BENCH THE NAKED TRUTH BILLBOARDS

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Thursday, September 4, that the “a local outdoor advertising firm” had “acceded” to removing suggestive captions from billboards in the Guadalupe area of EDSA.

In a statment, MMDA said Chairman Francis Tolentino “asked the advertiser to roll down their billboards in the area and revise immediately their content which was found to have sexual overtones and offensive to the morals, especially the youth, and the general public as well.”

The statement didn’t name the “clothing line” whose billboards featured, for example, “a half-nude young couple clad in skimpy denim shorts,” but the “profane” captions it cited were similar to those used by Bench Clothing.

The MMDA said among the “obtrusive content of billboards that line Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and JP Rizal Extension” were “Come and Play,” “Temptation Calls,” and “Express Your Hidden Desires.”

Bench has been using “Come and Play, “Temptation Awaits,” and “Confess Your Desires,” among other slogans.

Tolentino said he took action after Catholic bishops called his attention to the matter.

“We cannot afford this kind of profane language being used in billboards to go unabated because this might lead to the breakdown of the morals of the public,” Tolentino said.

He called on the advertising industry to exercise “self-regulation” and “prudence” in coming up with advertising signs.

For more visit this link: Sexy Captions Removed From Bench Billboards – MMDA

It’s true that these billboard ads shows inappropriate things especially to the public. I agree with MMDA that advertisers should also consider if an ad lay-out would be appropriate or not. Telling advertisers to think twice before approving an ad campaign lay-out. The Philippines is a very religion oriented country so these ads bothered a lot of people especially the youth, which they see as a naughty kind of ad. As advertisers in the future, we should take these issue/article a lesson that we should create ads that are effective as the same time doesn’t damage the public’s or each person’s morality.

– Aileen Dizon