A lot of them, I like a lot. Some others, I find very forgettable. Some were rooted in great insights, and resonated wonderfully with their respective target audiences. Others really had no emotional depth to them – dinaan lang sa production values, as some people would say.

There are a few I can’t find – mostly from the pre-YouTube era. I wish I’d hung onto them.

But anyway. Here are the campaigns I’ve done.

*****

1.
Lady’s Choice Sandwich Spread: “Isipin Mo Na Lang”

My first ever TV commercial, and perhaps the one I’m the most proud of. It’s a simple story with simple production values, but very charming and engaging nevertheless. Mommies told us they loved the material; it painted a picture of Lady’s Choice as “mom’s invisible hand in her kids’ lunchboxes,” giving her a bit of reassurance as they go off to eat the one meal of the day that doesn’t fall under mom’s direct supervision.

2.
Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise: “Sharon Cuneta’s Megadelicious Dip”

A lot of people said this was a poor choice of endorser; this was Ate Shawie still recovering from pregnancy-induced weight gain. “Why would you choose someone like that to sell mayonnaise?” they asked.

Simple.

Because she captures the simple joy of eating like nobody else does – no pretensions, no inhibitions, just pure sensuous satisfaction. We should all learn to eat the way she does. I love her.

It’s true that we had to provide a lechon for each shoot day – but it wasn’t all for her, and she deserved it. Shooting with her was like a fiesta – so professional, no bad takes, wonderful rapport with co-talents and production.

Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise  ”Endorsers”

Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise “Drama (30s)”

Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise “Drama (15s)”

Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise “Ikaw”

Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise “Balat Sibuyas”

3.
Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise “A Little To A Lot”

I don’t have a lot of memories on this material. I think we were midstream in transitioning the brand into a new positioning, but needed to capitalize on the key Christmas season.

I personally don’t eat a lot of macaroni salad. But some people do, and the sales we got over the duration of this campaign were astounding.

4.
Lady’s Choice Easy-Squeeze Bottle “Worms” 30s

The last TVC I made during my Unilever career, for one of the most fun innovations I got to do – the upside-down easy-squeeze bottle. I’m not a gourmet chef, by any means, but I do try to be artsy with my food in little ways, and this little commercial shows the liberation to create when you have the right tools in your hands – in this case, a wonderfully handy squeezable bottle to put a little personal flourish on the food one puts on one’s table.

5.
Royal Tru-Orange “Ilabas Ang Kulit”

My first ever TVC produced during my fabulously fun 2-year run in the advertising industry – a relaunch for the iconic Royal Tru-Orange brand, which had launched multiple legendary campaigns in the Philippines (RJ Ledesma’s “Joey” series, Francis M‘s “Ito Ang Gusto Ko”), but had fallen dormant in recent years.

The first material, “Battlebots” was incredibly stressful to produce. Direk Henry Frejas refused to rely on CG for the vendo robot – we actually had to create a real-life robot that could transform to and from its vendo and robot forms. What a headache. Each take required a 12-hour downtime to re-position all the parts back to their starting position. But it was well worth it. I can’t help but smile when I see that damn robot.

The follow-up material, “Bike,” was relatively easy to produce. We had a better grasp of what “kulit” meant in the eyes of tweens, and wanted to just have some fun with their very juvenile brand of humor.

This was the total opposite of “Battlebots.” Production was a breeze. Clients literally approved the offline and online materials in 10 minutes. Ganyan ang gusto ko!

6.
IAMNINOY “Glasses”

I am proud of this particular material not only as an advertising professional, but as a Filipino citizen. The Benigno S. Aquino Foundation had one simple objective – create a new breed of self-starting heroism in this country. I think the ad delivered.

As random trivia, please note how MDJ Superstar was the only one allowed to deliver one complete sentence in the entire material. Oh, the perks of being the Account Director on the project…

7.
Eden “Recipes” Series

Our challenge to the creative agency, JWT, was to present a creative way on how to make a recipe instructional TVC in a span of just 15-seconds per material.

Did they deliver? I think so.

8.
Tang Pick & Go “Tang Goes To School”

I came onto this project mid-stream, when the storyboards had already been essentially approved, so my involvement here was mainly on the production side. I love working with kids, despite the DOLE limitations on how many hours per day they can shoot. And of course, the lead talent Xyriel Manabat, was a joy to work with. What an adorable kid.

