MAXX to the max!

Ads & Ends
Nanette Franco-Diyco

I REMEMBER VISITING decades ago a big confectionery plant in Libis that was churning out Halls menthol candies in various flavors, an unquestionable favorite among the AB and upper and lower C socioeconomic groups in the confectionery menthols category.

Universal Robina’s Maxx has since claimed market leadership, broadening its popularity to all socioeconomic levels. Patricia Go, URC vice-president for advertising and communications, showed her pride over how URC’s confectioneries have unceasingly grown, introducing new items while retaining the target market’s favorites in an ever-expanding market. Come to think of it, my children never fail to include Nips, Cloud 9, and Maxx in the baskets for the subdivision’s Halloween guests. Pre-Halloween should be a peak for the categories’ advertising in all media!

The Maxx advertising account was recently won in a pitch by Black Pencil, headed by Sue Ann Nolido and Kat Limchoc. They revealed that the client wanted a fresh take on the iconic Filipino menthol candy brand. “After establishing its identity through various campy and humorous ads in the past, Maxx needed a space that was more relevant and updated.”

Kat explained, “When we discovered that Filipinos eat Maxx to add fun and excitement to their activities (such as commuting, waiting in line, etc.), we thought that Maxx could be the perfect brand to excite people to ‘Maxx’ out their lives.” Kat’s examples are activities that include endless minutes — sometimes hours — of traveling and boredom.

The inspiration for this Maxx campaign sprang from the many things that Filipinos do and share online “to max out the entertainment factors in their lives.” The other day, I saw online a woman in her 30s displaying a huge poodle in her arms whose hair had been dyed brilliantly blonde with streaks of mahogany and maroon, with multi-colored ribbonettes enhancing the insanity. Hold your breath: the woman’s hair-do matched her poor dog’s transformation, curls, colors, ribbonettes and all! I call it cruelty to the hapless dog — but the woman did max out the entertainment factor in her life!

“From ‘budots’ dancing in the streets, makeup transformation, ‘awra’ modeling, to dubsmash, the campaign really showed how fun and funny it is when you do things to the max,” said Kat. Client Patricia seconded Kat’s expectation, relating how she relished the URC management’s degree of entertainment during the campaign presentation.

Black Pencil used a fresh arrangement of the iconic pop song “Kapag Tumibok Ang Puso” as the score for the campaign. Kat shared the rationale for the choice of the song: “It’s not only for the high recall and the catchiness of the song, but also because it’s a throwback to a time when songs were really done to the max — as evidenced by the matching choreography.”

I am glad that for this ad, the agency chose not to use a celebrity endorser, successfully communicating a “regular tao’s” imagination and penchant for being funny while having the time of her life.

Both client and agency admitted that Henry Frejas was their “top-of-mind director” for this commercial. I say, spot on! Director Henry over the years has been known for story-telling, excellent timing for action and delivery of lines. Black Pencil calls it Henry Frejas’ genuine and natural sense for Filipino comedy.

Take a bow, client Universal Robina, ad agency Black Pencil, and production house Filmex.

Credits: Client-company, Universal Robina; Patricia Go, advertising and communications vice-president; Jane Bernardo, marketing director for confectionery; Ma. Francia Ambrocio, brand manager; Miguel Gamboa and Angela Mendoza, brand assistants. Ad agency, Black Pencil: Kat Limchoc, executive creative director; Jonah Brocka, associate creative director; Marj Tayle, senior art director; Sue Ann Malig-Nolido, vice-president, account management director; Onik Barbosa, regional account director; Joey Ramos, associate account director; Melissa Juan, account executive. Production house, Filmex. Steve Vesagas, producer (Slingshot); Pau Javier, assistant producer (Slingshot); Henry Frejas, director. Audio house, Hit Productions. Arnold Buena, musical arranger.

Nanette Franco-Diyco ended her 15^th year advertising career as Vice-President of JWT, segueing into the world of academe, currently teaching communications at the Ateneo de Manila University.

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