Manila funeral provider famous for hot pink coffins offers 50% discount... but not all deaths apply

Fanfare in the funeral business might seem subdued, but one funeral service provider in the Philippines has managed to stand out in the industry where advertisements are subtle and marketing gimmicks are rare.

St. Peter Chapels in Quezon City, Manila, had in previous years organised Halloween midnight runs which encouraged participants to dress in scary costumes and pose for photos in the parlour's famous hot pink caskets.

In its most recent campaign, the funeral experts placed eye-catching billboards in the capital city, featuring one of their signature pink coffins and the words "50 per cent off" in large bold print.

Needless to say, the advertisement caught the attention of passers-by and netizens, many of whom commented on the casket's pretty pink shade.

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Facebook user Romano Cortes Jorge posted a photo of the billboard online, calling it "a coffin so pretty, you can't wait to die". Some netizens who saw the photo were more surprised by the discount being offered by St. Peter.

One user by the name of Alex Martinez wrote: "Competition is tight and demand has gone too high".

A check on St. Peter's official website revealed that the 50 per cent discount was being offered for the "All-at-need" memorial service package offered by the company during the its annual Deathcare Week, which runs from Oct 27 to Nov 2 this year.

The package includes a coffin, retrieval of remains, embalming, viewing at the funeral parlour or family home, and transport of the casket to the burial site.

But if you thought you could purchase a nice pink coffin and funeral service for yourself in advance, you can't. The terms and conditions of the deal make the discount applicable to deaths which occurred up to Nov 2 only.

Read also: Want to pre-plan your funeral?

And while we are on the topic of quirky death-related business gimmicks, a ceramic artist from New Mexico is now taking orders for coffee mugs custom-made from the ashes of dead people.

Justin Crowe, 28, launched Chronical Cremation Designs after working on a project that resulted in dinnerware made from the ashes of 200 anonymous individuals, Metro reported. Prices start from US$199 (S$277) for a coffee mug to US$549 for a large bowl.

This is not the first time businesses have offered unique services that involve ashes.

It seems grieving families have a myriad of choices when it comes to immortalising their dead loved ones. These range from turning their ashes into diamonds, to launching the ashes into various degrees of space at prices ranging from US$1,500 to US$12,500.

ljessica@sph.com.sg