When you travel and visit another country, you take the time to observe the things that differ from home; the way people live, the trends, the food, etc. I’ve come to realize that sometimes, those differences actually show us how similar we are. All the recent gymnastics content triggered a memory from almost twelve years ago.
In the summer of 2000, I took a trip to the Philippines to visit my family. Travelling to my home country always means lots of food, shopping and heat! It is the time when I can enjoy the Filipino products I love for a few weeks. One morning, I was having breakfast with my sister and made myself a cup of Milo’s hot chocolate to go with a piece of fresh bread. Milo is a chocolate beverage from Nestle that is sold in the Asian market. While I sipped into my delicious drink, I couldn’t help but stare at the product’s packaging. Other than its bright green color, I noticed the gymnast on the front of the package. What my younger self did not know then, is that Milo is also what Filipino athletes drink to energize themselves. Milo is composed of a nutritious formula, supports Filipino athletes, and also believes in development. They are known as the Official Energy Drink of the Philippines Team and are committed to building champions in sports and in life.
On FIG’s website, they explain the importance of sports for our lifestyle. Milo shows the same belief, but with a nutritional perspective. A lot of young children drink Milo. Not only are they getting the nutrition Milo has to offer, but they are exposed to sports and athletes, including Filipino gymnasts Bea Lucero and Nica Calapatan, through their packaging and TV commercials. In addition, a few years ago, Milo released seven limited edition 20g sachets you can collect with instructions for different gymnastic moves. Milo doesn’t only give children a nutritious beverage, but encourages them to learn and practice sports as well. The television ad for this particular campaign is clever (but also cheesy just like every other Filipino commercial LOL). It starts off with two kids running to the corner store and asking for a pack of Milo. The vendor asks the kids “Which one would you like?” She then performs a starting position, a cartwheel and a finishing pose saying “This one? This one? Or this one?” Because there are seven different ones to collect, she is asking them which gymnastic move they wish to have, not by naming them, but by performing the actual move. Here is the link to the commercial (Warning: it is in Tagalog): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK72ETT0PEs&feature=related.
Thinking back on my breakfast memory made me realize that, although countries have cultural differences, they also have certain similarities. Whether through Milo from the Philippines and Asia or Wheaties cereal from America, the importance of children being healthy, physically and nutritionally, is seen across cultures. Let’s raise our Milo glasses and toast to all the gymnasts setting an amazing example to the children out there!
By: Jayka Parial
No comments:
Post a Comment