“Manila Manila Manila!” was “Riverdale” star Cole Sprouse’s chant upon landing in the Philippine capital on Wednesday night.
Manila Manila Manila!
— Cole M. Sprouse (@colesprouse) April 19, 2018
Sprouse is in town for a meet-and-greet event with fans as the newest international face of homegrown retail clothing giant Bench.
“Jet-lagged and all but @colesprouse is super excited to meet you all,” the company wrote on Instagram, documenting the actor’s arrival.
Before reaching Manila, however, a Filipino stewardess introduced him in jest as her “new boyfriend.”
? Cole Sprouse & a fan in Manila today pic.twitter.com/J6dHOulFbl
— Cole Sprouse Daily® (@colemsdaily) April 18, 2018
Sprouse touched her cheek with his, triggering his Filipino fans to post curses and crying emoticons in envy.
Before being known for playing Jughead Jones on The CW’s spinoff of the famous Archie comic books, Sprouse has made a name as the young lead star of successful family-oriented series “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and its followup “The Suite Life on Deck.”
He also played Adam Sandler’s tiny co-star in “Big Daddy.”
International celebrities for local brands
The early 2000s saw a rise in Philippines-based clothing brands signing up young international personalities whose faces grace gigantic billboards along major roads in urban areas.
Bench, for one, has enlisted big names in music, fashion and film, the most notable of whom include:
- Adam Sandler
- Lee Min Ho
- Joe Jonas
- Bruno Mars
- Liam Hemsworth
- Brooklyn Beckham
- Park Shin Hye
Penshoppe has also had its own lineup of international endorsers, including:
- Mandy Moore
- Mario Maurer
- Zac Efron
- One Direction
- Zayn Malik
- Josh Bowman
- Cara DeLevigne
- Sean O’Pry
- Kendall Jenner
- Sandara Park
- Gigi Hadid and her younger sister Bella
