Times you'd HATE to be in marketing

In the supermarket some days back, James and I noticed that the Nestle infant milks had a new packaging, and wondered what the hell Nestle was thinking...

...until we realized a split-second later that it wasn't only Nestle, but every product in the infant milk aisle!

My jaw dropped in shock. Government regulation strikes again. In the past, to promote breastfeeding, DOH had prohibited pediatricians from endorsing any infant milk; forebade infant milk brands from having any kind of advertising in health centers; and more recently, banned infant milk advertising on TV. Now, DOH is regulating packaging as well. So much for packaging aesthetics. And just imagine the cost and logistical nightmare of replacing every single box and can of infant milk with this new regulated packaging!

In fairness, at least we see one government agency doing its job. Product aesthetics and sympathy for infant milk brand managers aside, there really are products that deserve to be regulated in the interest of consumer well-being. I just wonder when they'll get around to similarly regulating other such products? Apart from the no-brainer of cigarettes being hazardous to your health, there are actually a few others I'd love to see, hahaha:

• On softdrink bottles and junk food wrappers: "This shit is bad for you."
• On processed foods: "You don't even want to know what goes into this shit."
• Outside fastfood joints: "Go eat something healthier."
• On cellphones: "Do you want to know how much sending a text ACTUALLY costs?"
• Outside SM: "Don't support unfair labor practices."

And I'll stop there before I get to beauty products and just shoot myself in the foot. Hahahaha! Happy shopping, consumers!

Move over, Ikea... I've got a new favorite store

Yes, this entry is STILL about Lego. Hahaha. But I'll make it quick.

I discovered Bricks World during my recent trip to Singapore... in the mall below the P&G office, of all places! What an exciting place. Lego everywhere, standard sets as well as rare sets (Lego chess!) and merchandising (keychains, playing cards, cookie jars, magnets) that you don't find elsewhere. You can also buy individual and hard-to-find pieces. And best of all, stuff is WAAAAY cheaper than it is in the Philippines -- by around 30%! Not to mention the stuff on sale pa.

Apart from the merchandise, I also appreciated the service. Even by Singapore standards, it was really good. The shop ladies worked out my purchases such that I could get a Bricks World membership, and a discount too! I think I saved the equivalent of Php1,000... and got a membership card too. :-D

So I bought a ton of Lego: Christmas gifts for my niece and nephew, a set that Joanne made bilin after finding out it was 30% cheaper... and of course, a big set for myself. And lots of little merchandise (haha sucker for marketing). [Incidentally, what's great about this big set -- which I super SUPER wanted after seeing it on the Internet -- is that, the first day I went to Bricks World, it was on sale at S$299 from the original price of around S$380. I decided to give it some thought... which was great, because when I visited again 2 days later, it was down to S$199!! No more second thoughts about a set this great, at this big a discount. :-D]

I got so much stuff that it didn't fit in my luggage on the flight home, and the check-in lady wouldn't let me handcarry it... luckily there was a post office in Changi and I was able to buy a big box, hahaha.

Bricks World has stores in Novena Square and Ngee Ann City in Singapore. I heard they have more but I haven't been able to visit yet. Next time! :-D

Getting back with my old flame

My rediscovered romance with Lego just keeps getting better.

Some history. When I was a kid, I think around Grade 4, I wrote and snail-mailed a letter to Lego. I told them how much I loved their toys, I even made suggestions on new lines (at the time, they only had town, castle, and space -- none of the pirates and agents and racers and underwater stuff).

The experience of writing the makers of my favorite toys was happy enough -- but what a thrill when they actually responded! A package came in the mail weeks later, containing a load of Lego and Legoland magazines and brochures, including a factbook detailing the history of Lego... and a personalized letter thanking me for my ideas! It was a highlight of my childhood life, and that yellow envelope with all the material from Lego was in my schoolbag for months after.

A few weeks back, I wrote my next letter to Lego. This time, it was as an adult, toying with the idea of a job with their company, and via e-mail. Again, like before, I was happy enough to just write them. And, like before, I was thrilled to get a response from them, via e-mail.

I thought that was that. Until many days after, I received a notice from the Mandaluyong Central Post Office that I had a package to pick up. I had no idea what it was, and it was actually quite irritating because I could only go there from 8 AM to 12 NN, Mondays to Thursdays (go figure with the government!), and besides I had no idea where the Mandaluyong Post Office was. (Who goes to post offices nowadays anyway!?)

For several days I ignored the notice. But then I received another notice, this time labeled "Final Notice", and thought to myself, what the hell. So last Thursday, with a relatively light office load (note: relatively), James and I went to the Mandaluyong City Hall. Luckily the Central Post Office was easy to find. And luckily I did go, because when they handed me the pacakge, the first thing I saw was the little red square in the middle of the envelope:

I wanted to tear it open then and there! But I thought better of it and waited till I was back in the car.

I was a 10-year-old kid again, practically jumping up and down in my seat, heart pounding, and smiling ear to ear. Inside the envelope was a Lego Club magazine, a couple of Lego keychains (one with a classic 2 x 4 Lego brick, and one with a Catwoman Lego mini-figure... how did they guess I was a Catwoman kind of guy!? hahahaha), and a personalized letter in response to what I'd written. I hugged that envelope so close to my chest that I crumpled it. Hahaha.

It may have been unlike 20 years ago, when that package was in my bag for months -- but last Thursday, I had that package with me the whole day, and showed it to every officemate I could. "Cool", "Exciting", "Wow", and "Great example of consumer relations" were some of the reactions -- and I agree with them on all points. This "extra mile" of snail-mailing a package in the e-mail age was a great move on Lego's part -- from both the points of view of a thrilled 30-year-old kid and a brand manager (I just bought another Lego set today, and I can't wait till my next set, so this clearly drove purchase, hahaha).

This brand has won me over, all over again.

Slippery situation

Along the corridor of a Singapore hotel a few weeks back, on the way to an Olay training in that hotel, I bumped into this sign:

I have to admit, I was tempted to skip my Olay training altogether and just head for Sir Henry Keppel 1. Sounds interesting naman, di ba? Hehehe.

Installation art spotted at NAIA 1

This first one is titled, "How not to fix a broken faucet":

Well, you have to admit it's inventive hahaha. I couldn't help but watch it for a whole minute.

And this one, outside the bathrooms leading to the boarding gates, is: "Philippine sanitation technology 1 feat. Walis Tambo."

Maybe they have the giant wooden spoon and fork hanging outside the restrooms in the other wing. Hahaha.

Show foreign visitors our Filipino ingenuity, that's NAIA's motto. Walang nasabi ang Changi.