527. A Free Christmas Gift from PURICO--BEAUTIFUL 3-DIMENSION BELEN! Promo Ad, 1953

PURICO was the very first product manufactured by Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC), which was later bought by Procter & Gamble. Purico , a cooking-frying-baking lard, came out in 1919 and was promoted extensively though field marketing, advertising and sales promotions.

For Christmas 1953, Purico offered a full-color 3-dimensional cardboard Belen (nativity scene)  that one can have by presenting a boxtop flap plus 10 centavos. The pop-out belen set features cut-out figures and scenery-- "amazingly lifelike!", as the ad proclaimed.

An actual example of the giveaway Nativity set is shown below, plus he complete advertising copy that details the mechancis on how to get the Christmas cardboard Belen free.

YOUR FREE XMAS GIFT FROM PURICO!

BEAUTIFUL 3-DIMENSION BELEN—IN BRILLIANT Full COLOR

 Perfect Christmas touch in your home! Heavy cardboard BELEN with cut-out figures and scenery. Just open and spread up. Amazingly life-like! But remember, only requests by mail will be answered.

For each Belen you want, send One (1) boxtop with flap from any size Purico carton and 10 centavos.. You will get you Belen by return mail. Send for as many as you like but be sure to enclose 1 Purico box-top with flap AND 10 centavos for EACH Belen you want.

.

If the coupon in this advertisement is already usedm  just print your name, aand address on the Purico box-top you send. Add the name of this magazine and the date at the top of the page. Send 10 c with each box-top for each Belen you want.

Don’t delay! Offer ends December 15!

522. Let's Raise a Glass or Two!: CAFE PURO, Various Glass Premium Ads, 1966-69

At the peak of its business, Commonwealth Foods Inc., producer of Instant CAFÉ PURO, held the distinction as the First and Largest Coffee Plant in the Far East, with the Biggest in Sales in the Philippines. It’s flagship brand CAFÉ PUROand its variants Le Café and Café Bueno, was a market and industry leader, known for its professionally-done advertising, and the regular consumer promotions.

Instant CAFÉ PURO was a leader in packaging innovation, the first to come out in glass jars with plastic caps—that were actually, usable decorative drinking glasses. These premiums had added-appeal to consumers, as you not only get coffee, you also get to keep the glass that you can use daily, so you can be regularly reminded of the coffee brand that gave it away to you—Free.

The most popular CAFÉ PURO collectibles that added immensely to the brand’s success were exclusively designed glasses that often came in sets. Chief among these were the CRYSTAL GLASS Collection, which featured applied “starlight” designs, with a flip-off plastic cap. These first came out in 1966, advertised on weekend and women’ magazines.

The CRYSTAL GLASS promo was so successful that the next year, the FOLK DANCE glass series was launched, which proved to be their biggest packaging promo ever. These were the first truly collectible glasses, that also came with matching shakers and pitchers. Each carried an ACL (applied color label) design of the country’s famous folk dances, rendered in stylizes drawings.

Singkil, Tahing Baila, Maglalatik, Itik-Itik and Tinikling were among the illustrated dances that were featured on the glass. To this day, these Café Puro FOLK DANCE series are sought after by advertising collectibles fans. (see separate article about these glasses on this blog.)

In 1968, a more premium-looking glass set was offered; The Instant Café Puro RAINBOW GLASS collection. The colors of the rainbow are all aglow in the glasses with gradating vivid hues of Orange, Yellow, Blue, Violet, Green and Purple.

Unfortunately for CAFÉ PURO, Nescafe, which initially came out in unsightly tin cans, improved on the packaging idea, and came out with their own glass collection that became truly classic—the straight-sided clear diamond-cut glass. Where Café Puro was giving out large glass jars with tin caps, Nescafe was offering classy 4-sided mutli-purpose glass canisters with glass and plastic stoppers. Simple and durable, sales took off for Nescafe, and the drinking glass and glass canisters became ubiquitous in  homes, office canteens, food stalls and wayside carinderias. With its massive market budget, product line extensions, and coffee expertise, Nescafe would bypass CAFÉ PURO by the 70s.,

 That being so, CAFÉ PURO remains a beloved brand, remembered for its full-bodied aroma and taste, as we as for its glass giveaways,  which, in their time, were the most attractive, well-made utilitarian tableware that every housewife would be proud to own.

