Manila, Philippines – Independent creative agency GIGIL has released an official statement, apologising in regards to its involvement in the controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ campaign done for the melatonin supplement brand Wellspring.
In a statement, GIGIL said that they recognise the issues caused by their recent campaign, adding that even as all the necessary permits and clearances were secured, their approach had resonated differently and so the campaign was immediately discontinued.
“Understanding the distress the project caused, we have personally reached out to members of the Puyat family to convey our regrets and express our respect for former Senate President Gil Puyat’s legacy,” the agency said.
The agency also added that it will be putting in place more stringent measures to ensure this type of incident does not happen again.
It should be noted that the Advertising Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines and the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies – Philippines (4AS Philippines) have released separate statements regarding the campaign, expressing their dismay on the campaign execution and promising a thorough investigation related to the overall execution of the campaign.
The controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ campaign was met with dismay and frustration by the general public, especially the family of the late Senator Gil Puyat–to which the Gil Puyat Avenue was named after and became the subject of the campaign.
Following the incident, Victor Puyat–son of the late Senator–had filed a complaint with the Ad Standards Council and asking that the agency who did the campaign–relatively undisclosed as of this writing–be either ‘suspended or banned’.
However, this was not the first time GIGIL came under fire for its creative work–known to always go the tongue-in-cheek route.
In 2021, 4AS Philippines suspended GIGIL’s membership following the release of its controversial ‘Pandemic Effect’ campaign done alongside the Belo Group. In the campaign, it featured a woman watching a barrage of news while her appearance changes: the skin under her eyes darkens, gets acne, grows facial and body hair, and gains weight. The general public has called out said ad, stating that it was ‘tone deaf’ and body-shamed women in the middle of the pandemic.
