DOT ends deal with ad agency over stock video in ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is terminating its contract with DDB Philippines—the promoting agency behind the nation’s new tourism marketing campaign “Love The Philippines.”

This developed after the company admitted to utilizing non-original inventory footage in its audiovisual presentation on the Philippines’ new tourism marketing campaign.

In an announcement Monday, the DOT stated DDB Philippines violated some phrases beneath the tourism branding marketing campaign contract together with the usage of authentic supplies for the promotional video.

“As DDB Philippines has publicly apologized, taken full responsibility, and admitted in no uncertain terms, that non-original materials were used in their AVP, reflecting an abject failure to comply with their obligation/s under the contract and a direct contravention with the DOT’s objectives for the enhanced tourism branding, the DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB,” the DOT stated.

“The DOT shall exercise its right to forfeit performance security as a result of default in obligations under the contract, as well to review standards of performance or lack thereof vis-a-vis any claims for payment and/or any other engagement,” it added.

No public funds have been used for the controversial video, the DOT stated.

GMA News Online is getting DDB’s remark and can publish it as quickly because it turns into accessible.

On Sunday, the DDB Philippines issued an apology because it admitted utilizing “non-original/stock footage” of vacationer websites in different international locations for the Philippines’ tourism marketing campaign video.

The improvement got here a day after the DOT ordered a probe into the claims, which blogger Sass Sasot stated contained a minimum of 5 scenes shot in different international locations: rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia; a fisherman throwing a internet in Thailand; a passenger airplane in Zurich, Switzerland; leaping dolphins; and an individual driving a automobile on sand dunes in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

“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 agency’s part. Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed,” the DDB Philippines stated.

“This is an isolated incident, and the AVP [has] already been taken down as of this time… The succeeding ad materials have yet to be produced for this campaign,” it added.

The DOT formally launched the “Love the Philippines” marketing campaign final week, changing “It’s More Fun in the Philippines,” which had been working since 2012. —NB, GMA Integrated News