ACTRESS, dancer, and model Yassi Pressman is the new calendar girl — the latest in a long line — for beverages conglomerate Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (GSMI) popular calendar.
Ms. Pressman’s participation was unveiled to the press and other guests during an event in Makati on Nov. 8. The room was darkened and Ms. Pressman was led to the stage by backup dancers. Stations had been set up in corners of the room reflecting the tropical layouts of the calendar (and one set in an engine shop), where Ms. Pressman mixed cocktails made with spirits from San Miguel.
Data from beverage blog drinkstack.com shows that Philippine gin consumption accounts for 43% of the world gin market. “In 2020, gin became number two (most consumed liquor), second only to soju (a Korean spirit),” said GSMI Marketing Manager Ron Molina in an interview with BusinessWorld. “Because of Ginebra San Miguel, basically.”
That popularity is a good omen for a Ginebra calendar girl. One has been chosen every year since the calendar’s first printing in 1988. In recent memory, these have included top actresses such as Anne Curtis and Marian Rivera, as well as 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach.
Ms. Pressman has been active in showbiz since 2006, playing a young version of the lead in the telenovela, Gulong ng Palad. Other credits under her belt include a stint as main character Alyana Arevalo in the 2015-2022 action-drama series FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.
“I got the call to be a part of this. I was really surprised, and shocked, and honored. At the end of the day, being a part of such a great legacy is something that’s really going to be a milestone in my life. I think it’s really something special na kailangan paghandaan (that I need to prepare for),” said Ms. Pressman during the event.
Mr. Molina said during the event, “It’s all about celebrating the beauty of women, or beauty in general, as embodied by our Filipinas.
“It’s beauty that is authentic,” he said.
“A brand like Ginebra has that relationship with its base of consumers. When I say base, it even includes those who don’t necessarily drink every day, but have grown up with the brand… that they identify with the brand,” said Mr. Molina.
“You take that affinity with the base, and that kind of rubs off on whoever the personality is. It’s like friends introducing friends,” he said.
And it’s not just about a pretty face: “A lot of it has to do with values,” said Mr. Molina. “Has this person had any experience in her life that allows her to identify with the brand values of ‘never say die,’ of resilience, of being some sort of ‘hero’ (air quotes his)?”
“Ginebra is really about honoring the hero in every ordinary Filipino,” he said. — JL Garcia