Independence is blue1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minutePatriotic consumerism appears to be somewhat a trend here in the Philippines. More and more brands are getting into the “Pinoy Pride” theme, especially when June 12 is approaching. In recent years, we’ve seen the Philippine flag, map and colors on notebooks, garments, scents, watches and a lot of other items. Joining this long list of goods is Pepsi. Even if it isn’t a Filipino product, the cola seems to hit the right spot with a new campaign that speaks to our sense of national identity.
Just in time for this year’s Independence Day, a localized blue version of Pepsi called Pepsi Pinas is launched. To introduce the new cola variant, Pepsi Cola Products Philippines Inc., through advertising agency BBDO, rolled out a buzz-worthy campaign. This includes the bottle label design, a white silvery background decorated with tiny Philippine-inspired images. There’s also the tagline-a clever play on words-that reads, “Ang Pinoy may sarap ng Pinas.” But the real star of the show is the commercial entitled “Sa Akin ang Pinas.”
The creative concept pokes fun at classic Filipino action movies and uses every possible cliché in parodying them, highlighting the metaphor-filled confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist. But more than that, it’s an homage to the iconic films, which are highly regarded in Philippine society and culture. Interestingly, the commercial relies on another distinguishing feature of local cinema, the slapstick comedy style, to bring on the laughs.
The full two-minute clip uploaded to YouTube has been blogged about and shared all over social networks. Within three days, it’s been viewed almost 150,000 times. Most reactions have been generally positive.
