Somewhere in Bulacan, in a seemingly ordinary McDonald’s fast-food branch, the most ardent wish of countless ’80s kids was fulfilled. The neon decade’s dream team of Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion was reunited, at long last, at least in a television commercial.
Although the tandem’s supposed big-screen comeback has stalled last year, their loyal fans could find sweet consolation in the new McDo advertisement, which was shot last Feb. 1.
Sharon told the Inquirer that the ad’s storyboard appealed to her—as a self-confessed fan of the love team herself.
Touching
“It’s a touching board,” she said. “Parang true-to-life lang.”
Days prior to the shoot, Sharon was on pins and needles.
“I prayed days before that things would go well,” she confessed. “Praise God, it did.”
She recounted that Gabby was “nice and civil.” “We talked about KC all throughout.”
That’s their daughter KC Concepcion, a star in her own right.
“You know how confidential it was? Even our own daughter didn’t know about it,” she quipped.
Funny thing was, KC called up Gabby on the day of the shoot.
Sharon recalled: “Gabby told me that KC had called him to invite him to her condo for a visit.”
Sharon Cuneta (left) and Gabby Concepcion on the set of the commercial shoot.
‘Secret’ date
Alas, her parents had a “secret” date at McDo Bulacan.
Right after the shoot, Gabby posted a message hinting at a reunion venture on Instagram. Gabby wrote: “When the end approaches, so does the beginning.” Sharon retorted: “You naughty! Crazy… No se que!”
Sharon explained why some of her messages for and about Gabby were in Spanish: “Two years of a foreign language was a grad requirement in high school (International School). I wanted to study French but took up Spanish because my boyfriend spoke it and I was sure we would get married.” Gabby “grew up speaking Spanish,” Sharon said.
Gabby Concepcion (left) and Sharon Cuneta in their reunion ad.
Mood was electric
The mood on the set was electric, to say the least. Even the macho male crew members seemed kilig (thrilled) and giddy, posing for souvenir snapshots with the duo.
Unfortunately, the store wasn’t closed to customers that day. As such, some stolen shots of the supposedly top-secret project were leaked online.
“I think they’ve underestimated the love team’s power,” Sharon exclaimed in jest.
Indeed, the much-anticipated reunion was a hot topic in cyberspace, leading up to its premiere yesterday.
Gabby Concepcion (left) and Sharon Cuneta in comeback venture
Before Aldub…
“The launch was moved a day earlier because of all the buzz,” Sharon explained.
After all, long before the nation fell in love with fellow McDo endorsers AlDub (aka Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza), ShaGab was the team to beat.
Sharon herself has been a McDo pitchperson since the “Madrasta” days in 1996.
After the commercial, will a full-length feature film come next?
Sharon asserted: “There is talk again, but you know how it is…nothing is sure until the director says ‘Action!’ and ‘Cut!’”
Gabby Concepcion (left) and Sharon Cuneta—SCREENGRAB