Ai-Ai de las Alas in a billboard for a beauty clinic may sound unthinkable to many, if not impossible to some. But when the concept of making Ai-Ai endorse Smart Lipo for the Belo Medical Group came about, no one found the idea funny.
For one, Ai-Ai’s body never looked really great as it is now. Thanks to the Smart Lipo procedure, she has a flat tummy and a really slender figure. Secondly, she really wants to flaunt her “new” body, sculpted by Dr. Vicki Belo.
It didn’t take much convincing for Ai-Ai to undergo Smart Lipo as she had previously tried the traditional liposuction. The new procedure is bloodless as laser is used on the surface of the body part where there is unwanted fat. The laser then goes through the skin and makes the fat cells burst, melt and become loose, making the unwanted fat easier to get rid of. The laser also seals the blood vessels and allows skin contraction so there’s no more loose skin after liposuction, with only minimal bruising.
It helped that Ai-Ai trusts Dr. Belo to perform the invasive procedure on her and the comedienne cannot be happier with the result. “I was the one who bugged Dr. Belo to make me pose for a billboard,” Ai-Ai says. “I’m really proud of my body now. Pwede pa rin pala akong maging sexy star.”
The Belo team worked with its advertising agency, TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno, for the concept of Ai-Ai’s shoot. The objective of the billboard was to use the brilliance of Smart Lipo technology and its credible celebrity endorser to change the perception of the public about liposuction.
The pegs for the billboard were presented. Ai-Ai doing a fun but sexy pose, flaunting her slim figure and the other in a classic vintage shot a la Cabaret. Ai-Ai’s manager, Boy Abunda, approved the sexy pose. So did Dr. Vicki Belo.
The poses were far from funny and totally different from Ai-Ai’s publicity shots for her movies, most of which made fun of her appearance. This time around, she was not meant to look like a clown, but a sexy celebrity endorser for the Belo Medical Group.
Ai-Ai’s favorite makeup artist, Jinky Illusorio, was enlisted for his services in the pictorial. Lensman Jun de Leon was likewise commissioned to do the digital shots for the billboard.
A day before the shoot, a pre-production meeting was held at the TBWA office in Makati City. The team is composed of fashion stylist Guada Reyes, art director Reggie Ocampo, associate creative director Elvin Bueno, account supervisor Kathy Tinio, business unit director Ian Cadelina, print producer Karen Parreño and print production head May Dalisay. Ai-Ai was represented by Backroom’s Leo Puri; Belo by its corporate communication manager Chiko Lara.
However, one of the major concerns was Ai-Ai’s hair which was not even shoulder-length. Jun de Leon suggested to seek for the expertise of Celeste Tuviera of Symmetria Salon in Greenhills, to provide the hair pieces. Thankfully, Celeste came to the rescue of the shoot on the eleventh hour, with precious long locks “for hire.”
The hair pieces did make a big difference to Ai-Ai’s appearance. Although they took nearly forever to fix, the result was well worth the long wait.
Celeste informs she values her hair pieces which use real human hair. She makes it a point to be present in every pictorial, so she can personally assist the celebrity client who uses the locks. Interestingly enough, she painstakingly takes care of the wigs and sometimes even talks to the hair pieces.
Ai-Ai’s Belo billboard came on the heels of her box-office hit, Ang Cute ng Ina Mo, a joint production venture of Star Cinema and Viva Films. Ai-Ai’s new sculpted body was evident on the big screen as she reprised her well-loved role of a mom.
Ai-Ai insists she will readily recommend the Smart Lipo procedure to all those who want to get rid of the bulges in their body. The procedure is best for female clients her age, who are in their early 40s. Even if it is an invasive process, Ai-Ai informs there’s no need to be sidelined from her showbiz commitments for a long time. The next day after Smart Lipo, you can start working again.