484. 1960s LAUNDRY SOAPS THAT BECAME WASHED-UP BRANDS

Four laundry detergent brands from the 1960s decade no longer with us. For one brief, shining moment, FAS, GLOW, SUNLIGHT and MARVEL had promising benefits that soon got washed away, for reasons we do could only assume as poor sales due to marketing, promotion, product or company issues.

1960 SUNLIGHT Print Ad

SUNLIGHT, introduced in 1960, was Lever Bros. brand that was created back in 1884, the world’s first packaged product. Despite being touted as “the world’s largest selling household soap”, it did not catch on with the public”.

FAS, 1966 Print Ad

FAS, with “the fastest cleaning power” was a product of Philippine Detergent Products introduced in 1966, but was killed when their other brand “Marvel” made greater strides in the market, so resources were put behind that brand instead.

 

GLOW, 1965 Print Ad

GLOW “Fights Stubborn Dirt” was the very first laundry product manufactured and launched by Peerless Products Manufacturing Corp. (est. 1963). It did not last long in the market dominated by Tide and Breeze. The company had their biggest success in 1977 when it launched “Champion” detergent, which continues to be a pillar of laundry care products for the company,

MARVEL, ca. 1967 Print Ad

MARVEL , a brand of Philippine Detergent Products introduced in 1967 had better success as it was pushed with TV commercials and print ads (“Relax Lang” campaign)  that saw it thru the early 1970s, before it fizzled out.

401. PRC's WHEEL: A Little Wheel Does a Lot of Washing Campaign, 1965-66.

' 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!

375. Great New Laundry Soap Discovery! PMC's OSO, 1957

As one knows Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC) started as early as 1908, under the name Manila Refining Co. It capitalized on the rich coconut industry of the country, to give us edible products like “Purico”, an early vegetable oil-based shortening. When Procter and Gamble acquired it in 1935, the company beefed up its coconut oil-based product portfolio to include laundry detergent bars, with the introduction of PERLA  in 1949.

The next decade saw PMC expanding its detergent line. In 1951, it came up with dirt-fighting “Luto”, and in  1957, it launched OSO.

OSO was heralded as “a great new soap discovery”, with a promise that it “washes better than any other soap”—a bold superlative claim, at that time. It was a product of a “new process” that made the soap purer and brighter. Thus, OSO had a 3-way advantage: longer-lasting suds, greater economy, and more fragrant clothes.

 Subsequent ads positioned it as “the whitest soap, for the whitest wash”. Even with this, OSO did not last the 50s decade.  After all, P&G already had 3 detergent bars at that time, and the differentiation was not delineated at that time. The best performer was PERLA, and consumers have also began discovering that it was also ideal for white clothes, as it was not only effective, but gentle. OSO was eased out towards the end of the 50s decade; LUTO would also be dropped. PMC decided put its marketing resources behind PERLA, a move that proved to be wise, as the iconic soap bar continue to exist to this day.

365. MORE AMUSING BRAND NAMES YOU WON’T BELIEVE WERE USED IN THE PHILIPPINES. Part III

Another set of the strangest, most hilarious and unusual barnd names of products that were available in the Philippines from the 50s and 60s. 

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LUTO (1951). Brand Name for: Laundry soap

Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC), founded in 1908, forayed into vegetable shortening production in 1917, and launched Purico to great success in 1919. It was made from palm oil, and sold in solid blocks, packed in cartons. When Procter & Gamble U.S.A. purchased PMC in 1935, the product portfolio expanded  to include detergents. In 1951,  the laundry soap LUTO came into the market. It had a rather strange name—LUTO—or “cook”. It also came in white blocks, which reminded people of Purico. Actually LUTO was derived from the process of making soaps, in which coconut or palm oil with lye is cooked to form a detergent soap, that is then molded into bars.  Thus, “Mag LUTO na tayo!” doesn’t just mean,”let’s cook”, but also let’s do the laundry!”, at least in the early 50s!

