An early American mayonnaise brand that made its way to
the Philippines in the late 1950s and which briefly earned the nods of Filipino
consumers before the advent of Lady’s Choice and Kraft Mayonnaise was EGGO. In 1959, EGGO Mayonnaise,Sandwich Spread and Salad Dressing were brought to the
Philippines by Kaw Sek and Co., a product retail, wholesale, and distribution
firm that was established by Peter Kawsek Sr. back in 1945 in Quiapo,
Manila.
FRANK SR., ONE OF THE 3 DORSO BROTHERS, SAM AND ANTHONY, CREATOR OF THE EGGO MAYONNAISE IN 1932
One of the American products they made available was EGGO,
a mayonnaise brand that was developed in 1932 by 3 brothers: Frank, Sam
and Anthony Dorsa. The brothers formulated their mayonnaise made from
fresh eggs in their hometown of San Jose, California. As a tribute to
their egg-cellent and successful product, they name their company EGGO Foods.
EGGO SALAD DRESSING, 1959
Eventually, they branched out to making frozen egg
waffles that were even more successful which became their flagship brand. Eventually,
the EGGO line would feature a host of other products like EGGO syrup,
noodles, and pretzels, along with their
original EGGO mayonnaise, salad dressing and spreads.
EGGO, FOR TASTIER SANDWICHES, 1966
Early advertising of EGGO products in the Philippines
began in 1959, with small ads, both in black and white and in full color. It
featured the EGGO Mascot, complete with a hat and bowtie. EGGO spreads
and dressings were available all throughout the 60s, until the company
began to focus on its highly successful waffle products, which are still in
production to this day. In the 1970s, EGGO became part of Kellogg’s.The senior Frank Dorsa passed away in
Saratoga, on Jan. 17, 1996 at the age of 88.
As to the local distributor Kaw Sek & Co., it
is still in operations under the name Kawsek Inc., based in Mandaluyong.
It is managed and operated by Lawrence L. Kawsek, the founder’s 2nd
son. It is currently a distributor of Pauls Milk products, Gina Nectar,Apex and Susan Baker brands. It also manufactures the Apex
detergents and its services are utilized by major brands like Kraft,
Dole, Anchor and Minola.
Rubberworld Philippines Inc. was once a giant shoe
manufacturer of the country, maker of such iconic brands as Spartan, Kaypee, Grosby and the super popular children’s brand –MIGHTY KID, launched in the early
1980s.
The fashionable kiddie shoes for school and play, caught
the eye of parents and kids, with their snazzy color combinations, and Velcro straps
that made the shoes so easy to put on.
To top it all, a MIGHTY KID mascot pushed the brand to greater heights, a flying
superhero who appeared in commercials, appeared in events and used in
merchandising displays.
So successful was the brand, that MIGHTY KID expanded its product line from shoes to trendy children’s
wear. As predicted, the kiddie fashions sold very well
MIGHTY KID was
an active advertiser, creating mainstream and seasonal advertise such as this Christmas
commercial:
WATCH A MIGHTY KID TVC HERE:
Uploaded by oblaxz2007, 14 March 2010
In 1990, Rubber World employed rising young international
singer and 1989 Junior Star Search champion Josephine “Banig” Roberto to appear in a MIGHTY KID commercial. But 4 years
after, plagued by internal turmoil that led to court cases, ceased its
operations, leading to the demise of MIGHTY KID Shoes. But children growing
up in the 80s still remember the multicolored sneakers that they wore out in
school and at play and the MIGHTY KID
mascot who kept the brand flying high for a good number of years.
Borden, Inc., was once America’s largest producer of dairy and pasta products, founded
by Gail Borden Jr. back in 1857. Its first product was condensed milk, and then
began selling evaporated milk in 1892.
In
due time, Borden also forayed into ice cream, for which it was well-known.
Other products included Meadows Gold Milk and the popular pre-war brand HEMO Chocolate-Flavored Food Drink.
Borden’s HEMO was
introduced as a new way to drink milk, with its deep, rich, malty flavor. It
was fortified with vitamins and minerals and was positioned as a family drink
that fights fatigue, renews energy and vitality.
The brand name was thought to have been derived “hemoglobin”, as HEMO contain vitamin B11 or folic acid,
folate and Iron which is good for the blood and for anemic people.
Borden’s HEMO reached
the Philippines beginning in the 50s decade, imported by Borden
Co. International which put up a Philipine distribution office.
BORDEN'S HEMO AD,1951
The chocolate
product was sold in cans. It actively advertised in magazines, and its simple, black and white advertising
were a far cry from the full color ads in the U.S. that featured the Borden
mascots, Elsie and Elmer the cow.
