Council recalls clearance given for diaper TV ad that spoofed ‘Battle of Mactan’

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Ad Standards Council (ASC) has recalled the clearance given for the airing of a TV commercial for a diaper, which had spoofed the Battle of Mactan as having been triggered by the gift of low quality diapers.

In a letter addressed to Jones Campos, executive director of the Advertising Board of the Philippines (Adboard), ASC executive director Mila Marquez said they have recalled the clearance to air the TV commercial after the National Historical Commission issued on Friday a cease and desist order against the EQ diaper commercial.

The commercial showed “Ferdinand Magellan” gifting “chieftain Lapu-Lapu” with a boxful of diapers for his child. But “Lapu-Lapu’s wife” prevented him from accepting the gift because it was of low quality and said she preferred using EQ.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza earlier complained that the commercial was “distorting the history of the country.”

Radaza also asked the distributor of the diaper, JS Unitrade, to make a public apology and to stop airing the commercial.

An online petition was also started asking the distributor to stop airing the commercial. The Lapu-Lapu City government will commemorate the Battle of Mactan with a reenactment on April 27.

Marquez said the ASC would provide a copy of the recall letter to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and GMA Network.

The Philippine Association of National Advertisers (Pana) would also be given a copy of the letter so they could advise the advertiser about Lapu-Lapu City’s demand for apology, she added.