MONG ALING (1934). Brand Name for: Remedy for anemia

This medicine intended for a serious disease has such a musical-sounding name, that it’s hard to believe it can bring relief to anemic women and mothers with disorders associated with pregnancy and their menses. Even the ingredients do not give a clue as why it was named MONG ALING. To make it more difficult to decipher, the word and numbers “Silang Lab.  No. 8368”, are appended to the brand name. One can just imagine if someone wrote a jingle for MONG ALING. It will probably go “Mong-aling-aling-ding-dong!”

ODORODO (1956) / ODORONO (1961): Brand Names for: Deodorant

Brand names may sometimes sound alike, but these two midcentury anti-perspirant products have uncannily similarity and only a letter separates them: ODORODO and ODORONO.

The older one, ODORODO,  is a palindrome—it reads the same way when read backwards. Such literary devices were used to increase memorability of the brand name, but unfortunately Odorodo, even with its catchy name and unique Action-Proof formula, did not catch on. But at least, the euphemistic “B.O.” (for body odor) as headlined in this 1956 ad,  is still in our vocabulary today.  On the other hand, ODORONO is a cream deodorant which came out in 1961. In today’s stringent trademark rules, imitating the distinctive, perceptual features of a leader brand, such as its brand name is a violation. 

OJOKOL (1950s). Brand Name for: Eye Remedy Solution

Say that again? Say this brand name wrong, and it will sound like a slang for self-erotic gratification. Time was when medicine brands had Spanish  names, a way of branding still in practice in the 1920s—when OJOKOL  was formulated by Botica Boie. The eye solution was meant to give cool relief to sore, irritated eyes (OJO means “eye” in Spanish, pronounced as “oho”), and as for the suffix, it’s one of those add-ons used by chemicals like alcohol,  glycol, ethanol. So next time you say OJOKOL, make sure  you pronounced it the way Spaniards do—not with the hard “j” we are accustomed to.

PALIKERO (1930s). Brand Name for: Pomade. 

Playboys and dandies would surely go for this pomade brand called  “PALIKERO”, that was produced in the mid 1930s. And it even had the audacity to use  on its paper label (unauthorized, for sure)  the picture of a  Hollywood icon who was known for his “palikero” roles on screen—Rudolph Valentino. Whether this pomade lived up to its name is a big question mark, as nobody seems to know this brand, or what happened to it. 

SOURCE: By the Author. Originally appeared on esquiremag.ph under the title: Funniest Filipino Brand Names in the 20th Century - Esquire , https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/old-brands-philippines-a2289-20190211-lfrm4

181. It’s Here! America’s Newest Washing Discovery! BREEZE: The First Philippine Ads, 1962-1968

THE LAUNCH AD OF BREEZE 'Washes Doubly Clean". Magazine double-page spread. 1962

Philippine Refining Company (PRC), started as an oil milling business in the country as early as 1916, but it was only in 1927 that it was incorporated until it was acquired by Unilever Goup. 

1966 box

By the start of the 1960s, PRC had become a worthy competitor to Philippine Manufacturing Co. P&G, with a portfolio that included margarines, beauty soaps (Ever, Lux), shortening/cooking oils (White Band, Camia) and detergent bars, specifically the very popular Wheel. As one can see, all these products had competitive counterparts from PMC.

But when PMC launched the highly successful powdered detergent TIDE in 1957, PRC  was caught flat-footed and it took 5 years for the company to respond. But when it did, the product touted as America’s newest washing discovery—BREEZE—also took off and became a major player in the powdered laundry detergent segment.

BREEZE was actually launched in the U.S. market by the Lever Bros. in 1947 as a soapless, cleaning product. It was heavily supported with promotions and advertising, and became an established brand by the mid 1950s, so it was the perfect product to match to TIDE which had a hold on the powdered detergent market. The first ad appeared in 1962, which referred to the product as "America's newest washing discovery", in an age of colonial mentality.  TIDE, of course, was touted as "a sensational new washing discovery.")

