grandfather of an equally cute and look-alike kid, Diego, son of his eldest daughter. At one time, he was married to a
commercial model who was one of the high-profile 1990s Pantene Ladies of
Procter and Gamble.
PROOF OF SUCCESS: with look-alike grandkid Diego
He keeps himself busy with his real estate projects and
his company called Simple Fix, which provides handymen for building projects.
He divides his time between Vancouver in Canada where some family members
reside, and Tagaytay, which he considers his primary home.
JIM DIVIDES HIS TIME BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES & CANADA where members of his family reside.
The project he did for Colgate PROOF in 1975, was
his first and last commercial. In the 1980s, Colgate PROOF revitalized
its advertising, as P&G’s CREST Toothpaste made significant inroads into
the Colgate market. A series of commercials were produced, using a new kid
model with the same bowlcut hairstyle that JIM ARANETA sported in his
commercial, as the image he created was so well remembered.
It's in the bangs! JIM & GRANDSON DIEGO. Casters, take note!
Today, JIM ARANETA has lost those trademark bangs,
but he has kept those pearly whites shining after all these years, thanks to
New Colgate PROOF!
SOURCES: Personal interview with
Mr. Jim Araneta, 30 Apr. 2023.
All photos, used with
permission from Mr. J. Araneta.
MAGGI is an
old brand named after Julius Maggi, who, in 1872 took over his father's mill in Switzerland,
and introduced product innovations for the kitchen. Before Filipro became
Nestlé Philippines in 1986, it had already acquired the MAGGI brand.
Its early products were meant to compete against the more
established KNORR products, hence the launch in 1980 of MAGGI Bouillon Cube and
MAGGI Liquid Seasoning.
MAGGI Liquid Seasoning
may look like soy sauce, as they are made in the similar way and are rich in
umami. But Maggi is made from hydrolyzed wheat protein with a flavor that is
deeper and more complex than soy sauce.
The all-out launch of MAGGI Liquid Seasoning in 1980 included a TV commercial with a
mother as presentor, and these series of print ads visualizing the theme “Wakes
up the flavor of…”. Familiar dishes like
Macaroni, Pork Chop and Siomai were featured in quarter-size color magazine
ads, that appeared in pairs, in leading
magazines.
MAGGI Liquid
Seasoning slowly made a dent on Knorr’s seasoning business, and would be
rebranded in the 1990s as MAGGI Savor.
It continues to be produced today with many variants; other than the Classic
Flavor, it is available in Garlic, Calamansi, Hot Chili and ChiliMansi flavors,
' A LITTLE WHEEL DOES A LOT OF WASHING' LAUNCH AD, 1965
WHEEL, a product
of Philippine Refining Co.,(PRC), was one of the leading detergent bars of the
1960s, a precursor of ‘SUPERWHEEL’, which would turn out to be even bigger. In 1965, a
new campaign was rolled out, that touched on the capacity of one slow-melting detergent
bar to handle bigger washloads—making WHEEL,
in effect, cost-efficient, economical, giving value for money unlike any other.
The thematic campaign ‘A Little Wheel Does a Lot of Washing’
was developed by J. Walter Thompson, Phils., and to make the promise come alive, the
agency employed large Filipino families—obviously with loads and loads of laundry
to wash--- to provide testimonials to WHEEL’s ability to handle large volumes
of dirty clothes.
Leading off the print ad series were members of the DELA
ROSA FAMILY., 10 children in all: Front Row: Raffy, Bobby, Charito, Monina,
Eddie and Cheque. Back Row: Menchu, Maricel, Mike, Ginger. “WHEEL
melts slowly”, Mrs. Dela Rosa
notes.”With a large family like mine, this is important.”
The family of ATTY. AND MRS. BARTOLOME RIVERA includes brood of 10: Renato (22), Mario (20), Rebecca (18), Reynaldo
(16), Antonio (14), Leonor (12), Jessica (10), Bartolome III (8), Josephine
(6), Nerissa (4). “WHEEL melts so
slowly…”, Mrs. Rivera gushes, “see now how it is so economical!”