496. FREE! NATIVITY STATUETTES from LADY'S CHOICE, KNORR, ALSA, ROYAL, Print Ad, 1978

BRIGHTENING YOUR HOMES WITH NATIVITY STATUETTES, Print Ad, 1978

In 1978, a consortium of products--LADY'S CHOICE (juices, spreads, pickles, dressings), KNORR (bouillons, seasonings), ALSA (gelatines, custards,  desserts), and ROYAL (pasta, noodles) came up with a holiday collectible promo, where one could assemble a set of plastic Nativity Statuettes for a Christmas Belen. The Nativity figures--15 in all-- are packed FREE with every purchase of the participating products, a fitting Christmas decor for your home. The completed set includes figures of the Holy Family, 3 Kings, Shepherds, Animals and an Angel.  Seek--and you shall find the spirit of Christmas in these handsome Nativity Statuettes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

481. MILO ENERGY DRINK, 1980 Moscow Olympics Ad

GO MILO! BUT WE'RE NOT GOING! Olympic Ad, 1980

Nestlé’s MILO began wresting the title of “Olympic Energy Drink” from arch rival  OVALTINE in 1968, when the popular chocolate malt beverage began running an ad that proclaimed itself as the “Choice of the ’68 Olympics”. On the other hand, OVALTINE had touted in its 1972 ads that it had been in every Olympics since 1932. It was to be the last time that OVALTINE—an aging brand on a decline--would call itself “the official energy drink of the Olympics since 1932”.

MILO took over that claim that same year, bannering that “modern day athletes need a modern energy drink”, while casting shades on Ovaltine as “old stand-bys are simply not enough”. MILO’s Olympic Energy campaign thus began officially in 1972 (Munich) followed by the next edition in Montreal (1976).

In 1980, the Summer Olympics were scheduled to happen in Moscow, Soviet Union, from Jul. 19-Aug. 3, 1980, the first games to be held in an Eastern bloc country. It was to be one of the most controversial stagings in the history of the Olympics. 

A year before, Soviet had invaded Afghanistan,  causing the United States and other Western countries to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Sixty six countries boycotted the games entirely, including the Philippines, and only 80 nations converged at the Moscow Games, the smallest number since 1956.

In retaliation, the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries (except Romania) boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. An alternative international sporting event, the Goodwill Games, was created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s.

Nevertheless, Filipro Inc., Nestlé’s local manufacturer in the Philippines, came up with their MILO Moscow Olympic Ads in 1980, despite the country’s non-participation. 

The ad was austere in its message, preferring to “salute the Olympic Year”, with the Moscow reference as just as subhead. Perhaps to make up for the lost Olympic momentum, MILO launched a SUPER ATHLETES Promo, with collectible plastic figures of athletes in action in every can. These were to be played using SUPER SPORTS gameboards published in select magazines and newspapers.

MILO SUPER ATHLETES TOY PROMO, 1980

SOURCES:

Moscow Olympics logo: Wikimedia commons

Moscow Olympics 1980: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics

Goodwill Games 1986: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Games

457. BENCH FIX HAIRSTYLING STICK, "Do-It-Yourself Styling Demo", 2002

A CONCEPT BOARD TO EXPLAIN THE BENCH/FIX ACTIVATION IDEA,

The BENCH FIX Styling Salons were opened in 2002 by the lifestyle company BENCH, and their initial success spawned hair grooming products, the first of which was the BENCH FIX HAIRSTYLING STICK. 

The creative team of Jimenez D'Arcy, the agency assigned to BENCH promotions, conceived of an idea to launch the product and introduce styling possibilities. The team, led by Creative Director Don  Sevilla III, came up with a do-it-yourself demo using a whiteboard marker attached to the product case. A whiteboard poster was placed in Bench FIX Salons.

422. MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES, "Nursery Rhyme" Campaign, 1989

MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES "Woman in a Shoe" PRINT AD, 1989

By the late 1980s, MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES was already an established instant noodle brand from Nestlé. It was supported by annual advertising campaigns developed by Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising.

 One such notable tri-media campaign was inspired by a nursery rhyme “Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe”, that originally talked about an old mother’s dilemma over her many children.

WATCH THE MAGGI RCH MAMI NOODLES "Nursery Rhyme" TVC HERE:

Source: Youtube Video uploaded by AlanChan80 

The popular Mother Goose rhyme was given a new spin, in which the many versions of MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES were presented as the perfect answers to satisfying a large brood. The copy retained the rhyme format, but rewritten this way:

“There was a woman who lived in a shoe 

She had so many children, and she knew what to do

She gave them some MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES

Rich delicious noodles, in rich flavorful soup

Steaming hit and hearty, to the delight of the whole group

“Tasty Chicken!” “Real Beefy!”

