PHILIPPINES, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 – For celebrities, it’s difficult enough to maintain a private life, even more so when life is blurred
by fiction.
A video of Brazilian-Japanese model Daniel Matsunaga kissing a girl in an elevator quickly became a viral scandal — Matsunaga is romantically linked with Heart Evangelista, who describes him as a faithful boyfriend. The video made rounds on the internet and news sources such as PEP, Saksi, Unang Hirit, and QTV’s Balitanghali picked up on the story, wondering if the pair’s romance was too good to be true.
Evangelista responded to the speculation with a “meaty” comment: “Daniel knew what he was doing.” Shortly after, the couple confirmed it to be a viral video for the depilatory brand Veet. Matsunaga gave an exclusive interview to PEP where he insists, “I apologize, if there are problems. This is, I hope, [sic] understand of everybody, that this is just endorsement for Veet. This is just a teaser. Everything was just fake, you know? There was no kissing scene.”
Leny Ledesma of independent agency Think Ideas Inc., which handles creative duties for Veet, weighs in on Daniel’s surprise: “It happened so fast! Literally, overnight! But Daniel knew. It was cleared with him, and we asked him to talk to Heart first before the release. He just couldn’t talk about it to anyone else outside of Heart and his family because of contract.”
Veet set out to clarify the video’s implications by holding a press conference on January 27, Thursday. As Ledesma said, “It’s for a promo. [Matsunaga] is supposed to be the prize of the promo.”
The promo, "Veet Me", launched this week involves sending videos or a photo story showing why Matsunaga should date the contestant, and show the contestant using VEET for her legs. The entries will be posted online for the public to vote on. The winner gets a date with Matsunaga and an iPad, among other prizes.
Veet assistant brand manager Isa Marfori says, “In a survey we asked our target market ‘Who would you like to be stuck with in an elevator?’ and Daniel topped the list. There is a natural match between Veet women and the Brapanese hunk. He is hot a rising star, and is desired by many women.”
The way the video caught on is a sure sign of Matsunaga’s popularity and also serves as a reminder that social media campaigns have to be thought through before they go live. As Marfori observes in light of all the attention, “Anything can happen, especially with a celebrity.”
