DDB PH apologises for using stock images from other countries in Philippines tourism video

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DDB Philippines has apologised for "highly inappropriate" images it used in a tourism video for the country aimed at promoting the nation as a holiday destination after it was revealed that it has used stock images from other countries.

The video, which was part of the government's 'Love The Philippines' tourism campaign, included images of rice terraces in Indonesia and sand dunes in Brazil amongst others.

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The country's tourism ministry reported said that it was investigating the allegations that DDB's video included non-original shots and removed the video from its social media platforms, according to Channel News Asia.

The blunder was uncovered by Filipino blogger Sass Rogando Sasot who took to Facebook to point out that some of the images used in the campaign video were from other countries.

DDB apologised for the use of "foreign stock footage" and admitted that it was an "unfortunate oversight on our agency's part".

It added that proper screening and approval processes should have been followed and that the use of these images was "highly inappropriate" and contradictory to the DOT's (Department of Tourism) objectives.

The ministry reported said that DDB had assured them that they had ownership of all materials used and that they were all original.

However, some of the images can be found on stock image footage sites such as Pond5. The images are also of places such as Bali, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out for more information.

The blunder comes of the heels of an influx of tourism videos and campaigns as travel returns post-pandemic. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) recently launched an immersive experience titled Singapore Wanderland on online gaming platform Roblox in a bid to reach new audiences and drive affinity for Singapore by inviting users to explore Singapore’s iconic attractions.

Singapore Wanderland puts a whimsical spin on real-life attractions using three mini-games, where players can earn magic orchids to transform a garden with STB’s destination mascot Merli. The experience has since drawn over two million visits since its beta version launch on 11 May 2023.

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