Ad Standards Council campaign slams exaggeration and over promise in ads

THE PHILIPPINES, MARCH 7, 2012: Exaggeration and over promise are the two more frequent violations on the code of ethics according to the Advertising Standards Council (ASC), a non-profit organization aiming to promote truth in advertising. The said violations were highlighted in the two ASC awareness TV campaigns featuring popular radio and TV personality Ramon Bautista.

Created by Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, the spots titled "Baby" and "Suitor" highlight exaggeration and over promise as violations in the code of ethics in advertising.

"Baby" features a mother telling her baby that he is the most handsome baby in the world, which is stated as an exaggeration. Over promise was demonstrated in "Suitor" wherein a male suitor tells his girl that he will give her the world, the heaven and earth.

The objective of the campaign was to introduce ASC as a trustworthy regulatory body for the advertising industry. The organization aims to provide consumers an industry ad body that they can call, inquire, or complain on advertising content-related issues. The challenge of the campaign is to make people see the stringent side of the advertising industry.

ASC wanted the campaign to be as informative but also entertaining at the same time that would appeal to a broader audience, which is why they chose Bautista as their main talent.

"Director Lyle Sacris suggested Ramon Bautista and we agreed that he is the right personality for the TVC. He is known to be funny but smart and intelligent-â€¨the right balance that we need," said Ad Standards Council president Gigi Garcia.

Aside from Bautista, stage actors Jun Sabayton and Joel Fabonan also participated in the TVC.

Aside from the TV spots, there are also two print ads and three radio commercials under the campaign. According to Garcia, the media placements were also coursed through KBP, PANA, and underwent ASC clearance process.