MANILA, Philippines - The secret’s out and people are dying to know: Who or what is Choco Lava? And how did it win John Lloyd Cruz’s heart? Choco Lava is the new powdered chocolate drink from Universal Robina Corp. (URC). It’s also the Philippine chocolate lovers’ new flavor to love. And you can savor every single drop of it as it contains zero grams trans fat, and only 80 calories per 20 gms. serving. Serve yourself a hot cup or a cool glass, and you’ll probably echo John Lloyd’s words, “I’m glad you came into my life.” Because once you taste the delicious healthy goodness of Choco Lava, you might also say, “I can’t help but fall in love.”
If you think the commercial and John Lloyd looked slick, the process of shooting was actually a cool and very professional experience, according to direk Yam Laranas. “The shoot from preparation all the way to production was very relaxed,” he says. “There was a very close collaboration between myself, the agency and client.” And faithful to the vision that inspired the commercial, direk Yam made sure the latter’s concept really came through. “I had to stick and be true to the concept’s objectives: Make John Lloyd as sexy and good-looking as possible,” The approach Yam took to shooting his latest work had sensuality written all over it. “It was very simple,” he says. “Like the concept, it was pretty straightforward. I needed to treat it as sexy and glamorous but not over-the-top.” The result is 30 seconds of sweet seduction, starring one of Philippine filmdom’s most popular faces, whom Yam speaks very highly of. “John Lloyd is a very cool guy, very relaxed and highly talented. I would want to work with him again in a heartbeat,” he says.
But what does John Lloyd himself have to say about his new Lava interest? For him, Choco Lava is about passion. He likens it to making perfume. According to him, the whole process of making chocolate, the mixing up of different flavors, seems as passionate as mixing the most sensual of scents. He is positively swept off his feet by URC’s Choco Lava. Choco Lava is available in convenience stores, groceries and supermarkets nationwide.