The 1955 Coco-Cola infomercial, “Pearl of the Orient”, showcases Coke both as a valued commodity and as part of the Filipino lifestyle. For decades, Coca-Cola has, and still, continued to reign in the consumers market stunning other companies with their artistic and viewer-friendly commercials. It has also succeeded in introducing Coke to every Filipino family, regarding Coke as a member whose absence would mean a lot of loss. The infomercial also opens the gateway to the Philippines at that time, presenting Filipino people and culture.
Image Courtesy: Coca-Cola
The product Coke is represented here as Coca-Cola’s colonial effort to assert its influence in Philippine culture and establish business imperialism within the country. Coke production is viewed here as the force which offers employment to a lot of Filipinos, and its continuous stay and utilization of resources, sand, sugar cane and even cheap labor, tell the viewers of the Philippines’s richness in resources which is imminent in its decades-long prevalence in the country. The Philippines is then described as a large supplier of Coca-Cola, while the Filipino people are seen as the labor force and, at the same time, as the consumers of the outcome of their labor. Also, the Filipinos and the Philippines are well-represented by the undying patronage of Coke, affecting the Philippine culture as society and Coke meet. Coke actually serves as an icon of foreign intrusion and commercial monopoly.
Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Jeff Quitney
In the infomercial, we can hear how the narrator reiterates Coke’s presence as one which cannot be detached from Philippine culture; it has turned to an irremovable stain on the nation’s economic cloth. The infomercial also promotes Filipino taste as something eternally favored and internationally trusted, basically addressed by the idea of Coke’s high-quality and fineness. In the introduction, the characters in Pearl of the Orient are real Filipinos dressed in their national costume, Baro’t Saya, presenting the national dance Tinikling, giving the viewers that certain comical notion that Coke might be our national drink – which is hilarious.
Looking through its historical context, the Philippines’s position as second wealthiest nation in Asia next to Japan encouraged an investments-boom and trade development in the country. This gave large growing companies like Coca-Cola the benefit to broaden its reach in 1912 since it is financially stable enough to build branches in the Philippines, which was heavily influenced by the United States. The strong relationship between the Philippines and the US induced Coca-Cola’s decision to build and manage a business empire in the nation. Unlike Coca-Cola’s other rivals like Pepsi-Cola which also distributes non-beverage products such as Frito Lays and Quaker Oats, Coca-Cola never had the need to produce non-beverage products since their own products provide enough stability to keep the company growing and secured.
It can also be perceived that the production line in the video shows the company’s orientation towards Filipino values like cleanliness, professionalism, timeliness, organization and excellence. Trained workers, however, seemed to look unfulfilled and dissatisfied, which may somehow be due to the low wages they were earning since the Philippines offered cheap labor during the 50’s. Bearing in mind the Filipinos’ hard-working attitude and family-dedicated personality, it may be seen that the primary factor which stimulates motivation among the workers is labor price and other additional incentives.
With the injection of traditional Filipino music, like Tinikling and Paru-Parong Bukid, it may be assumed that Coca-Cola and the Philippines have been constant “partners in progress” through the good and the bad. This affiliation has caused an increase in employment rate, therefore raising Coca-Cola’s credibility with existence as a trademark of influence and economic improvement. Heightened employment dealt an advantage for sugar cane factory workers and owners due to demand for labor and sugar as well. This symbolic mutualism, expressed by the fact that industries help one another in order to yield the same, “friendly Coke” Filipinos wanted, is now seen getting along with active globalization in a lot of countries nowadays.
Coca-Cola also defined pleasure (or consumerism) in terms of refreshment, as it is the “closeness to one’s desire” - as part of university life, fiesta celebrations, family outings, etc. However, a drawback may be regarded in the infomercial when it endorsed Coke’s belongingness to patients in hospitals, which actually raised concerns regarding health problems. With too much caffeine in it, at that time, no doctor would allow any patient to take it as part of medication. The voice over’s saying of “old things are best” also caught my attention, for it delivered the thought that Coke has been incorporated in the Filipino way of living through time, which seems ironic since not everyone in rural areas had easy access to Coke or any of Coca-Cola’s products. In contrast, I can certainly apply the adage in one’s university life. It may be true, the fact that the organization I am currently into has been flowing with the wind for 55 years, and still continues to be one of the best (no bias, haha) and recognized organizations in the college.
The infomercial has somehow succeeded in integrating its product and the country’s heritage as well. This effected to the rising number of consumers, which later led Coca-Cola to its inclusion in international brands competition. Up till now, Coca-Cola still prevails in promoting its products as well as the Filipino moral values which were then preserved from time to time; however, it has deflected away from introducing the Philippines outside, mainly due to the nation’s unexpected fall from the bountiful past. Today, Coca-Cola still manages to amaze and attract consumers by using digital technology to arrive at ingenious and light commercials such as Ang Sarap Dito (Angel commercial), Vice City (GTA style) – themed commercial, Happiness Factory and the latest, Coke “Mismo”.
Comments