Philippine Café

The Face of Turo-Turo

She's the face that launched a thousand clicks

So what's the deal with Mary-Joy, the Filipina featured in Turo-Turo Philippine Cafe's advertising, and why do some people think she shouldn't be there at all?

To explain.

When Turo-Turo Philippine Café first advertised online in early 2010 its advertisements showed the food - logically, it would seem - but with one exception. A small ad showing Mary-Joy smiling, and the words "beautiful people, amazing food!" It was really just a way of introducing a human face to the business.

Mary-Joy caught people's attention.

But it was Mary-Joy who got the most attention from the Filipino audience, and so, as the campaign continued, Mary-Joy appeared in more and more ads - and continued to attract interest in Turo-Turo. It was nearly six months before somebody objected.

"I feel embarrassed."

The complainer basically said that having a pretty Filipina wearing a sando (tank top) in the ads created the impression that Turo-Turo was some kind of sleazy website. He said he felt embarrassed by the ads, and that it wasn’t good for the reputation of Filipinos.

So perhaps it's worth examining the thinking behind the ads - and the woman behind the smile.

Mary-Joy is not a professional model.

She is an early childhood teacher and mother of two boys, the eldest already a teenager. She is intelligent, funny, kind, resourceful, and determined. She is also beautiful. In short she represents the inner and outer beauty of a very typical Filipino - and that's where the advertisement gets its power.

During her photo shoot, she was having fun: the poses are silly, lighthearted, tongue- in- cheek - and reflect her playful nature. 

"Bakit parati nakataas mga kamay ng models nyo?"

(Translation: "why do your models always have their arms raised?")  Answer:  because more people click on those ads!  The pictures that have drawn the most criticism, showing "kili-kili" (armpit) have also drawn the best response - and it's an even mix of men and women responding.

Filipinos have a reputation around the globe as beautiful people.

Not just beautiful faces - although the Philippines seems to have more than its share, and nobody can deny that Filipinos love being in front of (and behind) the camera.

Look at any talent show, any dance competition, any beauty pageant, and there will be a Filipino or Filipina represented. In shows like American Idol, Filipinos routinely draw standing ovations with their performances.

But there is more.

Also ingrained in the Filipino heart are qualities like generosity, charity, warmth, hospitality, compassion.

Every Filipino knows the phrase "kain tayo" ("let's eat,") a common invitation to friends and strangers alike. It is an offer to share whatever food may be available, however poor the host may be. It has the welfare of the community and a spirit of sharing at its very core.

Filipinos are acknowledged as the world's best

in caregiving, nursing, hospitality; roles to which empathy and compassion and kindness are fundamental.
After all, this is a nation in which the overwhelming majority are gentle, spritual, peace-loving people devoted to God and their country: a fact demonstrated by the EDSA revolution. What other nation could have overthrown a dictator through the power of positivity alone?

There is no question that Filipino cuisine is amazing. Flavours, textures, ingredients and cooking styles are combined in so many creative and inventive ways, and Filipinos are immensely passionate about their food. And the term kain tayo shows that food and the Filipino heart are fundamentally connected.

"Beautiful people, amazing food"

is indeed a fitting line for a café selling Filipino cuisine. Other ads in the campaign use the words "proudly filipino." More succinct, but preserving the sentiment.

Perhaps not everybody will see it that way; but what’s worse? An ad campaign that is bland and forgettable, or one that has its controversies and gets people talking?

Turo-Turo, for one, is proud of Mary-Joy and the beauty she represents – and Proudly Filipino!