 

BREEZE SUSTAINING AD, 1963

BREEZE was initially sold in pouches, and then in boxes. With its unique benefit—“BREEZE washes doubly clean—clean all over, clean all through”—the detergent’s dual promise, with a value-for-money undertone proved very appealing to Filipino housewives, and by 1963, it was drawing converts and new users by the thousands.

 

BREEZE "BANDWAGON" SUSTAINING AD, 1963

It is  accurate to say that TIDE and BREEZE grew the powdered detergent category in the Philippines, and both brands helped in popularizing a new detergent form that was looked at as more modern, more advanced, than detergent bars. It was one of the first brands to use music marketing; on radio, local singer Ruben Tagalog was hired to sing kundiman paeans to the art of  the wash.

 

DOUBLY CLEAN BREEZE AD, 1964

BREEZE consistently stuck to its “double clean” benefit, and further fortified this promise with the claim--“one soaping…one rinsing..no bleaching”.

 

THE ICONIC  HOUSEWIFE SNUGGLING TO BREEZE-WASHED SHEETS, 1965

In 1965, BREEZE ads began featuring an iconic outdoor shot of a woman with windblown hair, snuggled close to a bundle of clean, white sheets in her arms. The shot was meant to visualize “the fresh-air cleanness of clothes washed with BREEZE”.

 

NEW BREEZE, WITH INSTANT WASHING POWER, 1965

This picture would be used on the front panels of BREEZE boxes, as well as in its first relaunch since 1962. In 1966, BREEZE with New Instant Washing Power, was introduced. The new, improved BREEZE had quick-acting, power-packed suds that instantly work at once on stubborn stains and dirt. The results are clothese “so clean, you can even smell the freshness”.

 

FRESH-AIR CLEANNESS! 1966

This messaging would be used for the next two years, 1967-68. As a new decade dawned, PRC would go easy on BREEZE advertising, as by 1967, it was kept busy introducing its second laundry powdered detergent brand, the short-lived “RINSO”.

 

SMELL THE FRESHNESS. 1967

BREEZE would survive the rise of syndet (synthetic detergent) bars in the 1980s; today, BREEZE, (like its staunch competitor, TIDE), remains available in the Philippines, in powder and in the new liquid form, powered with ActiveBleach. The brand also continues to be advertised.

THE REAL TEST OF CLEANNESS. 1968

SOURCES:

Various Sunday Times Magazine issues

Breeze detergent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeze_detergent

Unilever Ph, website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever_Philippines

Then and Now, Magazine 1961, Philippine Refining Company, p. 27

174. P&G PMC Sensational Washing Discovery! TIDE DETERGENT: The First Philippine Ads, 1957-1959

THE FIRST TIDE LAUNCH ADS, Sunday Times Magazine, 1957.

The powdered laundry detergent that would revolutionalize how Filipino housewives would wash in the late 1950s was manufactured b7 Procter & Gamble back in 1946.

TIDE was not actually the first powdered detergent; pulverized soap was known as far back as the 1880s. But TIDE—originally designed for heavy-duty machine cleaning, was a major improvement as it was made with synthetic alkylbenzene sulfonates that  made machine washing with hard water possible.

Test-marketed in 1946, TIDE was dubbed as the world’ first heavyweight detergent, and was rolled out nationally in 1949. TIDE became a national hit, and in 1957, was launched in the Philippine market. At that time, manual detergent bars were widely used all over the country; the use of powder was unheard of.

PART OF A SERIES OF TIDE LAUNCH ADS, 1957

When the first English ad for TIDE came out that year, the detergent was touted as a product of modern science, a “Sensational New Washing Discovery---TIDE washes clothes cleaner than any other soap.” The superior-cleaning claim was backed by its international success in the U.S., England, Canada, France, Belgium, Mexcio, Cuba and Venezuela.

