TV commercials’ clever taglines, enticing images delight viewers

TV commercials have become so popular and persuasive of late that advertisers have been ramping up their efforts to make sure that their products’ messages ring out loud and clear in the madding throng.

In some instances, their advertising agencies have even coined catchy words or phrases exclusively for their products’ campaigns. After a survey of the local TV commercial scene, we’ve come up with this list of specially coined ad tag lines:

For a soap with a scent that lasts longer than most, haba-habango! For an especially vinegary kick, asim-kilig! For a dishwashing product, tanggal ang sebulok! Then, there’s make happy happen—suki-panalo—oysterrific sauce—macho-ganado—tomguts na ako—and bangong walang tigil, nakakagigil!

Incidentally, the promise of sarap is particularly persuasive for food products, hence advertisers’ extra efforts to strikingly “claim” it for the dishes or condiments they’re promoting—resulting in yummy taglines like simot-sarap, sarap ng buhay, nonstop ang sarap, and sarap-over!

Other product attributes that commercials love to underscore include affordability, reliability and economy, hence taglines like “mas pinarami, same price”—“wala ka nang hahanapin pa”— “for triple boost”—“from day to night” and “lasts up to 14 days!”

It’s also a key selling point for a product or variant to offer something new, as in “may bago na!” Also important attributes: ability to protect against infections (“99.9 percent germ protection”—“pamilya on guard”— “iwas rash”—“no more pimple worries”—“shield of protection”—“dandruff-free forever”).

Cool pleasure and enjoyment are promised by spots that use taglines like “chillax,” “with cooling crystals,” “have a good hair day,” “good times keep going,” “best days—best adventures,” “Lucky Me—Happy We,” “ang Christmas na may Joy,” “walang tigil ang adventure,” “ultimate overload,” “kampante ka,” “taste fit for a King”—!

Contrarily, there are spots that turn viewers and potential product buyers off with their outrageously improbably claims, like “works instantly,” “results in just one week,” “all your problems solved”—as well as those notorious shampoo commercials that assure women that, if they use the “magic” product, they will be hired as TV news anchors in no time at all!

These days, however, most commercials try to hew to a more realistic context, while still delighting viewers with their enticing images and cute or clever taglines, to buy the products they’re plugging.

The best taglines of them all? We don’t know about the best, but we are particularly taken by “Nagluluto ng ligaya.” —What about you?