DOT’s ‘Anak’ ad campaign bags 3 YouTube awards

A video of the Department of Tourism (DOT) that promotes Filipino hospitality has bagged three awards at the first YouTube Ads Awards Philippines.

The minute-long advertisement entitled “Anak,” which is in line with the agency’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign, featured the concepts of fun and hospitality in the Filipino family.

The ad has been viewed over 14.5 million times on YouTube.

Anak won the Best in Overall Performance, Creative and Media award, which was judged by a six-man panel of advertising and marketing industry experts.

The ad also placed third in the travel, transportation, automotive and leisure category as well as in the corporate image and public sector category, which is shared with telecommunications company Globe Telecom’s “Last Jedi” campaign.

Launched in January 2017, the television advertisement filmed at the Enchanted River in Hinatuan, Surigao features the interaction between a Filipino mother and traveler Jack Ellis, whom she called “anak” or child.

The country’s version of the YouTube Ads Awards honored video advertising across 17 categories based on content, engagement, effectiveness and campaign results.

Incidentally, the YouTube accolades came in shortly after incoming DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat’s pronouncement that she is keeping the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” brand campaign.

Former tourism secretary Wanda Teo said the DOT spent P23 million last year for the airing of the Anak commercial in local networks ABSCBN and GMA.

Teo’s lawyer said she resigned out of delicadeza following a controversy involving the DOT’s ad placement in her brother’s show that was questioned by the Commission on Audit.