TIDE FIELD MARKETING. PHOTO: P&G PMC Brand History

In its first year TIDE was pushed by field marketing and radio advertising, novel initiatives that P&G would be well known for.

“No need to change the way you wash—just change to TIDE!”, the ads encouraged, and soon, Filipinos were ditching their old-fashioned bars for the new powdered detergent packed in that iconic box and pouch with bright red orange and deep yellow concentric circles forming the backdrop for the TIDE fonts in blue. They were not only washing clothes with it, but used it for dishes and utensils too—to great effect!

TIDE PRINT ADS, Sustaining, 1959

Traditional bar makers countered that TIDE—being in powder form—led to wastage and is therefore more expensive to use. Hand-held bars give the user more control, as the user can regulate the amount of product used via the number of scrubbing. Thus TIDE launched “value for money” testimonial ads around 1959, to convince housewives that in the long run, TIDE is more cost-effective.

TIDE TESTIMONIAL AD, 1959.

For the next decade, TIDE lived up to its promise--“Never before such a washing sensation!”, prompting competition like Philippine Refining Co., to launch its own powdered detergent brand that would give TIDE a stiff competition—Breeze. TIDE would also be known for its iconic vernacular TV commercials in the 1960s—“Utos ni Mayor”, “Puputi ang damit kahit hindi ikula!”, “Balik-Tide”.

SOURCES:

Tide Brand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_(brand)

P&G Philippines Brand History: https://www.pg.com/en_PH/company/history/historydetail.shtml

111. Kalinisang Kuskos-Piga: P&G’s MR. CLEAN KALAMANSI, 1987

A guest article from NANCY TIZON-TRUSCOTT former Mr. Clean copywriter.

By the mid-1980s, MR.CLEAN detergent bar had become the overall laundry market leader in the Philippines, surpassing Superwheel and Ajax. After all, the brand was fully supported with aggressive advertising (“Sylvia La Torre’s Labadami, Labango” was instrumental in promoting the brand—it would be selected as one of top 25 commercials of all times at the 2002 Pilak Awards) and continuous product developments. For example, the current Mr. Clean at that time was infused with “Solarex” sun-brightening power.

There would be more introductions of revolutionary variants, starting with the breakthrough MR. CLEAN KALAMANSI that resulted in clean, citrus-scented laundry—“linis bango ng kalamansi”. Its launch ad was printed with green ink that had the citrus-y scent of kalamansi—almost similar to the “scratch ‘n sniff ads” popular in the U.S., a  technique that’s a first in the Philippines. The TV commercial was developed separately—and it gave birth to the coined term “kuskos-piga” (scrub-squeeze) that was soon being mouthed by housewives all over the country. And who could forget a character from the commercial named Bulak—not a child, but a baby goat! Nancy Tizon-Truscott recalls her experience in the making of this delightful commercial.

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WATCH  MR. CLEAN KALAMANSI TVC HERE

One of my most memorable TV commercial shoots ever in my 20 year advertising career was the shooting of the classic MR. CLEAN "Bulak" TVC in the late '80s. MR. CLEAN was one of the top selling detergent bars of our client Procter & Gamble. The product was constantly improved with the addition of  known effective cleaning ingredients like "kalamansi". This gave birth to the campaign line "kuskus-piga" after the washing practice of scrubbing and squeezing kalamansi juice on stained clothes.  Later, with the addition of bleach to the product, the line morphed to "kuskus-piga-patak".

 LISTEN TO MR. CLEAN "KUSKOS-PIGA" 

& KUSKOS-PIGA-PATAK JINGLE HERE:

The slice-of-life "Bulak" TVC was cinematically directed by the late great Ishmael Bernal and set in a remote village in  bucolic Asin Valley in Benguet province. It tells the story of a sheep farmer in search of his lost baby goat, Bulak. He finds him hurt and entangled in a thorny bush. When he brings him home, his wife notices the lamb's blood on his shirt which she then confidently washes with MR. CLEAN with bleach.