BORDEN'S HEMO 'STAMINA' AD,1957
The small ads also featured the bovine character, who
vouches for HEMO’s great chcolatey
test and health-giving benefits.
HEMO "Active Lady" 1951 AD, AND HEMO "NAMARCO" AD,1961
“It’s good,!” says Elsie the Borden Cow. The
product was marketed nationwide, with its own roving delivery trucks. Borden;s HEMO, however, did not last a decade in
the Philippines.
BORDEN'S HEMO DELIVERY TRUCK IN ANGELES,1950s
In later years, Borden, the company suffered significant
loses and was sold by KKR and American
global investment firm in 1995. It divested itself of its various food products
operations and the Borden dairy brands were used by Borden Dairy Co. for milk
and by Dairy Farmers of America for cheese. On January 5, 2020, Borden Dairy
Company and 16 affiliated companies
filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. District Court for the District of
Delaware.
In 1968, the country was introduced to PAPA PACCOLINO a
jolly, portly Italian chef with his trademark mustache. He was the brand
character for a new line of “Real Italian” boxed pasta products for dishes and soups.
PAPA PICCOLIMO, 1968 AD
PAPA PICCOLINO NOODLE AD,1968
It was by Republic
Flour Mills (now RFM Corporation), which ventured into flour manufacturing in
1957, even though wheat wasn't being grown in the Philippines.
LISTEN TO THE SONG THAT INSPIRED
THE BRAND NAME OF PAPA PICCOLINO
The name PAPA
PACCOLINO was reworked from the title of a 1953 hit song, “Poppa Piccolino", sung by Diana Decker The brand was active throughout the rest of the '60s, its line expanding to
include soup varities and pizzas.
PAPA PICCOLINO SPAGHETTI AD, 1972
PAPA PCCOLINO SPAGHETTI & MACARONI, 1960S, source: Pinterest
Papa Piccolino appeared practically in all print
materials, but the novelty wore off as the '70s rolled in. PAPA PACCOLINO was
replaced with a real endorser, host-singer Pepe Pimentel, who more or less
exuded the same chirpy, friendly vibe as the cartoon character.
PAPA PICCOLINO ENDORSED BY PEPE PIMENTEL, 1973
SOURCES:
DIANA DECKER-POPPA PICCOLINO (1953), uploaded by GoldenOldiesOn45RPM,June 8 2010.
The most well-knowneffervescent antacid and pain reliever in the 50s—ALKA SELTZER—became available in the Philippines as an imported
product in the late 1920s, but it was only around 1951 that it was actively promoted. Made by Dr. Miles Medicine Co. of Indiana, U.S. in
1931, ALKA-SELTZER had 3 active
ingredients—aspirin (for fever and pain), sodium bicarbonate (antacid) and
citric acid (for effervescence)
SPEEDY appears in this 1957 Alka-Seltzer ad.
When advertised, ALKA-SELTZER
was indicated for the relief of headache, fever and pain, acid stomach,
indigestions and hangovers. It was one of the most advertised products in the
world, and its commercials were among the most popular.
Speedy, created in 1951
as the product mascot, was also one of the most recognized advertising
character in history, and was extensively used in magazine ads that saw print
in the Philippines,
The memorable "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" ad
campaign made its appearance in the Philippines featuring the animate mascot
and a hit jingle.
It was conceptualized by Paul Margulies, a Madison Avenue
creative executive, and father of actress Julianna Margulies. The vintage 60s
ad showed 2 ALKA-SELTZER tablets
dropping into a glass of water instead of the usual one, which caused sales to
double. In 1976, the campaign was
successfully revived, with jingle sung by Speedy.
WATCH THE ALKA-SELTZER TV AD HERE:
published by Steve Stout, 23 Apr. 2007
By the time Miles Laboratories was bought by Bayer in
1979, ALKA-SELTZER had disappeared
from botica shelves, It is now only available as an imported product, which one
can now order online.
PUREFOODS HOTDOGS,
the country's largest-selling hotdog, is a well-loved brand with a long
advertising history. It was made by PUREFOODS CORP., beginning in 1956, along
with other processed meats.
Before it was acquired by San Miguel Corporation in 2001,
PUREFOODS engaged agencies to do
their advertising, particularly for their flagship brand, PUREFOODS HOTDOGS.
One memorable campaign launched in 1980 showed an
animated hotdog running across the screen as active kids enjoyed their hotdog
treats in various vignettes. The cartoon hotdog character sang a catchy jingle
that praised his own merits:
“I’m Tender,Juicy,
Tasty, that’s right to the bite…I’m you’re PUREFOODS HOTDOG!”