9.
Tang Pulpy “Operation”

We told Ogilvy, the creative agency, give us a spectacular launch material for a first-of-its-kind innovation! Make it Spielberg-esque, but with a Peque Gallaga budget!

And they did.

* – Also of note, with this material, I have now officially worked with 3 of the 4 directors who did the 2010 Ad Congress “Ano Sa Tingin Mo” series. This was an AF Beaniza material, while I’d gotten to work with Henry Frejas on Royal Tru-Orange, and Carlo Directo for the prior Pick & Go material.

*****

I’m missing three key campaigns on this list, but I guess the fact that they aren’t on YouTube is very telling…

What is happening in this country?

Am not an incendiary expert, but it looks like there’s no fire damage inside the Newman Goldliner bus, judging from the very “clean” looking interiors. It seems to be a very tight, focused concussive force that punched out the right front windshield and the window located mid-way down the body, where Director Nicanor Bartolome of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) says the explosion occurred.

EDSA Northbound from Ayala to Buendia is reported to be closed indefinitely.

Tragic for those who have died or been injured – according to ABS-CBN News, the numbers so far are 2 dead, 15 injured.

I hope this is not part of some wider destabilization effort.

But Vice President Jejomar Binay says there’s a strong indication this may have been from some kind of bomb.

Crazy. Scary. Sad.

Interesting observation shared by the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Dax Lucas on his personal Twitter account: Do terrorists celebrate Aquino family bdays? Today is birthday of Tita Cory. Last bus bombing on Edsa was on Kris Aquino’s birthday.

That was until I met my Zee. She transformed me. I’d like to think it’s for the better, but I will say this: All of my machismo points have gone flying out the window like a plate of rancid sodium-free margarine. Instead, I’ve transformed into a mushy puddle of googly-wah.

But you know what? I don’t mind. She melts me, and I adore her. More than I’ve ever adored anyone in my life.

She makes me so happy. I have a tendency to take myself (and life) too seriously, and being with her helps me see the joy in simple things. We’re like two silly little kids when we’re together; even after five months things are still so fresh and new and magical.

Our weekend adventures are legendary, like this one time we tried to cook crabs we’d bought at Salcedo Market…

It’s hard to enumerate the things I like best about her. There are too many.

And so I got to thinking – I wish we’d known each other back in the Friendster days. I wish we could have left each other testimonials. I don’t know what she would have said about me back then (“ZOMGZ I loooove your undercut!! Looks AMAZING with your Hawaiian shirt!”), but here’s what I would say to her after five magical, wonderful months with her.

*****

*****

I love you, my peanut. Happy 5th monthsary.

Four Nerf N-Strike Maverick pistols. One for the each of us. Each one a deadly hunk of finely-tooled canary-yellow plastic primed and ready to unleash a vicious onslaught of foam-rubber upon unsuspecting passers-by.

These Nerf guns are devastating pieces of high-tech space-age technology made available only to the finest specimens of Manly Men. Only the most physically-gifted can bear them; only those with the true soul of hunter may wield their awesome destructive might.

And how do we, the Manly De Joya Men, apply such terrifying armaments of devastating firepower?

Watch and learn.

This video also proves there is no such thing as the law of averages. Michael won four straight times!

In the words of The Sicilian from The Princess Bride: “Inconceivable!”

Not to mention irritating…

Beauty & The Beast

I do look excellent, after all, in green grease paint. And it isn’t evident here, but I also did a tremendous job of emulating Shrek’s swampy flatulence throughout the entire day. Method acting, as they call it..

However, I’m leaps and bounds more proud of the costume I wore for this year’s office trick or treat.

I’d want to tell you who I dressed as. But there is an agreement among both Wizards and Muggles alike, that this particular villain is someone who, at all costs, Shall Not Be Named…

If you think my wand is big, wait til you see my...

(Whispers) “It’s Lord Voldemort!”

And what, pray tell, is Voldemort’s first name?

…

No, it is not Tom.

It is Leandro.

Leandro Voldemort.

EXPELIARMUS!!!

For all the ladies out there who need some rejuvenation in their bedroom adventures, MDJ Superstar (AKA Lord Voldemark) is your next fairy tale in line. I do, after all, have a magnificently large magic wand, and can squirt some good old Expecto Patronum into your little Magic Kettle, as needed.

Who wouldn

I WILL KILL HARRY POTTER.