MANILA – It was three years ago when Bench released their ‘Love All Kinds of Love’ campaign which proudly represented the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community. This bold move had garnered an impressive response from LGBT supporters around the country, and with feminist and LGBT rights issues getting a lot of attention today, Bench tries again to pounce on these growing trends and join in the conversation with their newest campaign ‘#SoInLoveEDT’ feeding the tagline, ‘Someone is bound to smell it.’
The ad, which promotes Bench’s So In Love Deo Body Spray, prompts the question ‘How long can you keep a secret?’ and tells the story of JR, a man who has a very close relationship with his father.
The two-minute ad directed by Chris Martinez opens with JR spraying the So In Love Deo which smell attracts the attention of actor Marco Gumabao who portrays Vince in the ad. “Hi, JR. Bango mo, ah,” Vince expresses as he smells the body spray.
The next scene opens with JR arriving home as his father greets him by saying, “Amoy chicks ang anak ko, ah!” JR fakes his laugh and responds, “Dami lang pong nagpapansin sa school, Pa.” It is then followed by a clip of Vince being affectionate to JR. The father even sheepishly asks his son, “Oh, ano? Girlfriend mo na?” making the viewers believe that a potential love story between the two is about to unfold.
As JR comes to school the next day, he sprays the So In Love Deo and realizes that the canister he brought is already empty. While in the school’s hallway, he greets Vince who greets another girl to his dismay. This left JR devastated until he comes home. His father notices his mood and jokingly asks, “Oh, ano? Wala na? Kailan ka ba mag ku-kwento?” to which JR responds, “Next time na lang po, Pa.”
The ad continues to show JR entering his room and seeing a new bottle of So In Love Deo Body Spray with a note that says, “Nak, amoy kita. Love you!” showing that the father comes to terms with his gay son. This proves that visibility really is the key to acceptance and the LGBT Community has undoubtedly made great progress in the brand new and multisexual world of advertising.
Watch the ad below:
When asked about the execution of the ad, director Chris Martinez shares, “I just went for the difficult struggles of coming out. The first time I saw the board, I felt its relevance to our times. I wanted to infuse it with tenderness all throughout and a lot of care because it is never easy coming out, especially between fathers and sons.”
“Long before local brands were into online films, Bench started creating content under Benchingko Films, which was launched massively in 2012. Since then, Bench has built its strong online presence through programmed content and an innovative and intuitive approach to lifestyle marketing,” says Melvin Mangada, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer for TBWA Santiago Mangada Puno.
This new campaign of Bench from TBWA proves that the brand believes in human relationships and that it is part of a broader campaign that focuses on consumers instead of just the product. “After a banner year that celebrated its 30th anniversary, Bench kicked off 2018 pushing their scent line, focusing on a favorite variant among users, ‘So In Love.’ Agency recommended a love story, which, on the surface, one would see as puppy love, but at the core is the unconditional kind between father and son,” Mangada adds.
Mangada continues on to give credit to Ben Chan, the chairman and founder of Bench, saying that Chan has “a quarter of a million followers who are updated on the brand’s direction.”
“For thirty years, Bench has believed in strengthening its equity through disruptive work, with messages that go beyond product and fashion, pushing creativity and humanity forward.”
Credits:
Creative team: James Mendoza, Chino Jayme, Melvin Mangada, Denise Oyog
Accounts Team: Portia Catuira, Paolo Broma, Jake Espina
Director: Chris Martinez
Producers: Sunny Lucero, Francis Bagnes
Digital Propagation: Ingrid Papa, Peach Natividad, Misha Lecaros, Dylan Pizzaro
Offline and online editor: Vince Belen
Production House and Post House: How’s Everything?
Colorist: Emil Batungbacal
Audio House: Soundesign
Sound Engineer: Paolo Escanillas
Music: Loudbox
Musical arrangers: IJ Garcia and Jeff Arcilla