The family of MR. AND MRS. BENJAMIN PEREZ consists of 9 children:
Cherrie (7), Fancy (14, twin), Benjie
(15), Jeannette (19), Mina (23), Lilian (17), Edwin (12), Glenn (3), Ruby (14,
twin). Mrs. Rosario Perez says: “Just a little WHEEL is enough to wash all our white clothes whiter . all our
colored clothes cleaner!”
The family of DR. AND MRS. GREGORIO CANCIO counts 9 kids:
Marie Ched (3), Jose Marie (4), Margaret (1), Imelda (8), Greg (14), Salvador
(12), Marie (10), Louies (9), Manny (6). Mrs. Imelda Borromeo-Cancio enthuses: “Economical WHEEL keeps my family looking neat and
clean, all days of the week!”.
This must have been a convincing campaign as by the mid to
late 60s, most large families do their washing the economical way—with WHEEL!
WEAR FRESHNESS THIS SUMMER! Shower to Shower Omnibus Ad, 1980
For more than 100 years, since 1893, health product giant
Johnson and Johnson has dominated the profitable talcum powder market beginning
with Johnson’s Baby Powder. Few products
have developed the longevity of use that baby powder has his product became a
global icon brand and soon, J&J began expanding to other talcum brands that
were not just meant for babies’ bottom.
In 1972, J&J launched a deorodizing talcum brand meant
to be used after showering called SHOWER
TO SHOWER. One of its most popular 70s campaign theme in the U.S. was the
jingle-based “A sprinkle a day, helps keep the odor away”.
Eight years later, the product was launched in the
Philippine market by J&J Phils., and, together with its ad agency, developed a short-lived SHOWER TO SHOWER campaign, that,
nevertheless surprised its audience.
The“Wear Freshness this Summer” campaign featured half-naked
models in all shapes and sizes, wearing nothing but a long, and strategically
placed towel, presumably after a shower. One of the models in the omnibus ad
was even Ace Compton’s very own producer, Dulce Aristorenas. For the next few
years, SHOWER TO SHOWER, with ots catchy jingle, help people to stay dry, to
feel fresh, and to be pampered.
J &J held on to SHOWER
TO SHOWER for fifty years before it was sold to Valeant Pharmaceuticals in
2012.
In recent years, however, health issues about talcum powder
have risen sharply. A commonplace practice for decades, women have used talcum
powder and talc-based products in their genital area which indicates the
correlation to the deadly cancer.
SHOWER TO SHOWER
is still being sold in Asia—the Philippines included—today. But in May of 2020,
Johnson & Johnson quietly announced that it would stop selling all
talc-based products—including SHOWER TO
SHOWER—in the United States.
The 1980s were some of the most active years for Philippine
Refining Company (PRC), as it battled it out for the beauty care market versus
its arch rival, P&G Philippines. At the start of the ‘80s decade, it
relaunched POND’s, a product of the POND’s company whuch had merged in 1955
with Chesebrough Manufacturing Co., to become Chesebrough-Pond’s.
The bestselling cold cream had been advertised in the late
1950s using the Philippines’ most glamorous and accomplished women of
impeccable pedigree—from socialite Chona Recto-Kasten (daughter of statesman
Claro M. Recto), Eva Estrada-Kalaw (future senator), Virginia Llamas-Romulo
(wife of diplomat Carlos P. Romulo) and former First Lady, Luz Banzon-Magsaysay.
In 1980, PRC chose the same approach as it Chesebrough-Pond’s
did in the ‘50s, choosing a renown woman and young mother who had been adjudged
as among the world’s most beautiful by no less than Harper’s Magazine in the ‘60s.
POND’s scored a casting coup when the young socialite Margarita
"Tingting" de los Reyes Cojuangco (b. 29 Apr. 29, 1944), agreed to
appear in the POND’s “Beautiful Skin Now and Through the Year” campaign.
At age 18, Tingting married José Cojuangco, Jr., of the
prominent political Cojuangco clan of Tarlac. She had modeled in her teen
years, but this came to a halt when she began a family and settled in Tarlac.
That was why, it was big news when she came back prominently as the celebrity endorser
for POND’s, appearing in a glossy TVC and an array of print ads and
advertorials.
