Brought to the country during the early 1900s by Bernese Alps Milk Company under the local name Marca Oso – Bear Brand Milk was the very first canned, ready-to-drink sterilize fresh milk in the Philippines.
The brand bearing the iconic logo of a mother bear feeding her baby bear with a nursing bottle became quickly a household name for 6 decades in the country thanks to its very aggressive advertising and promotions. Its giant bear and bear brand can float even won at the first Manila carnival way back in 1908. Nestle would later acquire ownership of the Bear Brand brand.
In 1967, Bear Brand changes its logo by removing the feeding bottle. and in 1976 the Bear Brand Instant Milk Powder was introduced to the market as a cheaper alternative to evaporated milk.
In the 80s, Bear Brand introduced its Bear mascot family in a TV commercial that shows the bears walking on the swiss alps, reminding consumers of its high quality swiss milk heritage. By this time, Bear Brand is now under Nestle Philippines.
Bear Brand changes its logo once again in 1992 to a more cartoony look, and 10 years after to its current bear holding a glass of milk logo and shield form.
Bear Brand is also a leader in many innovations when it comes to how Filipinos enjoy their milk.
In fact, they renamed its powdered milk to Bear Brand Fortified to emphasize on the nutritional value with each glass of their milk. They started in the late 90s by adding the vitamins A, B-complex, E and iodine in the formula. They added zinc in 2002, Vitamin C and Iron in 2005, tripled its micronutrient contents and made it more easily absorbed by the body. The milk brand’s formula has evolved with the nutritional requirements of the Filipinos.
They’ve introduced more innovations like Bear Brand Fit n’ Fresh, Bear Brand 1+ (Bear Brand Jr), Bear Brand Gold, Bear Brand Busog Lusog Cereal Drink, and Bear Brand Yogu.
But the most successful and well-received products were actually the re-introduction of its Sterilized milk drink which originally came out in easy open can and is now available in Tetra Pack and with variants that incorporates Ginseng or Ginkgo Biloba.
Bear Brand Choco is also another favorite. Remember the 2008 TV commercial and tag line “Gatas na Choco, Choco na Gatas”? The product is still one of the fast moving.
And lastly, Bear Brand Adult Plus which was launched in 2011 capturing the adult milk drinking market because it’s the most affordable alternative. This product comes in Choco and Coffee flavors.
In 2017, the brand also introduced its Real Strawberry Milk drink which contains real strawberry bits. And just last year, Bear Brand Fortified is now available in ready-to-drink Tetra packs.
Bear Brand is truly one of the most enduring brands with a rich history here in the Philippines.
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