By Rie Realingo
“We sincerely apologize to the Puyat family.”
After facing backlash, advertisement agency GIGIL issued a statement apologizing for a marketing stunt that renamed Gil Puyat Street to “Gil Tulog.”
In their recent Facebook post, the agency broke their silence on the viral controversy on July 30, stating: “We recognize the issues caused by our recent campaign.”
They further said that despite the legal efforts being secured, their intentions had not been executed properly causing a misalignment.
“Even as the necessary permits and clearances were secured, our approach had resonated differently and so the campaign was immediately discontinued,” the agency admitted.
They acknowledged that the incident caused distress to the late Senate President’s family, which is why they have since personally reached out to them.
“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,” GIGIL said.
“Our agency will be putting in place more stringent measures to ensure this does not happen again,” the ad agency further reassured.
“Thank you for your understanding,” they concluded the statement.
Netizens have since reacted to the apology with some hoping that the agency would learn from the incident moving forward.
“Thank you for showing accountability. A reminder for all of us that what may be legal is not always moral. Hopefully, we can maintain regards [for] culture, heritage and important figures who shaped our society,” a netizen commented in their post.
“More so, even find avenues to advocate for what they symbolize, and integrate their contributions in various campaigns as a form of preservation and propagation,” they added.
Earlier, considering the gravity of events, the family of former Senator Gil Puyat decided to take legal action against the ad agency.
They were reportedly asking for GIGIL to be suspended or removed from the Ad Standards Council.
Victor Puyat, son of the former senate president, commented via ABS-CBN News and said, “This is a total disrespect to my father, Sen. Gil J. Puyat and to our family. The marketing campaign does not conform with Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics.”
The signs were taken down as per orders of Makati Mayor Abby Binay, who was equally displeased with the incident.