“Zesty Chicken Asado!” “Spicy Curry!”

“Mmm, love ‘em, mom!”, they said,

And she kissed them all soundly, and sent them to bed".

The sales promotion component of this campaign was a giveaway activity book, MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES Nursery Rhyme Games, that contained coloring pages, dot-to-dot, puzzles and games.

CREDITS:

Advertiser: Nestlé MAGGI

Agency: Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising

Creative Director: Cid V. Reyes

Copywriter: Isabel Beltran / Art Director: Bingo Bautista

SOURCES

1990 MAGGI RICH MAMI NOODLES,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv0FjucrFG0

uploaded by 莢豌豆本舗, 2018. uploaded by The Real AianChan80, Jan. 10, 2018

莢豌豆本舗

394. THE PREMIUM GLASSES OF CAFE PURO, 1966-1969

CAFE PURO RAINBOW GLASSES, 1969

 INSTANT CAFÉ PURO, the coffee brand produced by Commonwealth Foods Inc., had established its dominance in the coffee market in the 1950s, and continued to do so in the 60s, even as other brands like Nescafe and the relatively newer Blend 45 began to step up their advertising and promotional push in the 1960s. 

CAFE PURO ANNIVERSARY CRYSTAL GLASSES, 1966

To maintain interest in the brand, CAFÉ PURO offered many promotions in succession. Beginning in 1966, it began packaging its coffee in reusable, decorated drinking-glass type jars that became keepsakes for its customers, long after the coffee had been used up. The “collective glass” packages, as premiums, provided added value to the brand.

CAFE PURO SPARKLING CRYSTAL GLASSES, 1966

The CAFÉ PURO glasses were so popular that for 3 successive years, they were offered as bonus giveaways. The first of these were the CAFÉ PURO Crystal Glass Collection, given away on the occasion of CFI’s 5^th Anniversary, Decorated with applied “sparkle’ designs, the large glasses were also available wit their Café Bueno and Le Café variants.

CAFE PURO ANNIVERSARY CRYSTAL GLASSES, 1966

That collection were quickly followed by their most well received glass premiums ever—the CAFÉ PURO Folk Dance Collection, launched in 1967. The series featured glasses native folk dance illustrations like “Itik-Itik”, “Maglalatik”, “Tahing Baila”, “Pandanggo sa Ilaw”, and many more. But CAFÉ PURO went steps further by incorporating the sme folk dance them in giveway pitchers and shakers as well. The collection was so well received that the promo ran for 2 years.

CAFE PURO FOLK DANCE GLASSES, 1967

Finally, in 1969, CAFÉ PURO rolled out its products in eye-catching colored glass packaging, promoted as the CAFÉ PURO Rainbow Glass Collection. Again, the elegant glass set was snapped up as soon as they appeared on supermarket shelves. Its competitors quickly recognized the value of these innovative packaging that pretty soon, its chief rival, Nescafe, began offering glasses of different designs as well, like the nescafe Diamond Cut glass, as well as classic glass multi-purpose jars,

 But the CAFÉ PURO glasses were unrivalled for their creative design and durability, so it is no wonder that they can still be found today still in use in homes, or stored away in somebody else’s old “platera” or tableware cabinets.

264. DRINKING GLASSES from CAFÉ PURO, BLEND 45 AND NESCAFE, BLEND 45, 1966-1975.

Before the 1960s decade, there were just a handful of coffee brands in the market—like Hills Bros. and Chase & Sanborn, which were American imports. Then, Commonwealth Foods, Inc. began manufacturing the post-war brand CAFÉ PURO, and by 1951, it had become the no.1 selling coffee brand nationwide, a position it held until the 1960s came along.

This was when more coffee brands came into the fray--Consolidated Food Corporation (CFC), founded in 1961 by John Gokongwei Jr., introduced BLEND 45, an affordable coffee that became known as “the people’s coffee”, with its budget-friendly price and favorable taste. 

NESCAFE, was introduced in the mid 50s decade by Nestlé, and aggressively advertised in the 60s.

With more competitors coming into the picture, all sorts of promotions were launched to entice customers and add more product value. Using a reusable packaging as added product value was an old—but a proven tried and tested idea. It came naturally for coffee brands too. In the post-war 50s, coffee brands still came in round tins, including NESCAFE.  

