By Jomel Anthony Gutierrez
The tourism department of the Philippines launched an enhanced marketing campaign “Love the Philippines” replacing the 2012 “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” promotion during the agency’s 50th anniversary celebration in Manila.
The new branding is a recognition of the country’s “natural assets, long and storied history and rich culture and diversity” according to the Department of Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco.
“Love the Philippines goes to the very heart of every single Filipino with the distinct grace and hospitality with which we welcome every guest that comes into our shores, our communities, and our homes. Love the Philippines is a recognition of our natural assets, our long and storied history, our rich culture, and diversity,” Secretary Frasco said.
In recent days, however, the tourism agency’s new advertising campaign had to be taken down after using footage from other countries. The ad agency DBB Philippines which produced the promotional video had apologised for the “unfortunate oversight.”
The enhanced campaign attracted mixed reactions from Filipinos in the United Kingdom.
Enide Saturnino, a Filipino nurse at an NHS hospital in East of England, preferred that the country will continue using the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” tourism campaign.
“The concept of the new campaign is good because they were able to showcase our different culture, tourist spots and attractions in the Philippines but I think’s there’s something missing,” Saturnino shared.
“I prefer the old tourism slogan. It is catchy and literally, it’s more fun in the Philippines,” she added.
A Filipino student who did not want to give their name has some reservations on the new tourism campaign.
“’Love the Philippines,’ the new slogan is I think less catchy than Wow Philippines, It’s More Fun in the Philippines or Incredible India, Amazing Thailand and all. The campaign song is a bit bland, too, and the showcase video is too generic. I think ‘Wow Philippines’ was our best slogan yet,” the student said.
Wow Philippines was the country’s tourism slogan launched in 2002 during the time of former Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon under the Arroyo administration.
“The new advert doesn’t seem to have an impact too because it looks the same with our previous tourism ads. It is not innovative. There is nothing unique about it,” the student added.
For a long-time Filipino resident of London who works in the hospitality industry, the new Philippine branding has a different appeal.
“The Love the Philippines campaign offers a positive vibe. It is also easy to remember.”, he said.
“It’s time to rebrand because the old campaign has been used since 2012”, he shared.
In time for the London 2012 Olympics, the late President Benigno S. Aquino visited the UK on June 4-6, 2012. He led the launching of It’s More Fun in the Philippines with the late DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. held during his meeting with the UK Filipino community in London. Fifty cabs and twenty-five London buses were adorned with a uniform design of the campaign slogan and logo and various faces of the Philippines as part of the tourism promotion.
Meanwhile, a Filipino project manager who resides in Birmingham questioned the need for a new tourism campaign.
“What’s the need in changing the slogan? Is it really a priority? Love the Philippines is not descriptive compared to It’s more Fun in the Philippines,” they asked.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the hospitality of the Filipino people as our greatest asset during the launch of the new campaign. Meanwhile, Filipinos in the UK are hoping that the new campaign will attract more tourists again to visit the Philippines, especially that the country is still recovering from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
