The Department of Tourism should start penalizing advertising and creative agencies giving “unoriginal” works, said Senator Nancy Binay.
“We should start penalizing ad agencies for giving our departments, especially the DoT, ripped off creative handles or not-so-original work. It compromises the integrity of the government agency, as well as the ad agency itself,” Binay, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism, Binay said.
Binay said that in 2010, the DoT and ad agency Campaigns and Grey were also criticized for its “Pilipinas kay Ganda” logo, which netizens said was lifted from Poland’s tourism logo.
“The “It’s more fun in the Philippines’” tagline also became controversial in 2012 when it was said to resemble the “It’s more fun in Switzerland” tagline made in 1951,” said Binay. “It would appear that we have not yet learned from past experiences wherein the logo, slogan, or design were not original.”
She noted that this is not the first time that the DoT and its agencies on record became controversial.
She said advertising contracts between the DoT, including its attached agencies, and the promo/ad/media/marketing agencies should have a legal clause or a disclaimer which stipulates that the agency handling a particular campaign would either be penalized or not be paid if the ad copy, concept, or peg was found to be copied.
The tourism department, Binay said the government spends public’s money to pay the ad companies and it’s only proper for these agencies to be held accountable not only to the DOT but to the public.
“Everytime the ad is aired, taxpayers’ money is being spent,” Binay said. She added that it is the responsibility of the advertising agency if the proposed ad, slogan or logo has similarities on previously ran campaigns locally or abroad.
“There should be honesty and full disclosure on the part of the ad agencies so that the Philippines would not be placed in a shameful situation,” Binay said, and reminded the DOT to also be more discerning and critical on pegs, concepts, storyboards, and drafts that ad agencies present to them.
The lady senator added that she is hoping that the next DOT advertisements would not meet the same fate as previous advertisements
Binay said the criticism on advertising only adds to the negative image of the country, especially for foreign tourists.
The new Philippine tourism campaign video, “Sights”, which uses the tagline “Experience the Philippines” drew flak hours after it was released to the public on June 12, Monday.
Also, hours after the DoT launched the promotional video, several netizens on social media slammed the DoT saying it had plagiarized a foreign country’s tourism campaign, citing its resemblance to the one released by South Africa in 2014 that went viral.
Netizens noticed that DOT’s video based on the life of blind Japanese retiree M. Uchimura was similar to the South African tourism brand video called “Meet New South Africa,” which also featured a blind British traveller named James O’Driscoll’s on his experiences in South Africa.
The new Philippine tourism video features the blind Japanese who explored some of the country’s best known tourist spots.
The DOT’s video was a minute long while South Africa’s video lasts for two minutes and 15 seconds.
Meanwhile, Mc Cann, the agency commissioned by the DOT to conceptualize the new ad, explained that the film ‘Sights’ was particularly inspired by the story of a visually-impaired foreigner who has made the Philippines his home and who has come to experience the Philippines in different ways.
“We acknowledge the feedback that the way this story was told may have similarities with the South African tourism campaign,” said McCann. “It is unfortunate that the DOT has been called out and accused of plagiarism for work we have done to highlight the testimonial of a real retiree. We take full responsibility as all ideas and storyboards presented were conceptualized by McCann Worldgroup Philippines,” it said.
McCannl, however, McCann insisted that there has never been any intention to copy others’ creative work.
“McCann Worldgroup Philippines has always [strove] to adhere to our guiding principle ‘Truth Well Told’ in everything we do. We stand by the integrity with which this campaign was developed.”
Tourism Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre defended DOT’s advertisement video, saying it is “not a rip-off” and is “definitely experiential.”
He said that the video is different from South Africa’s because M. Uchimura is an actual retiree who decided to reside in the Philippines unlike O’Driscoll, whom Alegre said was probably just visiting South Africa.
“Our ad that was released was beautifully executed. While it has similarity with the ads of South Africa, the biggest difference really is that is a true story. The Japanese retiree is an actual retiree residing in the Philippines,” Alegre said over ANC’s Early Edition.
As this developed, the DOT explained that it was not abandoning the Aquino administration’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign.
According to Alegre, the DOT has decided to tone down the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brand in its campaign, in light of the ongoing atrocities in southern Philippines, which had been placed under martial law after the Maute group tried overrunning Marawi City.
Alegre said, with the new “Experience Philippines” campaign, the government has come up with a slogan that would better fit the current state of Philippine affairs.
“The launch of our tourism campaign was already scheduled June 12, many months ago and then the Marawi incident happened. We cannot use in full view the word ‘fun.’ I cannot imagine myself talking about fun, the secretary (Wanda Teo) talking about fun during a situation when our hero soldiers (are fighting terrorists), so we said, ‘okay, let’s put it there but subdued. But it’s still more fun. We haven’t changed our slogan. But ‘Experience the Philippines’ is especially for retirees. Remember it’s targeted to retirees. The aging population of the world. They have the money.”
He said the there are over 27,000 registered retirees from 120 countries and are currently residing in the Philippines. Alegre also denied plagiarism accusations and defended McCann Worldgroup Philippines, the agency behind the campaign,.
Alegre said that despite the similarities, the Philippines was able to present the campaign in a different manner.
He also enumerated the reasons why foreigners had decided to retire in the country.
“Our warm hospitality and we have healing hands. Secondly, the food… and thirdly, stretching their money. They’re able to spend more and live better here in the Philippines.