The happy, easy-to-sing jingle caught the fancy of TV
viewers, kids and moms.The “Tender,
Juicy” campaignbecame a successful one
for PUREFOODS HOTDOGS, ensuring its
hold on market leadership. On this spread are the print counterparts of the “Tender,
Juicy” campaign.
PUREFOODS HOTDOGS
would go on to have more memorable and award winning campaigns in the next few
years, courtesy of the charming “Dear Diary” TVC (“Carlo sat beside me today…) and
the trio of award-winning commercials featuring Purefoots hotshots Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo
Lastimosa and Jerry Codiñera. "Tender, Juicy" became so associated with these hotdogs that they were, at one point, nicknamed "TJ Hotdogs", for many years.
THE ENGLISHMAN, still in use in a magazine print ad, 1983.
Filipinas Biscuit Corporation, or more commonly known as
Fisbisco, was set up on 23 January 1959. The next year, Fibiscostarted producing biscuit brands that would
become household favorites—likeChoco-Mallows, Marie, Hi-Ro, Jolly, Butter Crunch and Ginger Snaps.
FIBISCO PRINT AD, 1961
These were collectively marketed as “English Quality
Biscuits” as they were produced using English-made machinery, set up by English
consultants in the Fibisco Mandaluyong factory. The initial operations was even
supervised by an English plant manager.
THE ENGLISHMAN, 1960
As biscuits of fine quality were associated with the
English, an “ENGLISHMAN” character was introduced to drive home that point. The
white-moustachioed ENGLISHMAN, wearing a smart blue suit, bowler hat and
wielding a cane, was featured in print and TV advertising, as early as 1960 .
THE ENGLISHMAN, 1961
For over 20 years, the ENGLISHMAN breezed through the screen as its
memorable jingle played:
“Ho,
ho, did you know?
The
ENGLISHMAN bakes Fibisco Biscuits.
Ho,
ho, did you know?
We've
got the Englishman here!”.
The ENGLISHMAN, once a familiar figure to Filipino
children, may have long been gone, but his Fibisco biscuits are still here!
Mascots have been part of the advertising world for over
a century, like Mr. Peanut and Jolly Green Giant. They personify the character
of the brand—and they may come in many forms such as super humans, fantastic
creatures, animals—and in the case of JOLLIBEE—an
insect!
JOLLIBEE IN 1983
It was only in the 1980s that the use of “live” mascots was
fully exploited by Philippine advertisers, thanks to the JOLLIBEE MASCOTS.
Before
that, Philippine brand characters from the 50s -70s like Nars Cafi (of Cafiaspirina),
Shellane Girl (of Shellane LPG) and Pancho Pantera (of Pancho Pantera chocolate
drink) all were one-dimensional figures that saw print on posters and ads, and animated
on TV like cartoons.
The mascots of JOLLIBEE
not only fed the fantasy of children, but because they were so life-like, they
could interact with them in many fun moments.
In a special way, the JOLLIBEE mascot became role models too,
for each one was created with different characteristics to reflect the various product
qualities. But all were likeable and appealing.
JOLLIBEE in 1989
The lead mascot of JOLLIBEE
Foods Corporation was , of course, JOLLIBEE,
introduced in 1980. His name says it all—JOLLIBEE is a happy, loveable, active figure who flits from one place to another to
spread merriment on everyday occasions.
JFC
Founding Chairman, Tony Tan Cak Tiong, has often likened the mascot's character
to the Filipino working folk, noting that the bee "hops around and
produces sweet things for life, and is happy even though it is busy".
Ms. CHICKEE,
the brand mascot for Chickenjoy, was introduced in 1983.
That same year, the mini-skirted
bovine beauty, LADY MOO, was launched to represent the Milkshakes product.
She would
be joined in 1985 by MICO, a kid in
red short overalls wearing a milkshake cup for a cap. All three would later be
discontinued.
The fastfoods’premium burger, CHAMP, also had a mascot with the same name, introduced in 1984.
With a hamburger head, CHAMP was
dressed as a boxer, complete with gloves and a robe, but, like a boxer, the
mascot, has also been retired.
MR. YUM was
the original name of the Yumburger mascot, created in 1989. Dressed in a dark
suit, he wears a bowler hat in the shape of a Yumburger bun. In 2008, he was
updated and became simply YUM, a
younger, more funky boy in a raglan shirt and shades, but with the same, sesame
seed-topped burger cap.
