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By Ricky T. Gallardo
It hasn’t happened for a while
but the new Bench billboard at the Guadalupe junction on EDSA featuring Dingdong Dantes in his manly glory is definitely
causing some drivers to step on their brakes and take a longer look.
Yes, Dantes is touted as the hotshot hunk for the summer season and
he’s definitely the man of the moment.
Considered a late bloomer in the
field of entertainment, Dantes also had his share of rejections
before making it into the big league. Even when he was given his
biggest break on television a few years ago via the daily fantasy
series Antartica where he essayed the role of a merman, Dantes
admits that it was a long, hard climb.
For years, the movies that paired
him off with the big screen’s sizzling females made these leading
ladies’ stars shine brighter than his, but Dantes waited patiently
for his turn.
When GMA 7 announced that he
would play the character of Sergio in the local version of the
Mexican telenovela Marimar, his career took a different turn.
Specially when Marimar scored very high ratings, there was no
stopping Dantes anymore.
So when his contract with
underwear brand Hanford expired, the decision makers of Bench
immediately signed him up, knowing that this was perfect timing to
launch another Bench Body endorser. Good for the team of Ben Chan
and Jojo Liamzon, because these guys know when to seize the moment.
“We are ecstatic to welcome Dingdong into the Bench family!”
enthuses Liamzon, who has been a driving force in the advertising
and marketing of this megabrand.
For his part, Dantes cannot hide
his excitement over this dream project. “It’s a personal
achievement to be a Bench endorser,” Dingdong exclaims, adding,
“I am glad they saw something in me that convinced them that I fit
into their brand. I am just so happy and so lost for words.”
Dantes was photographed by Ronnie
Salvacion for this grand launch and this campaign will show both
sides of the actor that his fans have gotten to love: the
boy-next-door that people first met and fell in love with, and new
and daring Dingdong that will surely surprise many.
The contrasting images may very
well embody the real Bench man. There are always two sides of
Dindong they say, the gentleman and the mysterious.
The actor flashes his disarming
smile, clothed in Bench’s white hooded longsleeves. Then he turns
sizzling in Bench Body comfy underwear classic seamless briefs. His
billboard shows him in brown underwear, exuding earthiness never
captured in a local underwear campaign.
Dantes is the latest among the
Bench Body endorsers who shot to more fame upon showing what
they’ve got. From Cebuano hunk Jon Hall to half-Norwegian Rafael
Rosell, the brand will definitely do wonders for Dantes.
Dantes also shares that this new
undertaking has inspired him to take a serious look at his fitness
regimen. “It pays to be healthy and fit, specially in a stressful
industry like entertainment, “ he intones. Dantes has been
seriously working out and is watching his food intake.
He adds, “I work hard to stay
healthy and fit, and this is a perfect indication that anything is
possible if we work hard for it.” Clearly, Dingdong Dantes looks
good in Bench, fully-clothed or not.
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