Penshoppe

With so many “it” girls and boys coming in and out of the scene, it takes a whole lot of talent, discipline and good people surrounding you to be more than just a flash in the pan. Growing up is difficult enough, so throwing in a few million pairs of eyes watching you do it sounds like a recipe for disaster.
So how did Zac Efron make it from “High School Musical” to his newest flick “The Lucky One,” and the first clothing endorsement ever for Penshoppe, all in one piece?
“I think you need to focus on keeping it about the work. I try and see my family as much as possible,” says Efron. “It’s very easy to become isolated in Los Angeles and once you’re alone in LA, I think that’s when bad things happen.”

Although the Penshoppe shoot took place in a $10 million bachelor pad more suited to the lifestyle of Entourage’s Vince Chase, Efron seems to have his feet more firmly planted on the ground. “Bottom line is that I’ve always known from day 1 that nothing can tear me away from acting,” says the actor, who recently voiced 13-year-old Ted in The Lorax, “and as long as I have what I love to do and good people around me, I think I’m pretty safe.”
He enjoys leaving town a lot to unwind, with hiking as his activity of choice, but he also has an adventurous side. “I recently went bungee jumping,” says Efron. He enjoys traveling a lot, and is now in Australia starting a worldwide press tour for “The Lucky One.”
And speaking of traveling, Efron says he can’t wait to finally visit the Philippines. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Philippines,” he says. “I’ve heard a lot about it from my dad, who has been there a lot, and I always get jealous of all the stories.”
Pinoys will be amused to know that Zac has not only tried and enjoyed adobo, but he’s actually cooked it himself. “I learned how to make chicken adobo,” he says proudly, “and I also like that purple stuff…”

“I CAN’T wait to finally visit the Philippines,” says Zac.
He meant ube, and he apparently also enjoys halo-halo, which he finds delicious. Book your tickets, girls, because Zac plans to swim with the whale sharks, surf, and visit Cebu when he comes to the Philippines! “I’ve heard so much about the place, the food, the beaches,” he says, “I can’t wait to visit.”
“We are very happy and proud to be the first ever endorsement deal of Zac Efron in the world. The fact that he chose a 100 percent Filipino brand is something all Filipinos can be proud of as well,” says Bernie Liu, Chairman of Golden ABC, the company that owns Penshoppe.
Brand Director Alex Mendoza adds, “Zac Efron defines the all-new Penshoppe. From a small brand with very humble beginnings in Mandaue, Cebu, to being the first endorsement choice of a Hollywood A-lister, we have come a long way.”
Filipino friends
According to Efron, close Filipino family friends urged him to accept the endorsement.

PENSHOPPE is Zac’s first endorsement.
“They told me it’s the best clothing brand in the Philippines. Penshoppe is a cool brand. I learned about how they started and their history. It’s an original Pinoy brand.”
“My style mixes great with Penshoppe’s. I’m very casual—a t-shirt-and-jeans kind of guy, and at the same time I want to look nice.” And nice and casual he did look during the interview in Penshoppe jeans, a simple camisa de chino-type shirt, and varsity jacket. He even handpicked a box of clothes from the shoot to bring home for personal use.
Efron has never had a clothing endorsement prior to this, and for someone of his level of celebrity to say yes to Penshoppe is a very big deal. He chooses his movie roles very carefully, and one can assume he does the same when choosing products he has to represent.
Efron says, “I want to make the type of movies that I want to see. I look at a character and I look for integrity.” He prefers to do roles where the character’s actions mirror what he wishes he could do in real life.

Unlike some young actors who come into their own and refuse to consider themselves role models, Efron understands that it comes with the package. “I don’t think being a role model ever goes away,” he says, “and a big part of it is just being yourself.” He adds that it’s not always easy, but keeping focused on what he wants to do helps him stay balanced.
A piece of advice from Zac to young people: “The most important thing you can do is find some creative outlet, some way to express yourself.” He identified with art and created a lot of it growing up. He says it helped him through high school.
He adds, “If people bully you or make fun of you, it’s probably because deep down they are jealous of what you are doing. I was about 12 when I did my first stage production in school. I knew it was fun and that I was doing something different.”
Although some people may have found his choice of school activity cheesy, he thought it was fun and creative and it made him happy. “At that time I didn’t think I would be doing it at this level, but I think that’s what happens when you are doing what you love—you raise the bar and continue to challenge yourself.”

(Danke auch an Guest)

David Milan

“You’re going to meet Zac Efron.”

This was the first thing that the Penshoppe team told me and three other media peeps from the Philippines as we arrived at the lobby of the London West Hollywood Hotel. I seriously wanted to die.

