The country’s largest brewery is set to rival coffee chains in the daily planner boom.
San Miguel’s Red Horse launched its very first planner for 2020 that has been getting buzz for its colorful and quirky pages made to appeal to Filipino humor.
The planner is deceitfully simple on the outside, with a dark brown color and a clean logo of the drink on the top center.
However, its pages are filled with designs, activities and even drinking passes for adults.
Unlike other planners annually released by coffee chains and other businesses acquired through stickers, stamps or card points system, Red Horse’s planner can be obtained by tagging friends, subscribing to their YouTube channel or visiting their Facebook page.
Red Horse Beer: Ang Planner ng mga Walang Plano
SA WAKAS! Mga repa, dumating na ang planner para sa tulad nating mga malakas at astig: ang #RedHorsePlanner, ang planner ng mga walang plano. Di kailangan ng stickers para makakuha nito. I-tag na ang mga repa at mag-subscribe sa Red Horse Lakas-Tama channel youtube.com/LakasTamaChannel o mag-abang dito sa aming FB page for more details.
Posted by Red Horse Beer on Monday, November 4, 2019
Some Filipinos already said they like this better than other planners brands release annually.
“Move away, Starbucks planner. Hello, Red Horse planner,” a Reddit user said with a screengrab of a tweet that showed the pages of the drink’s planner.
Moveaway Starbucks Planner. Hello, Red Horse Planner. from Philippines
A Twitter user wrote, “Bye bye Starbucks, CBTL (Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) and Mercury planners. Hello #RedHorsePlanner”
“Mukhang mas maganda ‘yung #RedHorsePlanner kaysa sa SB/CBTL Planner,” said another user.
“SB (Starbucks) Planner? NVM (nevermind) I think #RedHorsePlanner is all I need now,” wrote another one.
Usually, Filipinos collect stickers or stamps to acquire planners from two of the most famous coffee chains in the country, Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
The former uses the sticker system while the latter adheres to stamps. Both can be obtained every time the individual buys their respective coffee drinks or products.
Mercury Drug has its own version as well, which can be obtained by buying their own products with their famous “Suki Card” that acquires points from purchases.
However, it was Starbucks that started the planner phenomenon in 2004, when it introduced a well-designed spiral notebook in the yuletide season.
Since then, it has become a habit for coffee drinkers, professionals and even students to collect points for getting the coveted planner, which has even been considered a “status symbol” for some.
Fitz Gerard Villafuerte, a financial planner, attempted to explain the phenomenon in an article:
“When you’re an employee working for that uncertain promotion, paying debts that seem to never go away, and saving for retirement that’s still years ahead – achieving a short-term goal such as getting the Starbucks planner is always a huge boost to your self-esteem,” he said.
