Big Vietnamese companies shun Youtube ads

Vinamilk recently stated in a document sent to the Bureau of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications that it had stopped advertising on Youtube videos.

The company explained that it signed an advertising contract with media agency WPP (Mediacom), which in turn worked with Youtube to place the ads without its knowledge, and that its ads being featured in offensive videos is completely against the terms.

“We have demanded our partner to work with Youtube to stop running our ads in illegal videos. Furthermore, we are suspending any advertising on the platform until our media partner and Youtube manage to resolve the issue,” the company said in the document.

The Bureau of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that similarly to Vinamilk, Vietnam Airlines, Mead Johnson Nutrition Vietnam, and others have sent documents to the bureau stating the same.

Previously, the Bureau of Broadcasting and Electronic Information accused many big brands in Vietnam of running their ads on “offensive, violent, and subversive” videos.

The bureau has detected 17 videos containing illegal content, like distorting history or provoking ethnic hatred. During these videos, advertisements of popular brands in Vietnam (including Vaseline, Comfort (Unilever), Pampers, Ariel (P&G), Sendo (FPT), Yamaha, among others) are displayed.

Experts commented that if the companies agree to have their ads run on illegal videos, they are violating the Law on Advertising.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) has announced fining Youtube for violating the Law on Advertising for cross-border news sites.

Authorities have also cited Decree No.181/2013/ND-CP on instructions to implement the Law on Advertising to claim cross-border news sites profiting on running ads in Vietnam must report the name and address of the person in Vietnam authorised by the site to provide the service.

However, Youtube is running ads without having submitted these details. MoCST stated that it would review the case and fine Youtube for not complying with the regulations.

Google's media representative in Vietnam told VIR that Google has no comment on the matter.

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