‘Love the Philippines’ no more, DOT scraps deal with ad agency

CEBU – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has terminated its contract with the DDB Philippines, the advertising agency behind the “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign after it drew widespread criticisms for using stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines.

The DOT, headed by Secretary Christina Frasco, said it has not paid DDB Philippines over the new tourism campaign which other reports claimed was worth P49 million.

DDB Philippines has apologized for using stock footage after Netizens discovered that the Filipino tourism campaign contained clips taken from Storyblocks, a subscription stock footage website that offers members unlimited access to millions of videos, audio, images, After Effects templates, animated backgrounds, Premiere Pro templates for as low as $30 a month.

“The DOT is in solidarity with our fellow Filipinos in expressing our outrage and extreme disappointment at the use of non-original or stock footage purporting to be scenes from the Philippines in the audio visual presentation (AVP) prepared, produced, and published by DDB Philippines as a component of the launch of the enhanced tourism branding campaign for the country,” the DOT said.

“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 added.

The DOT said under the deal with DDB Philippines, it has the right to “change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently the contract at any time should the DOT deem the agency incapable of the project.”

CNN Philippines also quoted the DOT as saying that no payments were made to DDB Philippines under the tourism branding campaign contract.

This occurred as the Philippines is vying for six World Travel Awards (WTA) nominations under Asia category namely: Asia’s Leading Island Destination, Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, Intramuros as Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction, Cebu as Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination, and the DOT as as Asia’s Leading Tourist Board. 

For four consecutive years, the Philippines bagged the World’s Leading Dive Destination and is also currently the World’s Leading Beach Destination. The WTA has been acknowledging the tourism wonders of the Philippines since its first nomination in 2013 until present, defeating even the tourism giants in the Caribbean, the Americas, and Europe. (Cebu Examiner)