By Arabella Balderama

Advertising firm DDB Philippines “profusely” apologized to the Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Frasco and the public on Sunday, July 2, 2023, as it admitted utilizing foreign stock footage in the promotional video for the DOT’s “Love the Philippines” campaign.

“As DOT’s agency on record for the launch of this campaign, we take full responsibility over this matter,” DDB affirmed after the DOT began investigating the matter.

According to DDB, the almost two-minute audio-visual presentation (AVP) shown last June 27 was intended to be a “mood video to excite internal stakeholders about the campaign.”

However, the AVP received backlash from netizens as they claimed the video had clips of foreign travel destinations taken from Storyblocks—a stock media platform.

Thailand, Indonesia, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates were some of the reported countries included in the AVP.

DDB recognized that using international recordings in an advertisement promoting the Philippines is “highly inappropriate and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives.”

“While the use of stock footage in mood videos is standard practice in the industry, the use of foreign stock footage was an unfortunate oversight on our part,” DBB said, attributing the lapse to “screening and approval processes that were not strictly followed.”

The agency further clarified that “no public funds were released” for the AVP, and it was DBB’s initiative to “help pitch the slogan.” 

As per DBB’s statement, the AVP has already been taken down and the agency is “fully cooperating” with the ongoing investigation.

ICYMI: New tourism slogan of the Philippines

On June 27, 2023, the DOT announced that “Love the Philippines” is its new slogan to promote the country.

This quote replaced “It’s more fun in the Philippines,” and prompted lawmakers to have mixed reactions.

Congressman Joey Salceda and Senator Francis Tolentino expressed dismay over the exclusion of their hometowns—Albay and Tagaytay—from the promotional campaign.

“Being a tourism advocate, it is not my happiness being proven right after all,” remarked Salceda on DBB’s alleged blunder.

“As we speak right at this moment, Tagaytay probably hosts the most number of domestic tourists who come from various parts of the country,” Tolentino stated.

Meanwhile, it would have been more suitable for Juan Ponce Enrile, Chief of Presidential Legal Counsel, to say “enjoy” the Philippines rather than “love” it.

“Many are coming here because they want to enjoy, to see what is there in the Philippines. They are not here to love the Philippines, but to enjoy it,” Enrile imparted.

Thumbnail from CNN Philippines