In 1983, the corporate campaign of the Bank of the Philippine
Islands (BPI) , which traced the bank’s rich, historic past that includes the distinction as being the first bank in the
Islands—was launched amidst much fanfare, glowing reviews and a sense of pride.
The centerpiece material was an incredible TV commercial,
part of an ambitious “Heritage” campaign that brings to focus the impressive
123 year heritage of the country’s first and largest bank. SS&C Lintas
Worldwide-Manila, led by creative head Richard Gerardini, was tasked to do the campaign that took all
of 6 months to plan--from Dec. 1981 to June 1982.
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| BPI GIRL NIKKI PRIETO, Now a Tarlac congressman, wife of former presidential candidate and former Sec, of Defense, Gilbert Teodoro. |
As the commercial included many period scenes, locations
were scouted all over the Philippines. The location crew went to Vigan for a
look-see, but the old houses were all whitewashed and the roads asphalted, so
the search shifted to the south—and thankfully, Nasugbu and Taal—old Batangas
towns—were chosen. The streets were dressed up to look like Pasig and Binondo,
during the 1900s American period. The featured actors, the supporting cast and
the extras were all costumed by leading production designer and wardrobe
expert, Laida Lim Perez.
Casting was another major challenge. Most of the talents were recruited by Mad
Gallaga (wife of film director Peque Gallaga) who assembled name stars like
Joel Torre (fresh from “Oro, Plata, Mata”) and Ronnie Lazaro, to take part in
the ad, along with local townsfolk who portrayed farmers, fishermen and
vendors.
The casting of the BPI Girl was another matter—the agency
team wanted someone who has not appeared in any magazine cover or commercial,
and the client wanted an embodiment of class, chic and timeless mystique.
Monica Louise “Nikki” Prieto (now Teodoro, a Tarlac congressman and wife of Gilbert
Teodoro), then an international marketing student from a Swiss university, was
the final choice. But her school schedule
allowed her only 10 days of leave—so the
shooting of the 60 sec. commercial couldn’t go beyond 2 weeks. Prieto was
promptly sent her round-trip tickets so she could come home for the Philippine
shooting.
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| ACTORS JOEL TORRE & RONNIE LAZARO, gamely joined the TV commercial cast. |
The multi-awarded Image Films, Inc., one of the most experienced
and prestigious production houses in the country was given the blue chip BPI assignment.
Gen. Manager Amar Gambol contacted Pio de Castro III for the directorial
job. De Castro, who had been shooting
films for10 years, was mentored by National Artist Gerry de Leon.
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| DIRECTOR PIO DE CASTRO III (+) . He would be honored by the Creative Guild of the Ph. with a posthulous Lifetime Achievement Award. |
His credentials not only include internationally-awarded
ads (PBM Steel “A Nation is Growing”, Kodak “Times of Your Life”) but also
mainstream films like “Soltero”, and “Ina, Kasusuklaman Ba Kita?”. Commissioned
to compose the jingle music was no less than Jose Mari Chan.
LISTEN TO BPI HERITAGE TVC
"Cherished Part of Me" Jingle Here:
The filming took up to 12 days of hard work, and every
single day had its own challenge. Billboards and electric wirings had to be
taken down or camouflaged with tree branches and cadena de amor vines, and
whole rowhouses in Taal had to be whitewashed in Taal to reflect the look of
the era.
WATCH THE BPI 'HERITAGE' TVC HERE:
A town Marian procession with lit carrozas had to be staged. And even Nikki Prieto’s
modern girl gait had to be toned down to reflect the demureness of an early 20th
century Filipina. Where an average 60 sec. ad cost about Php 200,000 to produce
in the 1980s, the bill for the BPI ad cost up to several times more.
But everything was worth the wait, and the laborious
hours that went into the final crafting the TV ad. When BPI president Xavier Loinaz
previewed the film, he instantly fell in love with it. When the “Heritage” TVC aired
in early 1983, it was hailed for its epic proportions, Filipino theme, technical
and production design excellence, and a
memorable tuneful score. These significant impressions were not lost in the
next Philippine Advertising Congress Awards as “Heritage” won a slew of
technical and craftsmanship awards.
CREDITS:
AD AGENCY: SSC
Lintas: Manila
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE
DIRECTOR: Richard Genardini
CREATIVE DIRECTOR:
Bing Baloy
ART DIRECTOR: Olive
Mestidio
PRODUCTION: Image
Films, Inc.
DIRECTOR: Pio de
Castro III
CASTING: Mady
Gallaga
PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Laida Lim Perez
JINGLE COMPOSER:
Jose Mari Chan
SOURCES:ISLANDS, a publication of the Bank of the Philippine Islands,
vol. 1 no. 2, “Heritage: The Making of a Commercial, by Ma. Socorro Naguit, pp.
25-28. July 1983.