Just when you thought
that POND’s would be her first and
last appearance, the elusive beauty resurfaced that same year when she also
became the model and spokesperson for VASELINE
INTENSIVE CARE LOTION, another PRC skin care product. VASELINE started as hair tonic brand for men that was available in
the Philippines as early as 1951. Needless to say, the ad industry was abuzz
once more with this unprecedented casting decision that called for the same
celebrity to endorse 2 skincare products of different brands, but under the
same company.
After her appearances in these J. Walter Thomposon-produced commercials, delos Reyes went
back to her role as a parent, raising 5 equally-beautiful daughters: Mikee (now
Jaworski, champion equestrienne/actress), Liaa (now, Bautista doctor), Pin (now,
Guingona), Maimai (now, Zini) and the youngest China (now, Gonzalez, model).
She would also pursue her studies , holding a Master’s in National
Security Administration (MNSA) from National Defense College, doctorate degrees
in Criminology and Philippine History. She forayed into politics (late
president Benigno Aquino III was her nephew), serving 2 terms as Tarlac Provincial
Governor (1992-98). She also ran for a position in the senate. A philanthropist,
she is personally involved inhumanitarian
projects among Muslim communities as well as Gawad Kalinga. Truly, delos Reyes epitomized
the ideal of a “true beauty with a purpose”.
In 1964, CAMAY
was relaunched to address the needs of a particular market segment—young,
married women. A new, reformulated CAMAY
was offered to them, promising only the softest, loveliest complexion—with
an exclusive cold cream to soften skin.
To dimensionalize the softness promise, a child was included
with the mother models—drawing parallels between their complexion. The first
ads show skin-to-skin contact via a kiss---describing a supple and lovely
complexion as “soft as a child’s kiss”.
New CAMAY, soft as a child's kiss. 1964
Succeeding ads show a mother
and child snuggling together cheek-to-cheek, visualizing the “cheek-to-cheek
softness” of the Mother’s skin washed with CAMAY.
The intimate portraits were a sharp departure from the CAMAY regular ads that showed young,
beautiful ladies, and made their full-page appearances in weekly magazines.
For the softest. loveliest complexion--new CAMAY, 1964
The new CAMAY
campaign effectively demonstrated the functional benefits of the beauty soap,
making it more relevant to a more mature market who are concerned with staying
beautiful even with aging skin. The new CAMAY
campaign lasted for over a year, until another total relaunch was mounted in
1967, which signalled the much awaited return of the young , modern CAMAY Girl.
The enterprising Mr. Maximo Gimenez founded the popular fried chicken restaurant
way back in 1945, who met American soldiers who posted in Quezon City. These military men
often dropped by his house, where they would be served homecooked meals. This
gave rise to the idea of opening a QC café—MAX’s---which
the Stanford-educated quickly put up to answer this need.
Source: MAX's Restaurant website
The first menu offering was fried chicken, that soon became
everyone’ favorite, especially when Gimenez’s niece, Ruby, improved on the
recipe that gave the chicken an appealing deliciousness—what with its crispy
skin, and tender meat that one would dip with sweet Jufran or Mafran catsup. It
soon opened a branch along Dewey (Roxas) Boulevard and expanded its menu.
MAX'S FRIED CHICKEN, 1987
MAX's also began actively advertising on TV and print since the
1970s, and one of its most memorable commercial, under the “Sarap to the Bones”
campaign starred Mr. Pure Energy, Gary
Valenciano, in 1996.
WATCH MAX'S RESTAURANT "GARY V." TVC HERE:
Now known as MAX’s Restaurant, the Philippine institution
has evolved into a modern restaurant chain, but which continues to be beloved
part of the Filipino tradition of fine family dining.
BIOGESIC
has been in the news lately, as the popular paracetamol brand has suddenly
gone out of stock—along with analgesic, anti-pyretic, cold and cough medicine brands--
in the midst of the ongoing covid surge. The supply situation was so bad that
even one netizen asked John Lloyd, current BIOGESIC endorser, for the
much-needed tablets.