Two weeks prior to that, I was asked by the local brand if they could fly me to LA to have a one-on-one interview with their supposed biggest endorser to date. They didn’t want to name the celebrity until the day of the interview, so technically, I had no idea who I was going to meet in LA. But I said yes.

“It was a top secret project that was one year in the making,” said Joyce Ramirez of Publicity Asia. Joyce is also responsible for bringing Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick and Thai superstar Mario Maurer to the Penshoppe family. Both have come to the Philippines and both have attracted massive attention to the brand.

Getting Zac Efron to endorse your brand? That is no joke. “The fact that Zac chose a 100 percent Filipino brand is something all Filipinos can be proud of,” says Bernie Liu, chairman of Golden ABC (owning company of Penshoppe.)

Labeled as Hollywood’s golden it-boy, Zac Efron has gone a long way. We’ve seen him grow from being a singing high school senior in the box office breaking High School Musical, to a buffed-up marine soldier in the new movie, The Lucky One, which is opening in theaters worldwide next week.

“Zac Efron defines the all-new Penshoppe. From a small brand with very humble beginnings, to being the first endorsement choice of a Hollywood A-lister,” says Brand Director Alex Mendoza.

Everything Zac Efron does is captured by the paparazzi, and instantly goes up on the interwebs, spreading faster than virus. Whether it’s dropping a condom on the red carpet or getting caught with his pants down at a hotel balcony, Zac brings all eyes on him. Millions of them. Consider this author a victim.

So what does a Hollywood A-lister like Zac and a homegrown Filipino brand like Penshoppe have in common? A lot. He says one of the reasons why he said yes to do the endorsement is because he asked one of his closest friends, who happens to be Filipino, if he should do it. Also, aside from having an ex-girlfriend who is half-Pinay, Zac’s dad is a regular who visits our country a lot.

But what surprised me the most was when Zac told me that he can cook a mean adobo and has halo-halo as his favorite dessert. Who knew, right? It doesn’t get any more Pinoy than that!

He is set to visit the Philippines this year to be formally launched by Penshoppe as its biggest endorser to date. To all his Pinoy fans out there, he’s very excited to see and meet all of you. Consider yourselves the lucky ones.

Zac & Penshoppe: The Lucky Ones

BEVERLY HILLS, California — It’s Wednesday afternoon and even after a whole-day pictorial for Penshoppe, his first endorsement ever, Zac Efron shows up for this Conversation at a suite of London Hotel looking fresh, a big smile on his face and a friendly glint in his dreamy eyes that have charmed millions of girls worldwide in the hit TV series High School Musical.

He looks a bit smaller than he does in his latest movie, The Lucky One (based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks) in which he plays US Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault who returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq with the one big thing he credits with keeping him alive — a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Discovering her name is Beth (played by Taylor Schilling) and where she lives, Logan shows up at her door and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good-luck charm.

Penshoppe starring Zac scores the unprecedented record of being the biggest endorsement deal in the Philippines, brokered by PR Asia Worldwide, the same agency that closed the deals between Penshoppe first with Ed Westwick of Gossip Girl and then with Thai popstar Mario Maurer.

PR Asia head Joyce Ramirez confirmed that this year, more international stars are gracing the Penshoppe All Stars campaign. “It’s a gathering of some of the world’s biggest superstars leading Penshoppe to unparalleled international recognition,” said Joyce.

The shoot with Zac took place in a $10-million bachelor’s pad in Beverly Hills, a setting that came closest to a real-life Vince Chase in Entourage (in which Zac made a cameo appearance years ago as Ari Gold’s newest celebrity acquisition).

he entourage from Manila is composed of, aside from Joyce, Bernie Liu (chairman of Golden ABC, owners of Penshoppe) and his wife Alice, and Penshoppe brand director Alex Mendoza.

Bernie: “We are very happy and proud to be the first ever endorsement deal of Zac in the world. The fact that he chose a 100 percent Filipino brand is something all Filipinos can be proud of as well. With global celebrities endorsing Penshoppe is a great way in the brand’s effort to go international. Just like when Filipino artists or athletes perform in the world arena, winning at home is not enough. Validation from groups outside the Philippines is also important.”

Alex: “Zac defines the all-new Penshoppe. From a small brand with very humbler beginnings in Mandaue, Cebu, to being the first endorsement choice of a Hollywood A-Lister, we have come a long way. We started leveling up a few years back by taking pains to improve our products. Recently, we spent considerable resources in improving our stores and shopping experience. We can’t wait for Zac to visit the Philippines and meet his fans. He’s sending his love to everybody in advance.”

