Monday, June 10, 2024

475. EGGO MAYONNAISE, SANDWICH SPREAD & SALAD DRESSING, 1959-1967 Ads

EGGO SANDWICH SPREAD, 1967 Ad

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.

SOURCES:

San Jose History: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SanJoseHistory/posts/2365718663559354/

 The Origins Of Eggo Have Nothing To Do With Waffles: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1127961/the-origins-of-eggo-have-nothing-to-do-with-waffles/

 

Sunday, June 2, 2024

474. The Most Talked About Name in Male Fashion: R.M. MANLAPAT, Tailor and Haberdasher

RANDOM SHOTS FOR '69, R.M. Manlapat Ad, 1968

One of the most enduring names in the history of male fashion is R.M. MANLAPAT, the iconic tailor and haberdashery shop now on its 7th decade of operations. It was established by Rosendo Manlapat Sr. in 1951, and slowly built a reputation for its quality tailoring of formal suits, coats, contemporary jackets and native barong.

R.M. MANLAPAT even ventured into providing costumes and wardrobe for films, like Lo'Waist Gang,  Og sa Mindoro (1958), Hell of Borneo (1964) and Mano po (2002).At its peak, aside from its main office in Sampaloc, R.M. MANLAPAT had branches in Greenhills, Cubao, and at the Manila Hilton by 1975.

Its reputation was cemented when, at the 1974 Miss Universe Pageant held in Manila,  the shop provided officials, VIP guests, judges (Jose Greco, basketball star Jerry West, film actor Dana Andrews, Gen. Carlos P. Romulo) and the celebrity host, Bob Barker.

R.M.MANLAPAT "Thrilla in Manila" Ad, 1975, courtesy of Pinoy Kolletor

The next year brought R.M. MANLAPAT more fame when the Games and Amusement Board for the Ali-Frazier fight, dubbed as the “Thrilla in Manila”, was appointed exclusive tailor and haberdasher. The shop designed and supplied the exquisitely-embroidered  barong tagalog worn by boxers Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Ken Norton.

Today, R.M. MANLAPAT operates a shop in Timog and in Pasig, continuing a tradition of fine tailoring in men’s fashion that has become its signature legacy to generations of Filipinos.

 SOURCES: R. M. Manlapat “Thrilla in Manila” ad, courtesy of Pinoy Kollektor, used with permission.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

473. Canned and Bottled Right on The Farm : RAM FOOD PRODUCTS INC., 1961

RAM FOOD PRODUCTS, INC. is one of the largest consumer food manufacturing and distribution companies in in the country. While 1962 is considered as the founding date of RAM Foods,  the company actually was already operational in 1960 in brgy.  Pulo, Canlubang, Laguna, as a local food processing company. 

Its earliest product were bottled mixed pickles, which became the flagship brand. By 1960, it was also producing Pickled Sweet Ampalaya, Sweet Corn, Papaya Nectar, and Mango Jam. The products were exclusively distributed by Young & Baldwin Inc. with offices in Dasmariñas, Manila. The earliest advertising were black and white ads for the pickled products that saw print that same year. 

In due time, RAM Foods became a recognized brand and became on of the key players in the market along with California Manufacturing Company (maker of the more-established Lady’s Choice food brands), Kraft Foods and Del Monte. Macondray Co. Inc. took over as the major distributor of RAM brands.

In 1966, it expanded its product portfolio to include Tropical Fruit Juice, Fruit Cocktail, Tomato Sauce, Red Pimientos, and even a condiment RAM Worcestershire Sauce. The next year, it added Tomato Juice, Peeled Whole Tomatoes, Pork and Beans, and Hot Sauce,  Later, RAM Foods, Inc.  introduced a sub-brand called Sevilla, which produced canned chick peas and green peas.

Today, after over 6 decades RAM Food Products Inc., continued to do well in the next decades, growing and modernizing its plants to become a state-of-the-art food processing company. With five factories and over 25 distribution centers, RAM products are poised to enter the international market as well.


 Meanwhile, its sister company, Ace Foods Inc.  manages the sales and distribution of its classic brands that have become leaders in their categories, as well as new Spaghetti Sauce and Pasta lines that are now well-established in the marketplace.

