PHILIPPINES – MAY 2011 – When the boxing analysts said that Pacquiao will make the world stop during the Manny Pacquiao versus Shane Mosley fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, they were definitely not taking the ads into the count. The average Filipino household, unable to subscribe to pay-per-view (or unfortunate enough to be out of range from the local politician -sponsored public viewing), had to endure the agony of an average of eight minutes of commercials per round while watching the delayed telecast on GMA 7.
While Shane Mosley backed away from the “Pambansang Kamao” (National Fist), the ads bombarded the screen. Brands targeting male audience members dominated. San Miguel paraded its line of alcoholic beverages with Pacquiao himself spilling the tagline “Samahang Walang Katulad” (unmatched fellowship). Competing brand Colt45 on the other hand sponsored a segment on the primer which featured Ramon Bautista and Tado Jimenez proving whether the "Pacman" and Mosley are “Tunay na Lalaki” (Real Men) in their own right. Red Horse beer and Gran Matador Brandy sparingly popped between gaps tempting viewers to grab a bottle and have a drink while anticipating an action packed afternoon.
When at last Pacquiao and Mosley entered the ring, brands still studded the champion: vehicle battery brand Motolite on his headband, and logos of Ricoa, Café Puro, Alaska, Head & Shoulders and MP Productions on his Nike trunks.
Mexican brand Cerveza Tecate meanwhile took a large piece of the mat joined by O‘Reilly auto parts, AT&T, MGM Grand, and lone Filipino brand Smart Telecommunications.
Ginebra Gin disappointed a number of men as it replaced the scantily clad round girls of the MGM Garden Arena in the free TV telecast while Red Horse “Tama Ka” Slomo, Tender Juicy Powerpunch, B-Meg “Kitang –kitang Moments”, Smart Highlights, and LBC Remit Scorecard manned the replays at the end of every round.
Following the flurry of punches exchanged by the two fighters after Jimmy Lennon’s “It’s Showtime” trademark introduction was an equally long bout between more than 50 brands in attendance for every commercial break and scroll opportunities on the screen.
McDonald’s Online Delivery, KFC, Mang Inasal, Shakeys, Mekeni, Lucky Me and Wow Ulam enticed hungry viewers who skipped lunch in anticipation of the day’s fight.
Mister Donut launched three TVC’s just for the occasion, with Michael V. portraying a tough goon looking for donuts to eat, back to back with the the return of Purefood Tender Juicy hotdog’s mini boxer "Manny Pa-cute”.
Aside from collapinge inside her prayer room in Sarangani province, Pacquiao’s mother Mommy Dionisia appeared as herself in the B-Meg feeds commercial and Datu Puti, providing quick comic relief and proving that , “May Asim pa si Mommy, as fellow seasoning brands Silver Swan and Kuya’ Kim’s trivia-filled Del Monte Tomato Sauce TVC took to the air.
Nevermind Pacquiao’s Justin Bieber-like hair but Head & Shoulders still placed confidence that he can raise their brand awareness by keeping dandruff from landing on the fighter’s scalp against Clear for Men, Creamsilk, Sunsilk and Pantene whom visibly fought out the hair treatment positioning with their own celebrity endorsers.
As if the shampoo brands did not have enough suds, Vaseline liquid soap cleaned out the bath soap category with its mini-Pacquiao endorser punching the “germs out, the nutrients in”, as facial wash products Master Oil Control and Vaseline Face scrub also grabbed the opportunity to disperse oil slicks, and laundry detergent brand Ariel and fabric softener Downy appealed to homemakers. Rexona, Axe and Pepsodent rounded out the hygiene category.
Consistent Pacquiao advertisers Cord Marine Epoxy and Bulldog Super Glue still struggled to prove who is stronger and stickier than the two with their product demonstration TVC’s. Boysen and Virtuoso Paint put in effort to paint smiles on bored viewers’ faces.
LBC and ML Kwarta Padala placed viewers on long last song syndrome spells with their viral TVC jingles.
Telco family Smart, Talk and Text, PLDT, and Red Mobile each tried to talk to their respective targets, while Petron and Phoenix motor oils attempted to still fill the tank of the advertisement queue.
By the sound of the 12th round’s bell and the announcement of the eight-division world titleholder’s victory over Mosley, almost half of the anticipating fans were already channel surfing.
But in the final analysis, long commercial breaks just aren’t worth sitting through without a riveting fight. It’s the closest we have to Super Bowl, it appears that we’re the only ones watching the fight for the ads.
