PHILIPPINES, NOVEMBER 14, 2010 – Skipping the paid-for screening at the cinema or the free one at the local gym, the cable TV-free Filipino household received a bigger dose of ads than usual this Sunday. The delayed telecast of the World Super Welterweight Championship title bout at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas between “Pambansang Kamao” (National Fist) Manny Pacquiao and the “Tijuana Tornado” Antonio Margarito on GMA 7 is no Superbowl, but it is certainly a fight between rivals that assaults the viewer on different levels. Free TV is indeed a misnomer.
From the hour-long Primer special at 10am, which follows the Saragani congressman from his last fight to Texas, to the four undercard fights to the main event, the viewer is subjected to a barrage of commercials expected for a TV event of this nature.
Brands that owned a piece of Pacquiao, from his headband, robe and trunks, were La Cafe, Head & Shoulders, Nike, Ricoa, Cafe Puro, Motolite, Sony 3D and MP Productions.
Smart Communications joined U.S. Brands on the ring and the leaderboard, with mentions by Michael “let’s get ready to rumble” Buffer. The mobile telco also sponsored the Tale of the Tape stat card. Ginebra and Alaxan FR started and ended each of the 12 rounds, as logos flashed all throughout the fights.
Nevermind that the intermission numbers by rapper Nelly were skipped–the scantily clad Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were a refreshing sight after the replays: Conzace Heavy Duty Immunity Flashback, San Miguel Beer Pale Pilsen Slow Mo, PurefoodsTender Juicy Power Punch, B-Meg Premium Kitang-Kita Moments, Smart Fight Highlights and Gran Matador Post-Fight.
Over 50 brands, not counting the sub-brands and variants, placed TVCs over the next five hours. A good number were the usual suspects: Boysen and its competitors DutchBoy and Nation paints; Pioneer and Cord glue and elastomeric brands; and commercials starring the Pac-Man himself, such as Rexona, San Miguel Beer, Nike and Alaxan FR. The fighter’s kiddie counterpart Manny Pa-cute returns in the Purefood Tender Juicy TVC. Pacquiao’s mother Mommy Dionesia also appears in the B-Meg feeds and Ginebra commercials.
Procter & Gamble appeared in full force, bringing detergents Ariel and Tide, shampoos Rejoice and Pantene, Downy and Joy Antibac to the screen. Of the Unilever brands, Clear fought back Pacquiao’s sponsorship of its rival anti-dandruff shampoo Head & Shoulders by appearing with actors Piolo Pascual, Jerico Rosales, Gerald Anderson and Bea Alonzo in the Clear Swap Challenge commercial, plus logo insertions over the scoreboard.
Powdered juice drink brand Eight O’ Clock, energy drinks Samurai and Powerade, and various San Miguel and Coca-Cola products kept the screen hydrated. Food chains represented were Mang Inasal, Shakey’s, McDonald’s Delivery and KFC, which made its Double Down product the talk of the town. PLDT-Smart brands and M Lhuillier, LBC, Philam Life, Trust Condoms, Petron Blaze, Selecta Cornetto and Belo Men were unopposed by their competitors.
Not the best of the lot, but nevertheless notable, were two throwbacks: Luis Manzano and Michael V. in Mister Donut spots alluding to the old “konsensiya” (conscience) commercials of Safeguard and the Bulldog Superglue spot that rehashes its old TVC using the Old Spice Guy “look at your man” line. Nice try, but for Pacquiao’s ninth title bout, please create a new one.
