Local food business Taragis has come forward to reveal that the widely circulated April Fools’ “tattoo challenge” was, in fact, a meticulously planned marketing stunt.
The revelation was made through another video, “Taragis: The Revelation,” which shed light on the behind-the-scenes of the viral incident that captured the attention of Pinoy social media users.
The food brand’s owner, identified as Carl Quion, disclosed that the idea for the prank was conceived as early as April Fools’ Day in 2023, with the intention of generating buzz and publicity for his takoyaki business.
“Aamin na ako. Nagsimula ang lahat sa isang ideya. Ideya na kung magagawa ko, magbabago ang takbo ng lahat,” he dropped the revelation in his latest video entry.
“Wayback April 1, 2023 ay nag-iisip ako ng susunod na plano. Kailangan makabuo ako ng ingay para mag-viral ang ‘Taragis.’ Kailangan ay maging involve ang maraming tao rito para kumalat sa buong Pilipinas,” he explained.
Quion detailed the marketing stunt’s planning process, which involved the help of a tattoo artist to find a willing participant willing to have the Taragis logo inked on their forehead.
“Ang plano ay kumuha ng isang tao na kayang magsakripisyo sa gagawing act na ito,” the businessman stated.
The chosen individual, 47-year-old Ramil Albano, was promised a monetary reward of P100,000 for his participation in the elaborate marketing scheme.
Explaining the choice of location for the tattoo, Quion stated, “Bakit sa noo? Dahil kung hindi sa noo ay mawawalan lang ng saysay ang tattoo dahil wala nang nakakawili pa sa isang brand logo na nakatatak sa noo ng isang tao.”
The staged event took place as early as March, with Albano undergoing the tattoo procedure as agreed upon. To maintain secrecy and prevent the plan from being exposed prematurely, it was revealed that Albano was not allowed to leave his house until the designated reveal date.
On April 1st, Taragis shared a promotional poster on their Facebook page, inviting followers to click for more information, only to unveil an “April Fools” graphic beneath it.
The post quickly went viral, triggering a flurry of mixed reactions and responses from social media users and influencers.
“Katulad nga ng inaasahan, kumalat na ang poster sa buong Pilipinas. At sobrang dami na ng nagreact at nagalit na malalaking influencers at dun na nagsimula na gumana ang plano,” Quion said.
Following the widespread attention garnered by the prank, Taragis released another video on April 2, showing their team handing over Ramil the promised cash prize.
When asked why he participated in the controversial challenge which was revealed as an April Fools’ prank at the time, Albano admitted that he willingly participated to provide for the needs of his 17-year-old son with Down syndrome.
Quion then claimed that the previous video helped diffuse tensions and restore a sense of happiness among viewers.
Acknowledging the negative repercussions of their marketing ploy, Quion expressed regret for deceiving the public and acknowledged that the stunt had misled many and affected other brands.
“Oo, nagsinungaling ako sa inyo at gusto kong humingi ng tawad. Dinala namin kayo dito sa isang malaking marketing stunt na may iba’t ibang klaseng emosyon, diskusyon, at pagpapakitang tao,” Quion admitted.
“Una, nagmukha kaming nanloko dahil planado ito. Pangalawa, maraming brand ang naapektuhan at nagpakita ng kabutihang loob sa isang marketing stunt lamang.
However, he also highlighted the positive outcomes, noting that the incident prompted an outpouring of support for Albano from kind netizens and fellow local business owners.
It was also revealed that the difficulty in reaching the Ramil was made on purpose for the sake of the marketing stunt but clarified that the donations given by concerned brand owners and netizens all went straight to the tattooed father.
“Gusto ko lang linawin na wala akong hati o binawas sa donasyon na natanggap ni Tatay Ramil. Ang lahat ng napunta kay tatay ay para sa kanya at para sa kanya lang,” the Taragis owner stressed.
Concluding the revelation video, Quion extended his gratitude to supporters and apologized for any distress caused it, emphasizing that while the outcome may not have been perfect, the experiment had been “worth attempting”.
“Gusto ko lang sabihin sa inyo ang mga salitang salamat at salitang patawad. Hindi ko naman sinasabing naging perpekto at napakaganda ng dulo nito. Siguro, mayroon pang ibang mas maganda pero at least nagawa kong subukan,” he told the public.
The revelation came after content creator, Xian Gaza, as well as other eagle-eyed social media users, noticed “receipts” alleging the connection between the “prank’s victim” and the owner of Taragis even before the tattoo challenge was publicized.
