Which would be your political choice? The (controversial hopeful) Rodrigo Duterte bread? Or the Miriam Defensor (Big Gulp) soda? You may also choose the baby-blue Grace Poe cup! If you are yet to choose your favourite presidential candidate, there is an option for that too! Select the ‘Undecided’ cover.
In the Philippines, as the presidential polls are nearing, several things that people buy to quench their apolitical thirst and fill their growling stomach have become political tools to read people.
At the 7-Eleven convenience store, the faces of what are the five most famous people in the Philippines right now—the presidential candidates—were adorning the iconic Big Gulp paper cups. It is not just a colorful gimmick. It is also a clever way to cash in on the election, mixing soda sales with popularity polls. Each of the candidates’ cups was ranked according to popularity, with controversial hopeful Rodrigo Duterte in the lead. The BBC also showed a board that displayed the results of the so-called soda polls representing the choice of the gulpers.
A popular street bakery displayed what looked like another election poster. Inside the bakery were loaves of bread packaged with each presidential runner’s face. Duterte and Mar Roxas breads sold like hot cakes.
