I grew up on Nestle.

My dad was instrumental in launching their Milo powdered chocolate drink and Nido powdered milk in the Philippines in the 1980s, and we always grew up believing that Nestle was the gold standard when it came to quality food products. That was my dad’s fault; his word was the law, and if he said something rocked, I was all too happy to concur.

Tony De Joya says: "Drink more Milo, bitchezzzzz!"

I will openly credit Milo, after all, for my world-class, Olympic quality, award-winning Greek god physique. I practically invented the Milo Dinosaur in my youth, partly because I loved the crunch of the powder while I was drinking, but mainly because I was too lazy to dissolve the granules properly.

The Milo Dinosaur in all its glory.

(“Why is it called a Milo Dinosaur, MDJ Superstar?” you may ask. “Because of the sound your tummy makes after consuming three of them, young Padawan!” I will gleefully answer.)

But I digress.

Nestle has been around a heck of a long time, and just last month, it celebrated its 100th year in the Philippines. They launched a commemorative 90-second TV commercial directed by the incomparable Stephen Ngo telling the tale of Nestle as it threads through the lives of the Filipino consumer.

It’s beautiful, and I will allow you to view it for yourself.

Everything about it is perfect.

The casting, the production design & styling that perfectly captures the milieu of each era, the acting, the storyline – if anyone has ever said that Stephen Ngo is only good for high-gloss, slick productions with acting as a secondary priority, then this spot should prove them wrong. But I need to point out the song written by APO Hiking Society member Danny Javier as the most wonderfully heart-warming element of the piece – it works so well with the visuals, and adds so much emotion and texture in a resonant, deeply personal way.

Nestle has been around 100 years in the Philippines. As a marketing professional working for a rival organization, I wish them ill, and intensely catastrophic business results in the immediate future. But as a consumer, I commend their longevity and steadfast commitment to a singular higher purpose – of bringing good food, good life, to Filipino consumers everywhere.

* The views above reflect my personal opinion, and do not reflect any bias or judgment against how I conduct my professional life.