 SOURCES:

Ram Food Products, Inc. https://ramfoods.com

Ram Foods FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/RamFoodProducts/

Ram Foods Co. Profile: https://www.dnb.com

Thursday, May 16, 2024

472. LEA SALONGA and the new PALMOLIVE Skin Care System: Two Beauty Breakthroughs of 1990

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.

 SOURCES:

Lea Salonga Palmolive commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G_ie2KLHTs, View on the 3rd

Friday, May 10, 2024

471. Brand Stories: LILY’S PEANUT BUTTER, 1950 to present

LILY'S PEANUT BUTTER Magazine Ad, 1989-90

The beginnings of Lily’s Peanut Butter began in 1950, when the first natural peanut butter was produced in the country. It was not until more than 2 decades later that, in 1972, home-made brand was fully commercialized with the founding of the Newborn Food Products , Inc. to raise the quality of the product.

In 1998, Arch. Ramon T. Pua was name President and CEO of Newborn Food Products, Inc., and under his term, the distribution system was improved, the management and organizational structure of the company was strengthened, and new product line were introduced like Coco Jam and Jelly Gem Ice Pops.

 The company celebrated its 50th year in 2000 by advancing its vitamin A advocacy program and introducing product innovations: the launch of the new 20g. peanut butter sulit pack (2007) and new variant  Chocolate-Peanut Butter in new PET bottle packaging (2008).

 More line extensions followed like the first ever healthy variant—Lily’s Peanut Butter Lite,  made from real peanuts and stevia extract. Another is Lily’s Crunchy Peanut Butter, with cracklin’ real peanut bits. Rounding out the Lily’s line is Lily’s Choco Almond Spread, made with real tablea and roasted almonds.  The brand became more visible when it employed young hearthrob Daniel Padilla as its celebrity endorsers.

After 70 years, Lily’s Peanut Butter has become part of the Filipino snacking tradition, with a trusted quality that continues to grow strong with every passing year.

LILY'S PEANUT BUTTER PRODUCT LINE, Source: Lily's FB Page

SOURCES:

History - Lily's Peanut Butter: Weebly, https://mylilysofficial.weebly.com › history

Lily's Company AVP screen grab, 2019

Lily’s Peanut Butter: From savory dishes to desserts, posted 19 Sep. 2013. https://enjoyingwonderfulworld.blogspot.com/2013/09/lilys-peanut-butter-from-savory-dishes.html

Sunday, May 5, 2024

470. 5 U.S. PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN THE 1920s IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THEIR ADS

Back in the 1920s, half a century before the PX business boomed in the country, popular American-made products were already available to Filipinos—without restrictions. These were directly imported by legitimate distributors who had offices and branches throughout the country, and advertised in leading magazines and newspapers of their time. Here are examples of print ads of American food products that one can pick right off a store shelf in 1926.

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Campbell's Tomato Soup, 1926 Ad.

CAMPBELL’S  SOUPS

Campbell's, was put up in 1869 by fruit merchant Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson, which today is one of the largest processed companies in the world. The flagship brand is Campbell’s Soups, with such variants like Cream of Mushroom,Cream of Chicken, Tomato, Chicken Noodle, Cheddar Cheese and French Onion Soup. John Dorrance became the company president from 1914 – 1930, and being a chemist, he  developed a commercial process for condensing soup by halving the quantity of its heaviest ingredient: water. The success of the company enabled it to distribute its products internationally, finding its way to the country in the 1920s, and sold by authorized dealers.

Hershey's Cocoa Powder Ad, 1929 Ad

HERSHEY’S COCOA POWDER

Hershey’s was founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 in Pennsylvania., one of the world’s largest chocolate manufacturers. Breakfast Cocoa was one of the first products manufactured by Hershey’s, and made its appearance in the Philippines in the 1920s. Filipinos then were already drinking cacao-based tsokolate, so Hershey’s Breakfast Cocoa gained patronage as the powder was also used for baking. Hershey’s Philippines continues to sell products, including on online channels. Hershey’s Cocoa is still available in the market today after over 100 years!

