The Barbara Cruz Story
Hair-Free & Pretty
By Earl D.C. Bracamonte
Before Barbara Cruz's remarkable transformation, a lot of images may conjure on your mind. Think of Snooky Serna in the classic "Blusang Itim" or Nanette Medved in "Hiram na Mukha," and better still, for a dose of something current, Anne Curtis in "Kampanerang Kuba." Got the picture?
But maybe some of you aren't into Tagalog movies so let's go to Hollywood. There's Sandra Bullock in "Love Potion #9" or Christie Laikin in "The Hottie & The Nottie." Now I see you all nodding in agreement.
The transformation was magical; almost a modern-day fairy tale, like the ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan! For weeks prior to her revelation, at the poolside of Aquasphere in downtown Malate, Barbara was spotted around the metropolis garbed in a quaint terno. But it wasn't her get-up that got the curiosity of onlookers, rather, the tremendous amount of body hair that grew in places where they weren't supposed to be – especially on a woman's body!
Pale skin, unsightly thick brows, hairy upper and lower extremities, made more noticeable by an historic outfit, made Barbara looking more like a character from a period movie set waiting for her take to come. Her appearance opened the floodgates to much speculation – who she was, where she came from, and what she was up to. Many were intrigued by her sudden appearance in a number of public places;
often mistaken as a specter from the past or a ghostly apparition in her workplace's darkened hallways. Barbara is best described as the ultra-reserved geeky type who is a bit too absorbed in her own little world and who doesn't care much about what's going on around her. Much to everyone's surprise, she seemed unaffected at all; still doing things her own way.
This 21-year-old I.T. consultant from a BPO company clang to old-fashioned habits and dressed-up like the women of yore. Her whole life harbored an embarrassing secret: she's hairy all over but was afraid to succumb to modern ways in removing them.
Luckily, depilatory brand Veet took upon its shoulders the task of removing all of Barbara's unwanted hair. They launched a 'search' for Barbara initiative to help her discover her modern self.
“The brand has made its home-waxing kits, like the Ready to Use Hair Removal Wax Strips, readily available over-the-counter. Sans all the mess, cost and stress, waxing off those unwanted hair has become a breeze,” declared assistant brand manager Isa Marfori.
After weeks of searching for Barbara, Veet finally located her and helped her let go of her old-fashioned outlook and embrace change as a modern woman. “I didn't know about this campaign. I was surprised when people started following me both on-line and at the malls. Apparently, there's this 'catch and shoot' order for me. My friends showed me the promo flyer later on and kept urging me to finally go meet Veet people. Still, I said there was nothing wrong with me. I shave regularly but was wondering why my body hair became thicker; at times with nicks, cuts, and even ingrown hair! It's a tedious and painful process,” confessed Barbara at the reveal party colloquy.
She said she does not see anything wrong with change but merely waited for the right time. “I also think that all women have to find their confidence and do a make-over that's fit for them. You have to be open to improvements on yourself to be more confident,” she added.
After her encounter with Veet, Barbara can't be happier with her transformation! “Yes, no more unwanted hair. What was I thinking before? It's overwhelming! This is what beauty feels like. All the attention I got from my former self was on the old-looking dresses and me covered with lots of hair. Now the attention will be on me alone because I'm much, much prettier now. Veet has helped me discover my inner beauty,” giggled the new Barbara, showing no traces of her former withdrawn self.
“The Philippines is basically a shaving country. But we're trying to slowly turn that around. Veet used to be a niche market but we realized the potential of a growing mass market and on-line audience. The 'catch & capture' Barbara campaign elicited much favorable reviews. It's a happy mix of message and medium,” enthused Isa at the end of the party.
By Earl D.C. Bracamonte
Before Barbara Cruz's remarkable transformation, a lot of images may conjure on your mind. Think of Snooky Serna in the classic "Blusang Itim" or Nanette Medved in "Hiram na Mukha," and better still, for a dose of something current, Anne Curtis in "Kampanerang Kuba." Got the picture?
But maybe some of you aren't into Tagalog movies so let's go to Hollywood. There's Sandra Bullock in "Love Potion #9" or Christie Laikin in "The Hottie & The Nottie." Now I see you all nodding in agreement.
The transformation was magical; almost a modern-day fairy tale, like the ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan! For weeks prior to her revelation, at the poolside of Aquasphere in downtown Malate, Barbara was spotted around the metropolis garbed in a quaint terno. But it wasn't her get-up that got the curiosity of onlookers, rather, the tremendous amount of body hair that grew in places where they weren't supposed to be – especially on a woman's body!
Pale skin, unsightly thick brows, hairy upper and lower extremities, made more noticeable by an historic outfit, made Barbara looking more like a character from a period movie set waiting for her take to come. Her appearance opened the floodgates to much speculation – who she was, where she came from, and what she was up to. Many were intrigued by her sudden appearance in a number of public places;
often mistaken as a specter from the past or a ghostly apparition in her workplace's darkened hallways. Barbara is best described as the ultra-reserved geeky type who is a bit too absorbed in her own little world and who doesn't care much about what's going on around her. Much to everyone's surprise, she seemed unaffected at all; still doing things her own way.
This 21-year-old I.T. consultant from a BPO company clang to old-fashioned habits and dressed-up like the women of yore. Her whole life harbored an embarrassing secret: she's hairy all over but was afraid to succumb to modern ways in removing them.
Luckily, depilatory brand Veet took upon its shoulders the task of removing all of Barbara's unwanted hair. They launched a 'search' for Barbara initiative to help her discover her modern self.
“Veet is all about innovation, about modern-day conveniences that can really make women's lives easier. When we heard of Barbara, we thought she would be the perfect person to make-over with our modern hair removal products and show today's Filipinas that there are now wonderful options available to them as far as self-waxing and hair removal are concerned.
“The brand has made its home-waxing kits, like the Ready to Use Hair Removal Wax Strips, readily available over-the-counter. Sans all the mess, cost and stress, waxing off those unwanted hair has become a breeze,” declared assistant brand manager Isa Marfori.
After weeks of searching for Barbara, Veet finally located her and helped her let go of her old-fashioned outlook and embrace change as a modern woman. “I didn't know about this campaign. I was surprised when people started following me both on-line and at the malls. Apparently, there's this 'catch and shoot' order for me. My friends showed me the promo flyer later on and kept urging me to finally go meet Veet people. Still, I said there was nothing wrong with me. I shave regularly but was wondering why my body hair became thicker; at times with nicks, cuts, and even ingrown hair! It's a tedious and painful process,” confessed Barbara at the reveal party colloquy.
She said she does not see anything wrong with change but merely waited for the right time. “I also think that all women have to find their confidence and do a make-over that's fit for them. You have to be open to improvements on yourself to be more confident,” she added.
After her encounter with Veet, Barbara can't be happier with her transformation! “Yes, no more unwanted hair. What was I thinking before? It's overwhelming! This is what beauty feels like. All the attention I got from my former self was on the old-looking dresses and me covered with lots of hair. Now the attention will be on me alone because I'm much, much prettier now. Veet has helped me discover my inner beauty,” giggled the new Barbara, showing no traces of her former withdrawn self.
“The Philippines is basically a shaving country. But we're trying to slowly turn that around. Veet used to be a niche market but we realized the potential of a growing mass market and on-line audience. The 'catch & capture' Barbara campaign elicited much favorable reviews. It's a happy mix of message and medium,” enthused Isa at the end of the party.
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