The creatives at GIGIL late on Wednesday apologized for its video ad for Belo Medical that triggered Filipinos online and promised to do better next time.
The #PandemicEffect ad, which was taken down one day after it was posted, urged Filipinos to book a consultation with Belo doctors lest they get fat and grow floor-length armpit hair.
"We were insensitive. We are sorry to the people whom we hurt," said GIGIL, the same agency behind RC Cola's "Basta" that won the bronze medal at Cannes Lions. Their most recent work was the viral campaign for Netflix's occult anime "Trese".
"GIGIL shares responsibility for the film. We will learn from this. We will do better," it said.
Belo Medial issued a separate apology before GIGIL.
"We hear you. You helped us see what we failed to see, which is that the film is insensitive and upsetting. Because of this, we have taken the ad down," it said.