Then, with the advent of instant coffee brands, wide-mouth glass jars were utilized, and discarded or sold after use. But what if the packaging had more utilitarian value after the product has been consumed?

CRYSTAL ANNIVERSARY GLASS WITH FLIP-OFF CAP, 1966 Print Ad

This led to the  idea of packaging instant coffee in drinking glasses that could be used long after the last coffee drop has been sipped. The glass serves also as a remnder of the pleasure of the coffee-drinking experience. It also helped that specially-designed, set-building glasses encouraged repeat purchases as they became collectibles.

 

CRYSTAL ANNIVERSARY GLASSES, 199 Print Ad

The free, giveaway glasses were given fanciful names to appeal to consumers’ eye. As expected, market leader CAFÉ PURO came out first with its “Crystal Glasses”--to celebrate its 15th anniversary-- with flip-off plastic caps in 1966. 

GLASSES, PITCHER AND SHAKERS FROM CAFE PURO, 1967 Ad

The promotion was so enthusiastically received that the next year, CAFÉ PURO launched  their “Philippine Dance” glass series—with not just 12 glasses but also coffee shakers to collect.

 

CAFE PURO RAINBOW GLASSES, 1969 Print Ad

In 1969, CAFÉ PURO offered its “Rainbow Glasses” collection, with “colors a-glow-glow”! There were 6 colors of glasses to choose from.

 

IMPERIAL CRYSTAL GLASSES FROM BLEND 45, 1967 Ad

Not to be outdone, BLEND 45 came up with its “Windsor Crystal Party Glasses” and “Crystal Imperial Glasses” offer, which were all successful.  The more premium NESCAFE introduced its decaffeinated brand in squat "diamond" glasses with repeating diamond shapes in raised relief. Many of these glasses could still be found being used in many Filipino homes to this day, still stored and kept in glass cabinets after all these years.

 

NESCAFE ESPRESSO IN DIAMOND GLASS, 1975 Ad

Eventually, the promotions came to include storage jars, pitchers,--and with the surge in popularity of coffee houses—coffee mugs in glass and ceramic, like what NESCAFE and CAFÉ PURO use.  BLEND 45, meanwhile, has done away with glass bottles and uses only foil packs today.

256. MILO’s TRIBUTE TO SUPER ATHLETES, 1980

1980 was an Olympic year and to tide on the sporting craze, MILO—theOlympic Energy Drink-- launched its Free SUPER ATHLETES Promo. These were giveaway standing plastic athele figures given away with every tin of MILO.

There were 8 athletes to choose from—Gymnast, Shotputter, Football Player, Diver, Torch Bearer, Runner, Javelin Thrower and Weightlifter. They were available in Red, Blue, Green and Yellow Colors.

 

Photo used  with permission. Nicky Hernandez Collection

The SUPER ATHLETES can be collected for playing the MILO Super Sports Game. The gameboards could be clipped from selected magazines and newspapers.

However, there was a major boycott of the Moscow Games in 1980, as a potest for the Soviet invasion of Afghanstan. This resulted in the non-participation of major countries including U.S.A. and other western nations, and the organization of the alternative Goodwill Games. Similarly, in the next 1984 Olympics, the games were boycotted by Russia and the eastern bloc countries.

It is good to know that the 30^th Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines, which is wrapping up this week,  continues to uphold the spirit of sportsmanship and friendly competition, untouched by politics and contentious politicians. Here’s to all the SUPER ATHLETES of the SEA Games!!

CREDITS:
Many Thanks to Nicky Hernandez for the use of his Super Athletes collection photo.

220. Political Ads: YULO-MACAPAGAL of the Liberal Party, 1957

The 1957 Presidential Elections of the Philippines saw the candidacies of several distinguished Filipino politicians from different major parties. The elections were held in the year that the country was still reeling from the airplane crash death of President Ramon Magsaysay in March. Vice president, Carlo Garcia had to assume his office and serve the  remaining 8 months of the deceased president’s term.

 

SLOGANEERING. Yulo's camp launched a slogan-making contest to engage voters.

When the official election season of 1957 kicked off, the major contenders for the executive posts of President and Vice-President respectively, included incumbent Carlos P. Garcia and Jose Laurel Jr. (Nacionalista Party),   Jose Yulo and Diosdado Macapagal (Liberal Party), Manuel Manahan and Vicente Araneta (Progressive Party) and Claro M. Recto and Lorenzo Tañada  (Nationalist  Citizens’ Party) .