A Biogesic out-of-stock meme circulated during the covid surge, CTTO
BIOGESIC has been
in the market for over 50 years, a product of the pharmaceutical firm, United
Laboratories, Inc. (UNILAB). For decades, anti-fever and pain brands available locally were paracetamol and aspirin-based,
like Cortal, Cortapen, Medicol, Bayer’s Aspirin. The introduction of
acetaminophen products expanded the market, and by the late 1970s, Tylenol, the
widely-used American brand from McNeilab of Johnson & Johnson, was launched
in the Philippines, along with its cold medicine counterpart, CoTylenol.
Tylenol became a huge threat to BIOGESIC and other local brands, as it was sold on the basis of
safety—it does not cause stomach upset like aspirin does, which can irritate the
stomach lining. Tylenol was also sold on its American leadership (America’s #1
Pain reliever), to capitalize on the so-called colonial mentality of Filipinos.
CHILDREN'S BIOGESIC SYRUP PARACETAMOL, 1987
All that changed when Tylenol products in the U.S. were
laced with cyanide in 1982 by still-unknown criminals, resulting in 7 cyanide
deaths in Chicago. The product was pulled out of the Philippine market, and by
1986, BIOGESIC took over the safety
theme with the absolute claim: “The World’s Safest Pain Reliever”—in reference
to its pure paracetamol ingredient, not the brand. In 1987, a children’s syrup
version was even introduced.
BIOGESIC never
let go of this safety positioning, and has served the brand well, especially
when the “Ingat” campaign, featuring celebrity actor John Lloyd Cruz, was
launched in 2007. Marketing pundits believe that the consistent brand messaging
of BIOGESICpaved the way for Filipino consumers to
continue trusting the product for aches, fever, and pain, as it continues to be
the leading choice for paracetamol in the market—if people can only find it in
drugstores today!
PEPSI COLA in the
Philippines has been around for over 70 years, and in the mid-1960s, launched
its own orange soda brand, MIRINDA.
Meant to compete against the more established Royal Tru-Orange, MIRINDA was
launched with its own campaign and promotional support, starting with the “More
Fun” print series in 1966.
Its early TV ads were canned commercials from the U.S.,
notably the “Orange Avalanche” , which featured thousands of oranges magically
appearing, dropping and bouncing
everywhere---to dramatize the “natural orangy-ness” of the soda.
WATCH MIRINDA'S 'SUNSHINE DRINK' TVC HERE:
(c/o Jojo Bailon, Voice on the 3rd)
It was only in 1978 that the brand had a local campaign hit
with the “SUNSHINE DRINK” campaign,
which reinforced the product’s 100% natural orange taste. This was visualized
by“slicing” a MIRINDA bottle and squeezing that half of the bottle on an orange
squeezer—as if it were a real orange. The voice-over announcer goes: “If you can slice it like an orange, squeeze it like
an orange, then you’ll discover the 100% natural orange taste of MIRINDA”.
Conceived and produced by J.Walter Thompson Phils., MIRINDA’s “SUNSHINE DRINK” campaign
endured through the early 1980s.
The 7-UP“Where There’s Action” campaign was launched in 1965, by J. Walter Thompson, bannering the message that the drink has a “taste
that’s fresh and frisky….with a quick-quenching action to make thirst quit!”
The print ads featured young, active groups engaged in all kinds of fun, sporty
and leisurely activities.
LISTEN TO 7-UP'S 1965
'WHERE THERE'S ACTION' JINGLE:
In 1966, the U.S. campaign was adapted in the Philippines
using local talents , but keeping the global design template including the
typeface, copy, and visual vignettes. The Philippine version however, emphasize
more on the bright, exhilarating feeling that comes with the refreshment that 7-UP brings in these action-packed
social events.
7-UP PHILIPPINES, 'SKATING', PRINT, 1966
7-UP PHILIPPINES, 'JERKING', PRINT, 1966
7-UP PHILIPPINES, 'DRUMMING', PRINT, 1966
7-UP PHILIPPINES, 'TUG-OF-WAR', PRINT, 1966
“Where There’s Action” campaign was used until 1967, and the
last few ads made use of American models possibly also provided for by the U.S.
mother agency. The 7-UP campaign was
later replaced by the world-fampus “UnCOLA” campaign that became a blockbuster
success for many years.
