The Philippines paid $900k for an ad to promote tourism. It featured pics from other countries
The Philippines' tourism campaign took an unexpected turn down the road of embarrassment when their video promoting the tropical paradise as an idyllic holiday destination turned out to be a compilation of stock footage from various countries.
What
The advertising agency behind the 'Love The Philippines' blunder, DDB Philippines, found themselves in hot water after it was revealed that the video featured
- rice terraces from Indonesia,
- sand dunes from Brazil, and
- an aircraft landing in Switzerland.
These shots were mistakenly included in the video, leading to allegations of misleading representation and a violation of the campaign's objective.
Apologies pour in
Apologies were swiftly issued, with DDB Philippines calling their choice of foreign stock footage "highly inappropriate" and "contradictory to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) objectives".
Following the discovery of the stock footage, the Philippine tourism ministry initiated an investigation into the matter. The video was subsequently removed from the ministry's Facebook page.
The tourism secretary, Christina Garcia Frasco, made it clear that no public funds were squandered on this hodgepodge of global imagery and expressed disappointment over the oversight by DDB Philippines.
In their defense, DDB Philippines claimed that using stock footage in mood videos is a standard practice in the advertising industry, but clearly failed to distinguish the fine line between industry standards and blatant deception.
However, they admitted their mistake in using foreign stock footage for a campaign promoting the Philippines and recognised that it contradicted the objectives of the DOT.
The incident drew attention when it was uncovered by AFP and Philippine blogger Sass Rogando Sasot.
As a result, DDB Philippines pledged to assist the department in its investigation and ensure accountability for the video.
THIS IS ALARMING!🇵🇭
— Renz Nathaniel (@nathaniel_renz) July 1, 2023
The DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM - PHILIPPINES has shamelessly squandered a whopping P50M to flaunt foreign destinations (STOCK VIDEOS) instead of showcasing our own stunning scenes while proudly parading their new slogan "#LovethePhilippines." We deserve better! >>> pic.twitter.com/TuW8WwF420
All in all, this tourism campaign debacle serves as a gentle reminder that authenticity and accuracy matter. After all, it's a tad difficult to convince tourists to visit a place when you're showing them everything except that place.