Will Jace be the Flawless Survivor?

In the good old days of advertising, companies would launch national searches in quest of endorsers who would promote their products. The winners and even the other finalists would eventually become known personalities even way after their one-year reign is over.

In the early ’60s until the end of that decade, Caltex conducted an annual search for a Miss Caltex. Company executives would comb the entire nation for beautiful women of good moral character (their kind was easier to find then) and entice them to join the search. In time, the list would be trimmed down to just five and this batch would be called the Miss Caltex finalists who are toured all over the country to take part in Caltex-related activities.

After a year, the fairest and brightest will be crowned Miss Caltex and if I got it correctly the first winner was Elsa Payumo. Ms. Payumo later became a well-known society figure (not the flighty one, but with substance). But the one who became truly popular was Maggie de la Riva because she joined the movies and became leading lady to top action stars, including former President Joseph Estrada.

There was also Fernandita “Fenny” Cantero, a Miss Caltex finalist, who later became Mrs. Francisco Tatad.

In the ‘70s, Payumo put up her own search (Miss Caltex had folded up by then) to promote a travel agency and the contest was called Baron Travel Girl. The mechanics of the contest was basically the same and among the finalists then was Coney Nubla, who later used the screen name Coney Reyes when she joined television and in time, the movies. Chiqui Hollmann was another Baron Travel Girl finalist who became popular because she pursued a career in showbiz (she was already somewhat known prior to the competition).

The most successful alumna of Baron Travel Girl, however, will forever be Charo Santos. She won the title in 1976 and shortly after her victory, Lino Brocka (who watched her proclamation on TV) suggested to Mike de Leon to let her star in Itim, which gave Charo the trophy for Asia’s Best Actress. Charo, of course, is now the president of ABS-CBN. Before the contest (a beauty and brains competition), Charo was already appearing in sitcoms (she was a regular in Ang Lola Kong Baduy and a popular cover girl), but it was Baron Travel Girl that got her image repackaged and her success just continued after that — to this day.

Around the time Baron Travel Girl was being conducted, there was also Miss Magnolia and one of the early winners of this search also did television: Mary Masab, who would later become the love interest of Vic Sotto in Iskul Bukol. And in a later contest, the first runner-up was Geraldine “Dina” Bonnevie, who, of course, became Vic’s first wife. Miss Magnolia became Dina’s springboard to stardom because after that, Regal Films introduced her in Katorse.  

These contests undeniably are great launching pads for anyone seeking the limelight. The good news now is that Flawless is currently conducting a similar contest — although jazzed up to keep up with the times. The search is called Picture Flawless: Because You Deserve a Billboard and this is open to both male and female (just to show you that times have changed even men are starting to take care of their skin), who have availed of a minimum purchase of P1,800 (products or services) from any Flawless branch.

Ricky Lo has already stated the mechanics of the competition in his Funfare column last Saturday, but if you want to know more about the contest, visit any Flawless branch (even Flawless clients in the Visayas may join through the Cebu clinic) and you can inquire from the reception people. The contest is officially being launched today in all branches.

As I write this, one of those who had signified his intention to join the contest is Jace Flores of Survivor Philippines. Jace is the ideal contestant because he is a Flawless success story.

I first met Jace late last year at Gold’s Gym in Robinsons Galleria. Since he just came from the Survivor contest where they baked daily in the sun, his skin was horrible — dry, burnt, wrinkled and full of insect bites. Since that was only our first meeting, I had to control myself from dragging him to the Flawless clinic upstairs (it’s in the second floor of Galleria-Gold’s Gym side) so that the doctor there could do something to save the poor kid. At age 21, I swear he had the skin of a poorly-maintained 40 plus year-old or even older (obviously it was sun damage that did him in).

Little by little, I would notice improvements on his skin every time we’d bump into each other in Gold’s. Then I discovered his secret: When I visited Flawless Greenhills, I saw him there. Aha! So that was what he was doing: Refirm (it irons out wrinkles), plus other Flawless treatments that brought back his being, well, flawless. 

Jace quickly recovered his good looks and is now a certified Crush ng Bayan. He is highly-qualified to join the Picture Flawless search and stands to win P800,000 (all the figures need to have an eight in it because Flawless is marking its eighth anniversary) — plus other prizes on the finals night on Dec. 8. (The winners will have their own billboards after that.)

Of course, there is no assurance this early that he is the one who will bring home the top prize because any Flawless client — even those completely unknown (but with sufficiently good looks) — can vie for the title.

Is this a risk on Jace’s part considering the fact that he already has his own following in showbiz? Well, if he gets to the Top 8 in the male division, he will get more exposure. If he wins — all the better for him. If not, he can always follow the same path taken by Coney Reyes. Coney was already playing important secondary roles (one even with Vilma Santos) in the movies and on TV prior to Baron Travel Girl. Although she didn’t win, all that exposure did her good because the Student Canteen executives saw her potentials via the contest and made her the lone female host when the noontime show was revived in 1975.

Joining this search will be good for Jace. If he hits it big, he’ll be known as the Flawless Survivor.