Philippine promo video used images of other countries
Philippine tourism officials were left red-faced after the creators of a video promoting the archipelago nation as a holiday destination said on Sunday they had used stock shots from other countries. Advertising agency DDB Philippines apologised for the "highly inappropriate" images, which included rice terraces in Indonesia and sand dunes in Brazil. The agency was behind the video for the government's US$900,000 "Love The Philippines" tourism campaign launched on June 27. The tourism ministry announced late on Saturday that it was investigating allegations that DDB's video included "non-original shots". The video was later removed from its Facebook page. Popular Philippine blogger Sass Rogando Sasot had posted on Facebook that several images in the campaign video were from other countries. The video showed places in Brazil, Indonesia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. DDB apologised on Sunday for using "foreign stock footage", describing it as an "unfortunate oversight on our agency's part". "Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed," DDB said in a statement. "The use of foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate, and contradictory to the DOT's [Department of Tourism] objectives." The video was produced at its own expense, DDB said. Tourism is a key industry in the Philippines, which boasts pristine dive spots and white sand beaches, but arrivals lag those of its neighbours due to poor infrastructure and high costs. (AFP)