This time around, Zac is playful just like he was a few years back when Conversations did an exclusive one-on-one with him and Vanessa Hudgens for High School Musical.

What convinced you to endorse Penshoppe?

“I always love the Philippines. I have a lot of friends that are from the Philippines. They are my Philippine connection.”

You have more “connection.”

“Oh yeah, my ex-girlfriend is half-Filipino.”

Hmmm, do I know her?

“Yes, you do. She’s Vanessa (Hudgens).”

If Vanessa is your ex, who’s your current?

(Laughs) “There’s no ‘current.’” (In previous interviews, he denied rumors linking him to Demi Moore.)

It’s the first time you’re endorsing anything…and a Philippine product at that.

“Uhm, yes…yeah!”

What’s your criteria in choosing what to endorse?

Well, first of all this is an amazing, amazing excuse to go to the Philippines. I’ve always wanted to visit the Philippines. My dad stayed for a long time in the Philippines and he has been telling me great stories about it. I’m looking forward to go surfing, I wanna dive, I wanna swim with the whale sharks, I just wanna hang around, I wanna…yes, I wanna go to the Philippines!” (Penshoppe guys confirmed that Zac is indeed visiting the Philippines maybe after he’s done with the promo for The Lucky One.)


When you go to Manila, your billboards will be all over the metropolis. How soon do you plan to go?

“Uhm, even tomorrow…if I could. But unfortunately, I have to go elsewhere for The Lucky One. I’m going to Australia and then Japan.”

I suppose you’ve tried the Penshoppe clothes before you agreed to endorse the brand. What can you say about them?

“I think they are cool, they’re casual. You see, I’m a very casual dresser. In fact, I’m wearing Penshoppe now…the shirt, the jacket. I’ve read about the brand’s history — you know Buy Filipinos, For Filipinos.”

I saw the trailer for The Lucky One and in some scenes you are bolder…half of your body from the waist up is bare in your love scenes with Taylor Schilling. It’s quite a departure from your earlier roles.

“It was hard, man! I mean the change. It was a difficult change. But it’s everything that I’ve been looking for in a role. It was great playing a marine. He’s much more of a man than the ones I’ve done before. The film is based on a Nicholas Sparks best-seller and I love it. It’s romantic, it has a little bit of action. I’m very happy with it.”

More daring roles after that?

“Hopefully. You know, we have a phenomenal director (Scott Hicks) in the movie and that’s really what I was looking for. He has a cool sensibility. It’s the courageous filmmakers that I’m looking for. I’m very lucky to have found one.”

You look so beefed-up in the movie. How did you get that kind of body?

“Well, I trained with the Marines. These guys were taller than me, they’re all imposing and physically bigger, and it came from lots of training with weapons. So that’s what I did every single day — go through the kind of training that they had. I lifted a lot of weights. I went into a crash diet. Lots of protein and chicken.”

Any part of your body that needs improvement?

“Oh, my haircut.” (Touches his hair and laughs)

When you look back at High School Musical, what’s the best lesson that you learned from it?

“The best lesson? I think it’s simply just to be yourself. And have fun. And live life to the fullest every day.”

Do you practice it every day?

“I try to. Yes, I try hard to!”

What’s your most embarrassing moment so far?

(Blushes a bit and laughs) “I’m always messing up here and there.”

Hmmm, you were a bit careless recently.

“Yeah, I think I know what you’re talking about.” (During the red-carpet reception for the premiere Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, he accidentally dropped a condom when he dipped into his pocket.)

How did you feel about it?

“There’s nothing I can do about it now.” (In another interview, he said that he didn’t really have a “pocket-check” policy but he does now. That incident unwittingly made Zac an endorser of the safe-sex campaign.)

Away from work, how do you unwind?

“I do relax. Yesterday, I didn’t have much to do so I watched tennis. And then I saw a movie.”

How do you deal with the loss of privacy?

“Uhm, there’s not so much that you can do. I just try to shrug it off.”

Do you sometimes go out in disguise?

“I have done that and it didn’t work. In fact, it makes people even more suspicious and they look at you harder.”

How do you deal with gossip?

“I try not to read it…if I can avoid it.”

What do you like most about yourself, aside from the obvious?

“I think I never take myself too seriously.”

And anything that you don’t like about yourself?

“There’s a lot to like about myself. Can’t think of anything that I don’t like.”

Describe Zac Efron briefly.

“Young. Crazy. Funny.”


Your Conversationalist gives Zac a copy of The STAR carrying a 2008 interview with him and his then girlfriend, High School Musical Fil-Am co-star Vanessa Hudgens

Quelle

Oh dann war das doch von Penshoppe
Danke das du es geändert hast Dana