DOT terminates deal with ad agency in ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is ending its contract with DDB Philippines—the advertising firm behind the country’s new tourism campaign “Love The Philippines.”

This developed after the agency admitted using non-original stock footage in its audiovisual presentation on the Philippines' new tourism campaign.

The DOT said DDB Philippines violated the terms under the tourism branding campaign contract.

“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," it said in a statement.

The DOT said it would 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."

The DOT reiterated that no public funds were used for the controversial video.

GMA News Online is getting DDB's comment and will publish it as soon as it becomes available.

DDB apology

DDB Philippines on Sunday apologized as it admitted using “non-original/stock footage” of tourist sites in other countries for the Philippines’ tourism campaign video.

The development came a day after the DOT ordered a probe into the claims, which blogger Sass Sasot said contained at least five scenes shot in other countries.

These include rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia; a fisherman throwing a net in Thailand; a passenger plane in Zurich, Switzerland; jumping dolphins; and a person driving a vehicle on 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," DDB Philippines said.

"Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed," the DDB Philippines it added.

The advertising agency called the matter "an isolated incident."

"The AVP [has] already been taken down as of this time… The succeeding ad materials have yet to be produced for this campaign," DDB said on Sunday.

‘Love the Philippines’

The DOT formally launched the "Love the Philippines" campaign on June 27. It replaced the "It’s More Fun in the Philippines" campaign which had been running since 2012.

The department said it had ''repeatedly sought confirmation from DDB on the originality and ownership of all materials contained in the AVPs and key visuals.''

''[O]n all these occasions, DDB repeatedly assured the DOT that the originality and ownership of all materials [were] in order,'' the DOT said. 

The DOT said it held "the responsibility of promoting the country to the highest standard.''

''Therefore, it will not hesitate to exact accountability and take the necessary action to protect the interest of the country even as it continues to exhaust all efforts to develop and promote the Philippine tourism industry,'' the DOT said. —NB/KG, GMA Integrated News