The DOT has terminated its contract with DDB Philippines, the advertising firm behind the country’s new tourist campaign “Love The Philippines.”
This arose after the agency admitted to utilizing non-original stock material in an audiovisual presentation about the Philippines’ new tourist promotion.
According to the DOT, DDB Philippines violated the tourism branding campaign contract terms.
“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 said.
“The DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB,” it added.
The DOT stated that it will utilize its right to forfeit performance security in the event of a breach of contract commitments, “as well to review standards of performance or lack thereof vis-a-vis any claims for payment and/or any other engagement.”
The Department of Transportation maintained that no public funds were utilized for the contentious ad video.
DOT ends contract with ‘Love the Philippines’ ad agency
On Sunday, DDB Philippines apologized for utilizing “non-original/stock footage” of tourist locations in other nations in the Philippines’ tourism campaign video.
The news comes a day after the DOT launched an investigation into the claims, which blogger Sass Sasot claimed included at least five scenes shot in foreign nations.
Rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia; a fisherman casting a net in Thailand; a plane carrying passengers in Zurich, Switzerland; jumping dolphins; and a guy driving a vehicle over sand dunes in Dubai, United Arab Emirates are among the images.
“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 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.
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