Manila, Philippines – Wellspring, a brand that offers gummy supplements, has recently apologised over its recent ‘Gil Tulog’ outdoor advertising campaign following order from Makati City Mayor Abby Binay to take down the ads–after being called out by the public for the insensitivity of the campaign.
The campaign ‘Gil Tulog’ was aimed at doing a wordplay on the known Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City–named after the late Senator Gil Puyat, who served as a senator from 1951 and took the role of Senate President from 1967 up until 1972 when President Ferdinand Marcos shut Congress down following the implementation of Martial Law.
In the statement, Wellspring said that they made a misstep in their campaign and are ‘sorry’. They have also complied with the city’s orders to take down the ads in the city and promised to practice better sensitivity in their campaigns moving forward.
“It was never our intention to offend anyone in our marketing execution which used wordplay to draw attention to the importance of sleep and how it contributes to one’s overall health,” the company said.
It has also apologised to the family of the late Senator Gil Puyat for the harm and offense that the campaign has caused them.
“Rest assured that there was no intent to besmirch and disrespect his legacy,” the company said.
They have also extended their apology to Makati City Mayor Abby Binay and the people of Makati for this campaign’s misstep.
Prior to Wellspring’s apology, Mayor Binay had ordered the take down of the ad signs, saying that she wasn’t aware of how this campaign got approved. She also said that the city officials who had approved the campaign were already reprimanded for this ‘glaring oversight’.
“It is unfortunate that the request for a permit for the so-called advertising campaign to change the street signs of Gil Puyat Avenue did not reach my office. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” the mayor said.
Earlier this week, netizens took notice of how various signages of Gil Puyat Avenue were changed to ‘Gil Tulog Avenue’, a word play on the Tagalog word ‘puyat’ (wide awake) and ‘tulog’ (sleep). While some netizens rode the quirkiness of the campaign, many were perplexed and also angry over the insensitivity of the campaign, with relatives of the late Senator also expressing their dismay on the campaign execution.
“Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful!” Erika Puyat Lontok, a relative of the late Senator, said on Facebook.
Meanwhile, Victor Puyat–son of the late Senator–has 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’.
He also noted that the campaign violates Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics, which states that “advertisements shall not directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural or juridical person, group of persons, or any sector of society based on gender, social, cultural or economic status, religion, ethnicity, physical, intellectual and psychological state or appearance, age, race, or nationality.”
On another note, Sander Puyat Joson, who is the grandson of the late Sen. Gil Puyat, told Rappler that they are ‘overwhelmed and grateful’ for netizens who are calling for respect on the senator’s legacy.
“While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather. We ask that the responsible brand and agency adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council. We hope that the brand and ad agency also take affirmative actions to rectify their error in judgment,” Joson said.
Update (July 29): The Advertising Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines has released a statement, expressing their support to the public over the recent desecration of the street name “Gil Puyat.”
“This act has undoubtedly harmed the memory of an esteemed Filipino and Senator, and we join in the collective outcry,” the council said.
However, ASC has clarified that the material in question was not cleared with them as a different advertising body oversees these types of advertising, in this case street signs that doesn’t contain the brand’s name. Nonetheless, the company has advised the ad agency, albeit being unnamed, to not use ‘Gil Tulog’ in any of its advertising content. It could be inferred that ASC is referring to another advertising body, the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of the Philippines (OHAAP), whose regulation on outdoor advertising is needed.
“On behalf of our industry, we sincerely apologise to the family of Senator Gil Puyat for any distress this incident may have caused,” the council further added.
ASC concluded their statement by stating that they are in discussions with the relevant organisations to which the ad agency belongs, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Meanwhile, the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies – Philippines (4AS Philippines) has also released a quick statement online regarding the incident, stating that they will be embarking with a thorough investigation of the ad fiasco.
“Rest assured that appropriate measures will be taken to uphold our values and ethical practices and how to avoid similar occurrences in the future,” the association said.
