Editor’s note: Most of our readers might be more familiar with composer Dero Pedero’s previous name, Nonong Pedero, which he changed when a New York guru who was an “expert in sound vibrations and how they affect life” told him his name was a “double negative” (no-no). New name notwithstanding, everybody definitely has heard a song or two of his (including the Metro Pop winners Narito Ako, Umiibig in 1978, Isang Mundo, Isang Awit in 1980, and the theme songs for Bb. Pilipinas and Miss Earth). But as Dero puts it, his most famous composition is the SM jingle.
It was in the very early 1980s, over a quarter of a century ago. A time when there were no cell phones yet (just pagers), no Internet, no personal computers, no water-purifying stations. There was television though (lots of it!) and the must-have video machine was the Betamax (an earlier videotape format that has been phased out). Large, seven-inch open-reel tapes and audiotape cassettes ruled the recording world (there were no CDs and DVDs yet!). The term “digital” was talked about in music and recording circles but it still sounded futuristic and so remote. Advertising in the Philippines was booming and the economy showed bright promise.
I was lucky to have been part of that steaming scene that many people regard as Philippine advertising’s golden era. After having a memorable stint with my college singing group, The CAFA Singers, in Your Evening with Pilita, and with The Gentle Rain (one of the Philippines’ first boy groups) with Anthony Castelo and Boy Camara in Nelda Navarro’s Nelda at the Hilton, we were tapped by J. Walter Thompson’s illustrious commercial producer Evelyn Rivera to sing the local jingle versions of Pepsi-Cola’s “Our taste is Pepsi” campaign. We sang that jingle in different musical styles and arrangements for every major Philippine dialect.
Perhaps sensing my musical potential, Evelyn got me to start writing jingles, which I soon found enjoyable and rewarding. I went on to compose the advertising music for Philips lamps, Colgate (starred in by superstar Nora Aunor), Vicks Cough Drops (sung by a super-talented singer, Amapola, who’s now based in California), the soundtracks for the glamorous Camay series (featuring the beauteous Maritess Revilla), Ladies’ Choice, Close Up (that era’s heartthrob Gabby Concepcion was the ad’s lead), the Superwheel series (which featured veteran movie actress Lily Miraflor and was written by then JWT’s top copywriter Edd Fuentes), Magnolia, Rexona, Sustagen, Ovaltine, and many more. Working in the fast-paced musical section of advertising was challenging and demanding but it also gave me the opportunity to meet and work with such advertising legends as JJ Calero, Totoy Avellana, Miniong Ordonez, Yoly Ong and many others.
A JINGLE TO EMBODY SHOEMART
A couple of years previously, Leah Navarro and I won the grand prize at the Metro Manila Popular Song Festival with the song Isang Mundo, Isang Awit (yes, the one that goes, “Je t’aime, tea mo, I love you”). The feeling of winning took some time to wear off and one fateful day, I got a phone call from Marilyn Pascual, then creative group head of CA Lintas Advertising. She said they wanted to meet me to discuss a jingle to help promote the popularity and drum up the sales of Shoemart, which was already a well-established name with its main store in downtown Manila and a newly opened, bigger and more modern Makati branch.
The Shoemart owners obviously believed in the importance of music in advertising. With music, it is easier to catch the attention of customers and touch their emotions, and whatever sales pitch you have is more easily remembered (you think we would memorize our ABC’s easily if we were not taught to sing them?). I went to the meeting to be briefed on the requirements and specifications for the jingle.
The production team, after many brainstorming sessions with the client, wanted the Shoemart jingle to be melodious, sweeping, lilting and uplifting. It had to sound new, fresh and unique — meaning it must not sound like any jingle ever aired before. It had to be likable, pleasant to the ear, and easily sung. It had to musically convey a sense of bigness and grandness to signify the spaciousness of the floors of their stores. And most important of all, it had to be memorable. I had to pause to take a deep breath; in my years of composing advertising music, I never encountered such a tall order.
