Nowadays, many a TV commercial features lovey-dovey moments between a man and a woman—the better if they're showbiz celebrities or well-known models. The ad may tell a story that grips your attention as much as the drama series it puts on hold for two minutes or more.
In other words, take a lovely couple who're a perfect match, throw in a short romantic storyline, and Voila! The faces, the action, and the shampoo or beverage all become an affair to remember the next time you go to the supermarket.
Here on PEP's Top List are the ad couples, past and present, whose chemistry greatly enhanced their endorsements on TV.
We know it's cheesy, but, hey, it's the Month of Love!
Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres-Gomez (Lux shampoo)
Who can ever forget the 90's Lux ad featuring a very handsome Richard Gomez going after Lucy Torres? That seemingly ordinary commercial proved to be the romantic bridge between Richard, then the most eligible bachelor, and Lucy, the fair haciendera from Ormoc, Leyte. The Lux ad featured a dramatic love story between a clean-cut Richard going after Lucy in a series spanning four years.
Lucy already had a long-time crush on Richard and meeting Richard fueled it even more. But the Adonis of Philippine Cinema was attached to somebody else at the time. Communication between Richard and Lucy after the first commercial shoot was limited to phone calls.
Things started to get serious when the ad wrapped up its final commercial (1997). By then, Richard was single and he was said to be head over heels for Lucy. The rest is history.
Piolo Pascual and Isabel Oli (Max's Restaurant)
Max's Restaurant specializes in fried chicken and other Filipino dishes. Usually, the company's ads focused on family get-togethers with everyone enjoying a meal at the popular restaurant.
Things got a lot more interesting when Max's ads featured Piolo Pascual in a love story about a Max's employee (Isabel Oli) who's the childhood sweetheart of a TV celebrity (Piolo). The ad portrayed a series of scenes in the love story, from the characters' childhood together, to their parting of ways, and in a happy ending, their reunion.
The commercial series was so creative, it looked like a mini-telenovela. It became so popular that people actually monitored the story's progress. The success of the series helped launch Isabel Oli's acting career.
Isabel Oli's real name, by the way, is Maria Olivia Daytia. The screen name "Isabel" takes after Maria's character in the commercial.
Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin (San Mig Coffee)
This 2006 commercial, appropriately called "Dreaming," showed Piolo getting into his car and driving to a mansion where Angel is waiting. Upon arrival, Piolo takes off his polo shirt, revealing his toned hunky Bod. A very sexy Angel approaches, their bodies are about to touch... And they sip San Mig Coffee.
