WATCH Is advertising more fun in the Philippines?

An outstanding yes, says BBDO Guerrero’s CEO Tony Harris, in a new book launched last Thursday about the back story of the iconic “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign of the Department of Tourism.Aptly named Advertising: More Fun in the Philippines, its author, BBDO Guerrero’s chief executive office Tony Harris, takes readers from the genesis of the multi-awarded tourism campaign to the top of its popularity across the internet and dozens of award podiums in the last three years.But rather than appear like a mere case study, the book offers a candid look at the local ad industry through the eyes of Harris, which by then has just joined BBDO Guerrero coming from Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R based in London.The result is not just a detailed and informative narrative behind BBDO Guerrero’s stellar success, but more importantly, how the author fell in love with country and its creatives as revealed by Harris’ witty writing and punchlines.“I did realise that I was part of quite an incredible story both for myself and the agency and I wanted to write some of it down,” Harris told Marketing.“It was only as it grew that I realised it might actually be a narrative and one that allowed me to express how positive I felt about life here. I sometimes meet expats (a minority) who moan and moan about their time here and I just did not feel the same way.”Below is a video of Harris during the book launch held at R Space in Makati, reading parts of his book and thanking guests who attended the event. Gracing the event was Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. A revered ad man from Publicis JimenezBasic, he said that “he never enjoyed working with a competitor as much as I had in the last three years” with BBDO. Below is a video of that speech.Asked on makes advertising in the Philippines more fun, Harris Like everything else in the Philippines, the people. I have been blessed from day one to have some fantastic people to work with – imaginative, creative, industrious – and their sense of fun is infectious.All proceeds of the book, now available at all National Bookstore outlets, will be given to Habitat for Humanity.