Ariel Experts vs 100 Challenge

The Guessing Game 

 By Earl D.C. Bracamonte 

 The quizmaster read the multiple choice question and we, studio contestants, hastlily keyed-in our respective choices unto each of our electronic handsets. This was the second round of eliminations. When the bell rang and the answer was given, me and my seatmate couldn't help but show our elation for getting the right answer. What we didn't know was that only the fastest six keyed-in answers qualified for the final round. Apparently, six other gamers had faster fingers than us. And that was how far it went for some of us at the Ariel Experts vs 100 Challenge show. Hosted by Mo Twister, the game ultimately asked experts to tell the difference which of two shirts is the new one. As simple as it may sound, this challenge has proven that even experts can get confused between what's really new and what's old when washed with Ariel detergent. 

The exciting challenge, which we attended, pitted clothing experts Metropole Laundry & Dry Cleaners Inc. and apparel brand Bench against a hundred media guests in answering questions on fashion, laundry, and in trying to identify the difference between a new shirt and an old stained one that has been washed ten times. Even the two clothing experts had a hard time figuring out. 

 Ariel Oxybleach has a unique system that removes tough stains so well even without scrubbing with a bar and brush. “With Ariel, our focus has always been to provide the latest detergent technology to consumers and give them the perfect clean they've always wanted. It is a global brand available in 90 countries worldwide. It's in constant innovation and is a technology leader. We started detergents with fabric conditioner; and with Downy as partner says a lot about our product. The brand has been in the Philippine market for 10 years now, since its introduction in 2000,” declared country marketing manager Danish Rahman.

 “Ariel is a compact powder with better cleaning and stain removal formula. It has a unique oxybleach system that consists of a bleach activator that decolorizes and removes stain in the wash, plus photo-bleach which is activated by sunlight during the drying stage to provide additional bleaching effects and even enzymes that care for your clothes as it prevents textiles from unraveling. 

There's science behind its 20 active ingredients. Aside from the aforementioned, Ariel has a water-softening agent because the Philippines has hard water. It also has optical brighteners and prevents stain from redepositing into the clothes. And we will be launching liquid detergents soon,” continued Rahman. Both Bench and Metropole agreed that Ariel Oxybleach is superior to other detergents in keeping clothes looking new. 

“Being an Ariel user myself, I can say that its formula is indeed efficient in taking away stains. Another thing is, with Ariel, you just soak your laundry without scrubbing too much. That way, your clothes will be kept looking like new,” enthused Patrick Tan, senior store operations manager for Bench. 

Meanwhile, Metropole has actually been using Ariel since 2003, as it evaluated which of the many detergent brands best removed stains as well as cared for laundered items. 

“For the past seven years, Ariel has been determined to be superior against other detergents available in the market in stain removal while at the same time maintain the 'like new' appearance of apparel items,” intoned VP for marketing Adrian Asis. “Most detergents were tested to work on white colored items but had the negative effect of fading colored items. Ariel was tested to be the detergent with the best balance of maintaining white items while also gentle enough to minimize fading on dark colored items,” Asis added.

 Aside from using Ariel, Bench and Metropole offered tips to help consumers keep their clothes looking like new. “It is very important to follow wash care and ironing instructions. For example, some fabrics are delicate so they should be hand-washed and not ironed,” Tan informed. 

Metropole, on the other hand, advises its customers to wash their clothes as soon as possible. “Leaving clothes unattended, after they have been worn, allows stains to set in and the fabric to weaken resulting to color fading. Perspiration is acidic in nature and exposure to acidic elements is the major cause of fabric degradation. Ariel's color-safe bleaching action prevents colored clothes from losing their color and shine,” Asis pointed out. 

The pervading energy and excitement of a Pinoy game show is seldom transported unto the TV screen. A contestant's inner emotions are never zeroed in by the panning cameras nor do the not-so-general-information questions delve into rocket science. To the know-it-all onlooker, the gawking contestants appear stupid. But those who braved the stage lights know better. In fact, televiewers would readily point out that the trivia questions are commonplace. And this is precisely what makes everything all the more tricky. With the clock seemingly ticking faster on two identical white shirts that both look 'brand new,' the fairly easy question of guessing which one is just off the rack and which one has been laundered ten times can suddenly become a $64-query! 

After all, market tests show that 8 out of 10 women chose the washed shirt over the new one. With the help of Ariel Oxybleach and sage advise from experts, keeping old clothes looking like new should prove no challenge at all. The only problem will be telling the difference between the two.