The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2023
DDB Philippines sold foreign stock footage as 'Love the Philippines' — DOT fired it
Jul 2023: the DOT terminated DDB Philippines' P49M contract after its tourism promo used footage from Thailand, Indonesia and Dubai.
DDB Philippines · Department of Tourism (Philippines) · 2023-07-03
What happened
The Philippines' Department of Tourism (DOT) unveiled 'Love the Philippines', a tourism rebrand by its partner agency DDB Philippines. The promotional video that went with it turned out to use stock footage from Thailand, Indonesia and the UAE — not the Philippines — passed off as the country's own attractions.
After the video drew flak online, DDB Philippines apologised and admitted it used non-original footage, calling the viral clip a 'mood video' meant 'to excite internal stakeholders' about the campaign.
On 3 July 2023 the DOT announced it had terminated its contract with DDB, saying the use of non-original materials reflected 'an abject failure to comply with their obligation/s under the contract.' The DOT said it had not paid for the video and would move to forfeit DDB's performance security. The wider rebranding contract was valued at P49 million.
Why it happened
- A promo advertising the Philippines was built on footage from other countries, so the campaign's central claim was false.
- The agency's 'mood video' defence framed a screening failure as intentional messaging, which did not help once the DOT called it a breach of contract.
- A state agency's rebranding contract is public money and public reputation — the misstep was national, not just the agency's.
The lesson
Stock footage that does not show the product is not a placeholder, it is a lie at the centre of the campaign — and for a government advertiser, that lie ends the contract.
Aftermath
The DOT terminated DDB Philippines' contract, confirmed it had not paid for the offending video and reserved the right to forfeit the performance security. The 'Love the Philippines' slogan itself had already faced public backlash before the footage scandal compoundeded it.
Sources
- Rappler — DDB Philippines apologizes to DOT over 'Love the Philippines' stock footage fiasco
- Inquirer (Cebu Daily News) — DOT fires ad firm over 'Love the Philippines' stock footage scandal
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