WINNING BY WORDSMITHING. 50 pesos for weekly winners!

José Yulo (b. 24 Sep.1894/d. 27 Oct. 1976) was born in Bago, Negros Occidental. A U.P. law graduate, and a bar topnotcher, he rose to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (1942-45) during the Japanese Occupation. Previous to this, he was  the Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939-41.  He had the distinction of serving in all he branches of the government.

 

MAKE MAC WIN! The Macapagal camp organized pro-Macapagal groups that they 
could mobilize for cascading information and distribution of campaign materials.

Running mate Diosdado Macapagal (b. 28 Sep. 1910/d. 21 Apr. 1997) was an alumni of the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, and worked as a government  lawyer. His political career began in 1949 when he was elected as a Pampanga congressman.

The Yulo-Macapagal tandem had many campaign stunts to engage the voting public—and among these were a Slogan-Making Contest, with a weekly cash prize of Php 50.00 for the winning slogan.

 

HOW-TO'S ON MAKING A MAC GROUP IN YOUR COMMUNITY, 1957 Ad

Macapagal, on the other hand, promoted the organization of pro-Macapagal groups in Philippine communities, a network support to help push his candidacy in the provinces. They were equipped with campaign materials for posting in their neighborhoods, and the officials were used to cascade information about Macapagal’s platform to people in far-flung places.

It would seem that Macapagal’s gimmick worked better than that of Yulo, as after all the votes were counted, he found himself the runaway winner of the Vice Presidential position, beating Jose Laurel Jr. Yulo, on the other hand, placed second to Carlos Garcia. This was the first time that the elected president and vice president came from different parties. Macapagal would eventually be elected the 9th President of the Philippines in 1961.

Today, political stunts and gimmicks are threatening to overshadow the competence and credentials of candidates—remembered more for their Voltes 5 jingles, useless giveaways, silly slogans, ridiculous posters and cash prizes. Politics, after all, is about public service, not public entertainment, of which we already have enough these days.

156. Happy Easter from PURICO, 1953

Procter and Gamble PMC’s leading cooking product, PURICO, was a highly advertised and promoted brand during its heyday. For its 1953 Holy Week offering, PURICO gave away 2 religious pictures of The Last Supper (14 x12 in.) and The Resurrection (9 x 12 in.). To get these, one had to mail a letter addressed to PURICO’s post office box, enclosed with a filled-out  magazine coupon,  2 PURICO boxtops with flaps, and 10 centavos. The pictures were mailed back by PURICO, for framing by the happy customer, to be reflected upon on Easter!

131. Brand Icons: SUSTAGEN’S SUSY AND GENO, 1985

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.

youtube: Sustagen Con Yelo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRS21GOb_A, uploaded by Want Promo, publihsed 12 Feb. 2010

youtube: Susy and Geno (A Case Study): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqJuPhQtiQ,, published by Ace-Saatchi & Saatchi-PH, Aug. 13, 2014

119. Karapatdapat sa Paghanga: ROBIN HOOD POMADE, Print Ad, 1953

ROBIN HOOD POMADE/BRILLIANTINE. 1953

In the 50s, young Pinoy lads dabbed their hair with "brilliantine" pomade to create the pompadour look that was the rage of the era. Popularized by James Dean and Elvis, the iconic men's hairdo was completed with cowlick that was forced to curl in front of one's forehead with more dabs of pomade. Early brands included imported ones like Vitalis, Yardley and Brylcreem, but cheaper, local brands dominated the market from the late 40s-60s, like "Palikero", "X-7", "Verbena", "Le Conte" . One post-war brand, "ROBIN HOOD MEDICATED SOLID BRILLIANTINE POMADE" (in both cream and liquid brilliantine forms) attained a measure of popularity with young Pinoy lads of the era.

Created by Beauty Chemical Lab which had a plant along Benavidez St., Binondo in Manila, ROBIN HOOD caught on with the young crowd, favoring its extra-heavy brilliantine effect on hair.

The brand icon shows the bemoustached hero-outlaw who robbed the rich to help the poor---ROBIN HOOD--all in his red tights glory. Curiously, the package graphics show him wielding a sword instead of the bow and arrow that identifies him as an archer, first and foremost.

ROBIN HOOD Pomade was promoted nationally and advertising tin signs like this example were nailed in front of neighborhood stores to attract consumer attention. There were comics-like print ad versions written in deep, poetic Pilipino.