TWIRLIE was
the name of the girl mascot who personified the very popular Twirly Sundaes
that were launched way back in 1988. In mall shows, she performs her own
special Twirly Dance.
An unusual mascot was seen in 1984, who sported his
stringy hair made from—spaghetti noodles. HETTY,
the resident spaghetti mascot, was nonetheless, a consistent crowd favorite.
But if HETTY seemed unusual with her
noodle ‘do, POPO looked awfully strange with his stringy hair made from—French Fries!
The potato boy has since transformed into a less weird-looking dude, with the cardboard
pocket holder taken off his head.
JOLLIBEE has successfully
employed mascots as promotional vehicles, and they are always in demand not
only for the Kiddie Parties, but also for corporate events. Christmas time is
when their mascots are at their busiest, where they not only attend partie but
also go on school tours, headline musical events, star in commercials, and make
special TV appearances. Children would crowd around to touch them, talk to
them, pinch them, pat them, adore them-to the point of hero worship.
WATCH THE JOLLIBEE MASCOTS HERE:
Jollibee (Apat na Dekada), posted by Glover Reselosa
They have been replicated as toys and dolls, featured on licensed merchandise from clocks to plates to pillows and lamps, clothing and school bags.
JOLLIBEE MASCOTS IN OPERETTAS THAT EDUCATE AND IMPART VALUES, 1987
As the characters are also used to promote various
advocacies—from propagating Pilipino as a language, imparting local values, to endorsing sanitation and cleanliness
programs—the mascots have to conduct themselves in certain way, guided by a
Jollibee Manual which has a mascot code of do’s and don’ts.
COLLECTBLE JOLLIBEE MASCOTS VINYL TOYS, credits to the owner of this photo
Today, the JOLLIBEE
MASCOTS have all become part of the Philippine pop culture, and there is
not a single kid who cannot, at once, identify him and his circle of friends.
JOLLIBEE MASCOTS AT A KIDDIE PARTY
After
all, they could always be counted on to spread fun,good times and great eats!
As one Jollibee fan astutely observed --“JOLLIBEE is not a bee..he is a
FRIEND!”.
The adorable duo that drove Filipino kids to pester their
mothers to buy cans and cans of Sustagen came to life in 1985. SUSY AND GENO
were the marketing brainchildren of Mead Johnson, the company behind the
nutrition supplement , Sustagen. Mr. Chichi Barros, Consumer Products Director
for Marketing conceived the idea of having a tandem of adorable mascots who will
epitomize the values of parents and children alike.
Sustagen, with its “23 Resistensya Builders”was, undoubtedly,
a superior chocolate-flavored health supplement, but it looked and felt so
serious to most kids.
The mascots were the perfect answers to make the premium
brand more relatable. SUSY was designed as a young girl with lots of charming
personality, a perfect complement to the friendly, wholesome GENO.
The SUSY AND GENO tandem,
both embodiments of happy, healthy children, turned Sustagen as the no.
1 selling milk in the 80s decade. SUSY AND GENO not only appeared in
countlessTV ads, but also went on school and supermarket tours to perform, dance, sing and promote the
health benefits of the brand.
WATCH A 1980s "SUSY & GENO" TVC HERE:
The brand mascots were the stars of their own Sustagen’s
Kiddie Club, that had over 45,000 members at its peak. They went around the
Philippines—attended town fiestas, visited classrooms, hosted week-end gatherings,
led puppet-making workshops, and
received countless invitations to grace birthday parties! Wherever they went, SUSY
AND GENO spread the message of good health together with Mead Johnson’s professional
nutritionists who often accompanied them on tours.
The high cost of mounting these activities forced their
temporary retirement, but by late 1990s,
SUSY AND GENO staged a comeback. In 2013, SUSY AND GENO were seen again as
adult mascots, leading separate lives and careers. This generated some interest
on facebook, where the drama of their reunion played out.
SUSY AND GENO are often held up as perfect examples of
the effective use of mascots in marketing promotions and
communications—especially to kids who have to grapple with abstract ideas such
as health, nutrition and friendship. The brand mascots have succeeded in explaining
these in fun, engaging ways that allow kids to learn without losing their sense
of wonder.
WATCH "SUSY & GENO" CASE STUDY HERE:
SOURCE:
Susy & Geno
Photo: De la Torre, Visitacion. Advertising in the Philippines: Its Historical,
Cultural and Social Dimensions. Tower Book House, 1989. P. 102.
COL. HARLAND SANDERS, Signed promotional photo. 1997
The Philippines welcome KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN in 1967,
with many franchisees running their own stores. But the restaurant as we know it
today came to be only on June 1994, when Manuel U. Agustines was awarded the
sole franchise over the sale and distribution of Kentucky Fried Chicken
products in the country. By then, its name had been shortened to just its
initials—KFC!
