THE creation of the new 2017 slogan for the Department of Tourism cost about P650 million, DoT Secretary Wanda Teo disclosed Saturday.
Teo said that the new slogan will be handled by global advertising agency McCann Erickson which won the bid to develop the slogan during the previous administration under then DoT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.
“McCann is the one handling [the slogan]. P650 million submitted by the previous administration,” Teo told reporters in a press conference in Davao City.
The P650 million was leftover budget from the previous administration which was supposed to be for promotions but Teo later came up with the decision to use it to change the slogan.
Teo admitted that the “It’s More Fun” slogan was a hit, but believed that it needed to be “upscaled.”
“When I was in Madrid, UN [World Tourism Organization] told me ‘“It’s More Fun” is a good slogan why change it?’ So I said, let’s upscale it. Why is it more fun? We might consider on keeping it but adding more to it,” she said.
To recall, Teo previously said that she would be keeping the current slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” until the new slogan is launched during the Miss Universe pageant coronation night on Jan. 30, 2017.
DoT Undersecretary for Media Affairs Kat de Castro said that the amount would cover TV all media placements all over the world including commercial, billboards, radio jingles and the like.
She said that the deal between the DoT and McCann was signed a few weeks ago while bidding took place during the previous administration.