Kellogg's Corn Flakes, 1935 Print Ad

KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKES

The staple of American breakfast—Kellogg’s Corn Flakes—involved several family members like Ella Eaton Kellogg, John Harvey Kellogg, his younger brother Will Keith Kellogg. The wheat based product, that was rolled into flakes that were baked, were served at a sanitarium, but demand became heavy and so the flakes were sold thru mail-order. The contentious Kellogg brothers had a falling out, so in 1906, and renamed it the Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company in 1909 (shortened the Kellogg Company in 1922.) Kellogg Corn Flakes were available in Manila by the 1920s, sold for its health benefits. It was made to appeal more to the American market in the Philippines, as Filipinos favored rice for breakfast. Today, Kellogg’s are available in the Philippines which is part of Kellogg’s SouthEast Asia network. Fruit loops and frosted flakes come from thei manufacturing plants in Thailand. 

SUN-MAID Raisins, 1926 Ad

SUN-MAID RAISINS

In 1912, raising growers in California and banded together to sell their common product as one, thus the California Associated Raisin Company was born. Under the brand SUN-MAID, coined by advertising man E.A. Berg, the California seedless raisin products, in their iconic carton boxes featuring a bonneted woman with a basket of grapes against a yellow sun, was launched in the market. SUN-MAID Raisins were so special in the Philippines that they were advertised only during the holidays, as snacks or as ingredients for candies and fruitcakes,

WRIGLEY'S Gum, 1926 Print Ad

WRIGLEY’S GUMS

The historic Wrigley chewing gum company was founded 133 years ago in 1891 by Wiliam Wrigley Jr. in Chicago, Illinois. He actually was into selling baking powder, which he promoted by giving 2 packs of chewing gum for every purchase.  It was the chewing gum, however, that interested consumers more. Thus began his Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum, that would catapult Wrigley Company as the  largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum in the world. Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum made use of a “Spearman” mascot in promoting the product in the Philippines. Succeeding variants were Juicy Fruit, a bestseller in the country, and Doublemint,

Sunday, April 28, 2024

469. MARICRIS BERMONT for No. 1 Selling Brand LA GERMANIA Gas Ranges, 1979

MARICRIS BERMONT for LA GERMANIA, 1979

An unheralded singer stole the show at the 1st ever Metro Manila Popular Music Festival (METROPOP) in 1978 when she sang the soaring “Narito Ako", a composition of well-known composer, Nonong Pedero. MARICIRIS BERMONT, the lovely curly-haired Filipino-French mestiza sang her heart to a commendable 3rd place finish, after “Pagdating Mo” (Celeste Legaspi), and “Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika” (Hajji Alejandro).

Bermont, then 30, was largely unknown, singing in limited circles in events and muscals staged at Manila Metropolitan Theater, Her triumph signaled the start of a successful career in the mainstream Philippine music industry. After her stint at Metropop, she once again represented the contry at an international song festival in Puerto Rico, where she emerged as the Grand Prize winner.

AT THE 1ST METROPOP  FESTIVAL,with Nonong Pedero

She was sought after for television shows and was even recruited for the movies, appearing in at least 2: “Dyesebel” (1978), “Nognog” (1980).


In 1979, LA GERMANIA, leading maker of gas ranges, ovens and other appliances, tapped the young mother (she was married to Gerardo C. Garcia +) to appear in a series of print ads, with a TV version wher she sang the memorable “La Germania generates love..” jingle. Beauty queen Consuelo Escalambre had appeared in an earlier, similar version, singing and strumming a guitar.


The ad agency kept the same formula and soon, guitar-playing Bermont was heard all over the airwaves, and seen in many versions of LA GERMANIA print ads.

Eventually, the Bermonts became a born again Christian family in the early 1980s. Maricris Bermont shifted to singing songs of faith and inspiration and, to this day, continues to perform and make guest appearances in many Christian fellowship events, TV and radio shows. Regine Velasquez would turn her 1978 hit song "Narito Ako", into another retro-bestseller in 1990. The Bermonts are a part of the Word Community (Wordcomm)  of Makati; her son, is in fact, a pastor of that gospel-centered church.

MARICRIS BERMONT, today

SOURCES:

Youtube: Manila Met videos, Maricris Bermont sings “Narito Ako”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSOncLyk12g, uploaded by nomerson.