Apologies to the “Bear Brand” brand — this is in no way intended to misuse its commercial. Imagine, mapagbintangan na kinokopya ang commercial na walang pahintulot.
Certain brilliant commercials have tremendous impact on the viewing public, not only because they are catchy, but because they also define a clear image between what the product should be, as touted in the commercial, and what the product really is, as experienced by the user. The commercial merely captures the experience of the consumers.
Anyway, going back to the milk, whoever came up with the slogan “Laking Bear Brand ako” is really good, which is expected because a company spend big bucks for this. It shows non-users that the brand is trusted through generations. It also reminds previous users that, hey, laking Bear Brand din ako. For us who grew up drinking this particular brand of milk, it brings back fond memories of our childhood.
The commercial shows, if I remember it correctly, a group of young boys hanging out, on what appears to be a lazy sunny day, on a wooden fence beside an unpaved road. It’s a clear and crisp day, which is exactly how it felt upon waking up in the afternoon, as we were “obliged” to sleep after lunch, back when we were young. The sun was still up and the heat just right.
The first thing that comes to mind, upon waking up, is not about the PSP, or if my friends are in the mall, or texting them to ask where they are. I know exactly where they are. They’re at the playground, the same neighborhood playground where all the kids converge and play shatung, sipa and just about anything we could think of. You don’t have to ask. Everyone knows where we’ll all be heading, pretty much like a Gathering.
We play our hearts out. We run, jump and if needed, happily dive to the ground to grab a toy. We get soiled, but it was not dirty then, and there was not much pollution. We get bruised, but we don’t get called by the other parents, and we proudly wear the injuries as badge of courage. We climb the bayabas, santol, mangga or just about any tree, and sometimes fall, but that doesn’t stop us from testing the limit of our strength. We fight, but as soon as the sun slowly dies down when it’s past five, we make up and walk towards our respective houses, with a smile.
Then we’ll receive an earful from our parents. Why are your clothes soiled? Why do you smell bad? Why don’t you just stay home? We just sit there, taking the sermon with an innocent look. They don’t make us promise not to do it again, for they know we can’t make that promise. Or we’ll just break that promise.
Tomorrow we’ll be back there again.