No surprise there, since this was a retail giant whose battle cry was “We’ve got it all!” They claimed they had it all and so, naturally, they wanted it all. I went to my piano to explore the corners of my mind for possible melodies to embody the Shoemart personality and philosophy. As you see, music is a trial-and-error thing. Sometimes you hit it in one try; sometimes you have to keep on trying. I was amazed at how effortlessly the suggested lyrics fell into place and became beautifully interwoven with the melody that evolved. I felt that the music was fresh, melodious, and simple enough to hum and remember.
It was happy, lilting, likable and pleasant to the ear. And for me, it was unique enough (meaning it didn’t sound like any jingle aired before). But my problem was how to musically express Shoemart’s bigness, grandness and spaciousness.
I then recorded a rough presentation (a jingle study, in advertising parlance) at a recording studio. The vocals were done by Leo Valdez, then a budding romantic balladeer, Diane Velasco, a Fil-Am soprano from the UP Concert Chorus, and me. We sounded like a full chorus because we dubbed our voices on five tracks (a recording trick to thicken the sound). The recording session went on very well and we were very happy with the results. Playing with the recording mixer’s knobs, I found out that adding cavernous echo and reverb to the sound gave the feeling of spaciousness which the client wanted. For the grandness, I added the pompous, heralding sound of the tympani (more commonly known as kettle drums). Those booming drum sounds became part of the signature Shoemart sound.
The advertising agency liked the jingle on first hearing. They presented it to the client along with the other advertising collaterals and everything was a go. The jingle study sounded so full and complete, all we had to do was to add the violins for the final soundtrack. The most heartwarming thing was that the client and the agency had the jingle aired on radio and TV without any talkies! When a commercial is aired without an announcer, that’s the biggest compliment a jingle and its composer can ever get.
SPECTACULAR GROWTH
Through the years, SM Shoemart grew by leaps and bounds. The first jingle’s lyrics included: “We’ve got it all! Shoes and bags and quality things, gifts and toys and everything.” When Shoemart became bigger (and they were into more things other than shoes) their corporate name became SM. We had to do a new version of the jingle that went: “We’ve got it all! Lots of excitement, bargains and fun, shopping convenience for everyone.”
When SM City in North EDSA opened in 1985, I was commissioned to do an instrumental soundtrack to trumpet the high-tech “city” ambience. After SM Megamall opened in 1991, we had to re-record the jingle with Dea Sto. Domingo and Robert Rosas singing with me, this time with a marked change in the tagline from “We’ve got it all!” to “We’ve got it all for you!” Adding the words “for you” gave importance to the shopper, the consumer — a brilliant marketing move!
I was so elated by the trust SM had in my music. Top SM executive . Tessie Sy-Coson, working very closely with Lito Abano, who was SM’s creative head, directed us to do more jingles. We did a very melodious and touching “Every time I come to you” jingle for SM, and a “super-shopping” SM Hypermarket jingle. If you hear the instrumental version with the sleigh bells and Christmas chimes while doing your holiday shopping, well, I did that one, too.
THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL
I have always admired people who achieve great things. Mega businessman Henry Sy to me is the penultimate achiever. He was able to turn his dreams and visions into reality — helping people, giving jobs, energizing the economy, improving lives of countless Filipinos. It is truly mind-boggling how he was able to make Shoemart grow phenomenally from one downtown store into the ever-growing and unparalleled SM Supermalls, build up BDO Banco de Oro into the banking giant it has become, make a remarkable splash in the competitive real estate business, etc. He must have been born with a mano de oro (hand of gold) because everything he touches turns into gold.
You can imagine how excited I was when I finally met Henry Sy a few years back at artist Juvenal Sanso’s opening exhibit at SM’s luxury mall, The Podium. He seemed so simple and uncomplicated, so humble, so kind, and so amiable. I introduced myself as the guy who wrote the SM jingle and he cordially replied, “You should sit down and do one again soon.”
As I shook his hand I was praying that a little of his touch of gold would rub off on me. Then maybe I, too, could have it all.
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