COL. HARLAND SANDERS https://waldina.com
The founder of KFC was the legendary Col. Harland Sanders
(b. 9 Sep. 1890/16 Dec.1980). The portly, white haired, cane-wielding Colonel,
dapper in his all-white suit and black string tie and bespectacled face, became
such an icon that many people believed him to be a fictional character.
In reality, he was a real person from Indiana, who, in
1930 parlayed his love for cooking into a modest business, opening his
restaurant—Sander’s—for travelers.
Favorite on his menu was his fried chicken,
cooked from his own secret recipe. That fried chicken would take his business
to greater heights when he set up his own franchising business , which he
called Kentucky Fried Chicken. The rest is history.
During his lifetime the likeness of the Colonel was a
major promotional asset. In 1976, a survey ranked the Colonel as the world’s
second most recognized celebrity. When he died in 1980, fictionalized Colonel
Sanders have repeatedly appeared as a mascot in KFC's advertising and branding.
WATCH: THE COLONEL'S WAY 1994 TV 30s
This 1994 U.S. commercial features the American actor Henderson Forsythe as Col. Sanders.
Surprisingly, KFC advertising in the Philippines during
the 1990s, did not capitalize on the Col. Sanders character, but instead,
focused on product features, using the trademark slogan "Finger-Lickin' Good".. In the late 1990s, “Col. Sanders” finally did
visit Manila as part of the company’s promotional stunt and went on store
trips, signing and giving away his photos and autographs.
WATCH: THE SEARCH FOR KFC's
FIRST FILIPINO COLONEL AUDITIONS
Source: KFC PH youtube channel
It was only in May 2017 the search for the first KFC Filipino Colonel
was launched, a move that would have made Col. Sanders proud. The finalists
were all actors—Ronaldo Valdez, Leo Valdez and Pen Medina—and their audition
videos created quite a buzz. The eventual honor of becoming the first Filipino
Colonel went to Ronaldo Valdez.
WATCH FIRST FILIPINO COLONEL
Source: KFC PH, youtube channel
SOURCES:
PHOTO SOURCES:
Col. Harlan Sanders Autographed Photo: Alex Castro
Collection
All others, pls. refer to cited online sources below
pictures.
CORTAL, was introduced in the early 50s as a revolutionary fever, colds and pain reliever. Cortal was basically an aspirin-based medication that has two more active ingredients that work synergistically to fight fever and pain, safely and quickly.
Widely advertised and easily available, Cortal tablets became the most popular medicine for the relief of headache, fever, and colds—easing out other available medications like the U.S.made-Bayer. Even with the rise of another competitive brand, Cafiaspirina, Cortal’s market lead was insurmountable.
As expected, other minor players in the analgesic market capitalized on Cortal’s success. In an age where there was no advertising board to police unfair advertising ng practices, another pain relief brand unabashedly copied Cortal’s winning marketing strategies.
CORTAPEN 1960 MAGAZINE AD
Cortapen was the name of the pink tablet brand that fought head-on with Cortal. Its name alone—Cortapen—was similar to Cortal. While Cortal relief was “fast, safe, sure”, Cortapen promised to be “effective, immediate, reliable”.
Cortal, in its advertising, introduced a sword-wielding mascot called ‘Captain Cortal”, as a symbolic figure “pain fighter”.
Cortapen responded with its own mascot—Corta, the “stop-pain cop”.
CORTAL MAGAZINE AD, 1955
The early print ads of Cortal followed a comic strip format—the Captain Cortal series--featuring short, problem-solution stories that appeared on weekly magazines,
CORTAPEN MAGAZINE AD, ca. 1954
Of course, Cortapen did the same—it ran its own comic strip ad with Corta.
This kind of copycat advertising would have been prohibited today by the Philippine Board of Advertising, as the Cortapen ads are blatant rip-offs of Cortal’s creative executions. There is enough basis to warn Cortapen of unethical advertising practice—but this was in the mid 1950s, where ad rules and regulations were nonexistent.
Cortapen would disappear from botica shelves in the early 1960s, while Cortal would soon be overtaken by the safer acetaminophen and paracetamol analgesics beginning in the late 1970s.
WATCH CORTAL QSR TVC 30
featuring NEIL ETHERIDGE (2011)
Cortal is still available today, reformulated and updated to meet the changing times. In fact, it continues to be advertised, although sparsely—a like this recent TV commercial featuring Neil Etheridge of the Philippine Azkals football team.
