Definition please: Iconic

There’s a lot of talk about that iconic ad. The ambitious ad man, even non-ad people I’ve encountered, dream of making that iconic ad. I’m a big believer in the creative variable, but I wonder if it’s possible to make iconic happen. By large, iconic seems more spontaneous than deliberate.

But what is an iconic ad? A lot of ads become memorable, but you can tick off the ads that defined the generation. The sodas, I feel, have mastered owning the time they aired. Most know “Coke is it?” as an 80s tagline, the same way Pepsi’s “Generation Next” situates the soda in the 90s, singing Spice Girls and all.

In the context of Philippine advertising, I personally consider these three ads as iconic:

-classic Seiko wallet (for lack of a video, sing it with me: “Seiko seiko wallet, ang wallet na maswerte…”)

-Beam toothpaste (“B-E-A-M means smile, smile kami pag beam!”)

-Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog’s “Carlo”

Two out of three of the above are more campy than classic ads. But it has somehow embedded itself into Filipino consciousness. Even my ubersheltered Tagalog-deficient sister can still recite the entirety of “Carlo” and it’s been almost 10 years.

My Mother was actually part of the agency (Lintas, now known as Lowe) that made the ad. I remember her ushering the family to the maid’s tiny TV screen during the Sunday variety show for the TVC’s premiere. This was not a usual Sunday for the family. Mom disliked local TV, and usually barred us from watching it.

As any Pinoy 90s kid can attest, “Carlo” stuck around for years after it first aired. It seemed as if no one else took a bite out of a juicy red hotdog, Purefoods or not, without remembering “Carlo”.

Did Mom know it would be a “defining” ad? I never had the chance to ask. Maybe I’ll find out through a different ad, who knows?

Then there’s the campy stuff. The timelessness of Seiko and Beam undoubtedly comes from the jingle. They weren’t much production and copy wise but it was sticky. Try it: I bet you can’t get those jingles out of your head just by mere mention of it.

Credit to Beam tho, “B-E-A-M means smile” is a ridiculously clever turn of phrase.

Does iconic just happen, or can it be made to happen? What do you think?

Also, what do you consider iconic ads?

(As I am also presently employed by an ad agency, this is the part where I assure readers that this entry is composed of my own personal views and does not reflect the views of my company and associates.)