 

AGENCY & PRODUCTION STAFF. Seated: L-R: Director Ishmael Bernal
CD Jimmy Santiago, writer Nancy Tizon. Standing: agency producer
Jack Dumaup, art director Bingo Bautista of Ace/ Saatchi & Saatchi.

Like many out of town shoots, this wasn't without its complications. Initially a three day shoot, it became a five day shoot after one of the cameras broke down and a new one had to be brought in all the way from Manila. Cast and crew were billeted in an inn in Baguio and most days, we got up before dawn for the nearly two-hour ride to Asin Valley. And to think that the night before, we ended the day's shoot at past midnight. Most nights, we barely got two hours' sleep. 

MR. CLEAN CREATIVE, Nancy Tizon with ad talents, acct. supervisor
Chatie Bantug of Ace/Saatchi & Saatchi..

While we were shooting, it seemed the whole village came to watch with great interest, including friendly but heavily armed NPA rebels!  At our first meal on set, I could barely eat because the village children were watching us hungrily as we ate. Fortunately, our production house FILMEX was so kind and generous that they cooked enough food to feed the entire village. This shoot must have been the most exciting event  to have happened in their tiny village in many years!

 

TIME-OUT! Direk Ishmael Bernal playing charades with agency people
during a break in the commercial shoot in Asin, Mt. Province.

This MR. CLEAN "Bulak" commercial successfully sustained MR. CLEAN's dominance in the detergent market. It also became immensely popular. At the time, a Jollibee commercial featured a kid who lost her doll named "Jennifer." A popular joke went the rounds with the question, "Sinong kasama ni Jennifer nung nawala siya? " And of course the answer was, "Si Bulak!"

CREDITS:

CLIENT: PROCTER & GAMBLE PHILIPPINES

AGENCY: ACE/ SAATCHI & SAATCHI ADVERTISING

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jimmy F. Santiago

COPYWRITER: Nancy T.Tizon

ART DIRECTOR: Bingo Bautista

ARTIST: Abe Montañez

PRODUCTION HOUSE: Filmex

TV DIRECTOR: Ishmael Bernal

JINGLE COMPOSER: Jose Mari Chan

SINGER: Ayen Munji

CASTER: Flor Salanga

Jingle Source Credit: 
MR. CLEAN KALAMANSI, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfMlXw_UZ5g, uploaded by vibesey, 7 May 2017

Strictly Commercial: THE JINGLES COLLECTION, by Jose Mari Chan
http://www.deezer.com/track/76894508

20. NEW! AJAX SUPER DETERGENT--Stronger than Dirt!

NEW AJAX SUPER LAUNDRY DETERGENT, Intro Ad, 1966

Colgate-Palmolive Philippines entered the synthetic detergent bar market with “Ajax”, a U.S.product  that was already in existence in 1947 as a powder cleanser brand. At the time of the introduction of Ajax Super Detergent, detergent soaps included Perla, Wheel and Luto.

Ajax Super Detergent was touted as a revolutionary laundry product that was “stronger, more economical than soaps and powders. It was also different in that it had super sudsing dirt cleaners  and a Bluex formula in a convenient bar form.

Source: RedStormPro-Retro-Ajax Commercial

Stronger than Dirt

For its 1966 launch advertising in the Philippines, Ajax adapted elements from the U.S. campaign of Ajax Ultramarine Detergent that featured the iconic “Ajax Knight” and the cleaning power of his lance that was “stronger than dirt”. 

Source: juniorsky52's channel. Ajax History 1960-80 

The localized Philippine version featured different vignettes of dirtying situations—for example, children playing in the streets with dirty clothes—that become “blinding white” at the touch of a lance toted by the horse-riding Ajax Knight who always seemed to appear from nowhere. The selling line “New Ajax Super Detergent—Stronger Than Dirt” was set to music which was soon being sang, hummed or whistled by happy housewives all over the Philippines! Ajax continued to be popular from the 60s through the 90s as this historical advertising reel shows: