Tide adopts new symbol of cleaning power

As far back as I can remember, Tide was one laundry detergent whose advertising would bring the TV audience to the actual washing place, whether this be the home or some distant riverbank to vividly demonstrate the cleanliness of its wash. Come to think of it, its competitors would also do the same — goading the consumers to determine their perceived greater degree of realism out of a myriad of dramatic executions. Side by side demonstrations were rife, brands marked Brand X or Brand Y, to go around the Philippine Adboard’s regulation that up to now strictly forbids direct comparison advertising.

Today, as Leo Burnett executive creative director Raoul Panes and creative director Dax Dacayan proudly declared, Procter & Gamble, with advertising agency Leo Burnett finally launched commercials that simply indicate the excellent cleaning power of Tide by this white stripe that sweeps across the dirtied apparel. The device obviously allows the creative teams to be more expansive — situations can indeed be farthest from the traditional wash place.

With exquisite timing, when virtually every Pinoy politician in the recent elections regularly took to the streets to launch his own campaign via our ubiquitous rallies, Tide came out with its first 30-second television commercial featuring a typical popular candidate doing exactly the same thing.

Director Henry Frejas, confessing to me his activism days during his student years in U.P., was right at home, directing Tide’s "Rally" TVC. Right away, you could feel the excitement of a full-blown rally, engineered and directed by Henry and the Filmex production team.

"We had nearly 250 extras doing the throng bit, but with different cameras and angling, the TV commercial projected much more."

The candidate on stage, gesticulating with semi-wild abandon, was selected at the very last minute, on the eve of the shoot. He’s a fellow filmmaker, Ricky Orellana — spotted in Mowelfund, a veteran behind and in front of the camera. Good talent casting here.

I particularly liked the abruptive dynamic entry of the Tide stripe while the candidate launched into his speech, which thoroughly marked clean that portion of his shirt, demonstrating the powerful sweeping strength of the product. Director Henry’s stunning audience reaction shots were well worth the ending! This introduced the new P5 price of the Tide bar, "debunking the myth that one needs to pay a high price for great cleaning."

He revealed that the Tide commercial shooting was the last event that was staged in Plaza Lacson near Sta. Cruz before the whole thing was demolished by Mayor Lim to give way to streets. Memorabilia in the making — Tide might even make it in our future history books!

The second of what appears to me as the Tide series launched last Sunday is even funnier than the first. Leo Burnett creative director Dax Dacayan and his team spoofed the old Tagalog movies with horses and cowboys, or the "Pinoy spaghetti western genre." Director Erik Matti called it a fun shoot.

In the final scene, while the main character is being dragged in the mud by horses and all, Erik does a great close-up of the fellow who straight-facedly says, "Lagot kayo sa misis ko!" (You’re all gonna get it from my wife!). Of course, the Tide stripe forthwith enters frame like the first of the series and demonstrates in one fell swoop the cleaning power of Tide.

Dax revealed what he termed as a focus group insight — that husbands almost fear their wives’ finding their shirts dirty. This apparently further strengthens the last frame’s memorable thrust, "Lagot kayo sa misis ko!," leaving the wives basking in their role as queens of their homes.

This commercial was precisely timed for the rains where, according to Raoul and Dax, "Tide introduces its innovation with Sunpower, where it promises great cleaning even in the absence of the sun."

I have always maintained that only market leaders can effectively battle their opponents with laughter. And both Raoul and Dax want to make sure that their Tide clients are heavily armed to laugh their way to the banks.

Credits. Client: Procter and Gamble. Yuri Hermida, Raffy Fajardo, Pratima Chandra, Linfred Yap, Jenny Santos, Sarah Tolentino. Agency: Leo Burnett Manila. Accounts: Chaitan Rao, Anirban Mozumdar, Milette Laureta, Onik Barbosa, Roan Reyes, Ria Concepcion. Creatives: Richard Irvine, Raoul Panes, Dax Dacayan, Alvin Tecson, Cey Enriquez, Robby Desilva, Reg Romanillos, Rey Aguilar. Production: Ato de Guzman, Lady Cajanding, Junni San Jose, Junie Ledesma. Production: Directors Henry Frejas of Filmex for "Rally" and Erik Matti of Larger than Life for "Lito."

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Tide adopts new symbol of cleaning power