ROBIN HOOD, print ad 1953

Pomades went out of style in the 90s, with hair gels and clay taking their place. But in the distant 50s, there was nothing like ROBIN HOOD to groom you and bring out the the handsome rogue in you. Finally, as its advertising blurb proclaims---gleaming, shining, brilliant hair can now be "thrillingly yours!".

POSTSCRIPT: Sometime in 2012, a cache of vintage ROBIN HOOD pomade stocks as well as point-of-sale materials, mostly tin signs,  were discovered in a Binondo store. These were immediately snapped up by Filipino pickers and collectors.

78. THE SEARCH FOR LITTLE MISS SHELLANE 1968

LITTLE MISS SHELLANE. Little Jackie Alipio (now Monteclaro) of Cavite, aged 5, in 
her official Shellane girl dress..

In 1965, SHELLANE COOKING GAS, was introduced by the international fuel company, Shell, to the Philippines.  At that time, Esso Gasul and Mobil Gas were the leaders in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market catering to a middle to lower class market that could afford gas stoves and ranges.

SHELLANE COOKING GAS INTRO AD, 1966.

SHELLANE became the new alternative, and in 1966,  it began to be advertised and promoted aggressively to win a chunk of the growing middle class families of the later part of the 60s in the cusp of a new, progressive decade.

SHELLANE WAS SOLD ALONG WITH SHELLANE
GAS STOVES AND RANGES. 1966

“Cook fast and tasty with SHELLANE!”, the launch print ads announced.  After all, cooking with gas—as opposed to wood—was efficient and precise, with just the right amount of concentrated heat needed to keep natural juices of food intact.

The SHELLANE tanks,  in 30 lb, or 110 lb. cylinders, were available in Shell agents nationwide. The promotional launch included selling SHELLANE gas with SHELLANE stoves that came with attractive giveaways like kitchen and stove utensils.

LITTLE MISS SHELLANE MASCOT

Equally appealing was the SHELLANE mascot, depicted by a sprite of a girl with her trademark tress sweeping upwards much like a tongue of flame. It was SHELLANE’s cute answer to Esso Gasul’s strange-looking lady mascot with a gas droplet for a head.

LITTLE MISS SHELLANE ANNOUNCEMENT AD, 1967.

In 1967, SHELLANE gained more momentum when it launched the Search for Little Miss SHELLANE. Aimed at creating goodwill with the housewife, the contest revolved around the quest for a little girl from 4-6 years old that best personifies the Shellane mascot. She had to be photographed wearing a specially made Shellane outfit—a blue polka-dotted dress made from Gentex fabrics, and the picture submitted either through designated Shellane dealers or by mail.

From twenty five regional semi-finalists, 4 regional winners will be picked after live judging. From the 4 will emerge the grand winner—Little Miss SHELLANE OF 1968—who will win P5,000 and a host of appliances—from a cooking range to an air condition unit, refrigerator and kitchen appliances. In all, Php 33,000 was at stake for all the winners.

Photo: http://www.philstar.com/shell100

The first Little Miss SHELLANE was Joy Paguirigan. Apparently, the contest drew much buzz as to warrant a second edition in 1969. Arlene Arrieta emerged as Little Miss SHELLANE of 1969—and that would be the last year the contest was staged.

In 2013, SHELLANE was re-branded as SOLANE, after it was acquired by Isla Pretroleum and Gas Corp.--a Fil-Japanese company, from Shell. The name change was announced in a full-blown ad campaign that featured comedienne Eugene Domingo.

WATCH THE SOLANE TVC HERE:

Interestingly, the major relaunch  included the search for the Little Miss SOLANE, thus reviving the pageant for little girls began over 50 years ago. This time though, the age requirements were raised to include girls 8-12 year olds (Cuties) and 13-16 years old (Teenies).

LITTLE MISSES SOLANE 2013, Cuties and Teenies winners.
Photo: The Manila Standard Today

The winners were Caryl Brianne Codina, 10, and Gabriella Louise Lopez, 14, respectively, crowned in a contest hosted by former Little Miss SHELLANE girl finalist, society girl-columnist-fashion plate Tessa Prieto-Valdes.


SOURCES:

http://business.inquirer.net/114785/meet-solane-the-former-shellane

Video: youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4LzCk9Vl4

Photo of 2013 Miss Solane Winners: http://manilastandardtoday.com/mobile/article/108911

http://www.philstar.com/shell100/template/pdf/edmposter-1277282.pdf