An old television commercial for a popular milk brand resurfaced as Filipinos recalled an “urban legend” that it supposedly featured a ghost in the latter part of the video.
A Facebook user on Saturday shared a video of a Bear Brand commercial which social media users claim aired in 1988.
“Creepy… Urban Legend in the Philippine Television Commercial,” the user wrote in the Facebook group “Memories of Old Manila.”
Initially set in the yesteryears, the commercial featured a clan gathering in their house, with kids and some adults drinking milk.
The ad then focuses on a young boy who dances with an older female relative as other people cheer and clap for him.
It is then revealed that the event was a memory of an old man, who shows a picture of his younger version to his granddaughter.
The camera then zooms out, revealing that there is another girl beside the granddaughter.
The commercial concludes when the granddaughter and the other girl dance with the old man and then settle down by drinking the milk product.
However, the last scene no longer includes the other girl who was spotted sitting beside the granddaughter.
The video uploaded by the Facebook user features an additional clip that was edited to include the “urban legend” which claims that the other girl “was not remembered to be one of the cast of the commercial.”
She was also allegedly “not seen during the taping.”
“The studio later found out that there was a second young girl listed on their payroll. The missing girl’s name is Sheena Dolorosa. This is her audition photo. She is a real girl, but her family doesn’t remember her as their daughter,” it alleged.
Another copy of the video can be found on YouTube, where it has earned 11,000 views since it was uploaded in May 2023.
Other Facebook users claimed that the alleged director of the commercial, Jun Urbano, has “debunked” the story as it is — a supposed urban legend.
“Una, debunked na ng director na si Mr. Jun Urbano as simply urban legend lang ‘yan. Pangalawa, extra lang [‘yung] bata, ‘di na sinama sa ibang part nung video,” a Pinoy commented.
“‘Yung mismong direktor ng commercial ang nag-debunk [niyan]. Si Mr. Jun Urbano (a.k.a. Mr. Shooli). Sobra [niya] lang tinawanan ‘yung urban legend na’ yan nung ininterview siya,” a different user claimed.
John Christler Marantal, another Facebook user, alleged that they did a “research” about the commercial when they were in college.
He claimed that a former production crew of the commercial took to Reddit to shed light on the mystery.
“Kaya hindi daw nakasama sa huling part ‘yung batang naka-pink na dress at naka-ribbon ay dahil sa noong mga huling araw ng shooting, ay hindi na raw pumayag ang mga magulang nito na isali pa ang bata dahil sa ilang araw na daw itong hindi nakakapasok sa eskwelahan at mahalaga para sa mga magulang ng bata na mapag-aral ito, kung kaya hindi na nila ipinagpatuloy ang partisipasyon nung isang bata na apo ni Lolo sa TVC,” Marantal wrote.
“Bilang ‘appreciation’ na lang daw sa participation nung bata, isinama pa din ng direktor ang appearances nito sa TV commercial,” he added.
“Ngunit dahil nga sa lumalabas na kuwento-kuwento (the urban legend itself), Nestle Philippines decided to pull out the commercial for they believed that it affects their sales somehow. (Reddit),” Marantal said.
He also said they might have gotten the “wrong” information and added that he is open to any other explanations other users can offer.