The Intercontinental Marketing and Communication Consortium (IMCC) Limited, responsible for deploying the “All Eyes on The Judiciary” advert without the required approval certificate from the industry regulator, has issued a formal apology to the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

In a letter dated August 17, 2023, signed by the Managing Director, Stephen Ogboko, and addressed to the now-dissolved Advertising Standard Panel (ASP), the agency acknowledged violating Article 24(a) of the Nigeria Advertising Practice Code.

This article mandates that all advertising, marketing communications, and related materials must undergo ARCON’s vetting process and obtain the ASP’s approval certificate before being publicly displayed. The agency stated, “We sincerely apologize for this and state that our action was not intentional.”

IMCC explained that upon receiving the campaign brief, they sent the artwork to Mr. Markus Inji Lukman, an ARCON liaison officer with a history of vetting campaign materials. Allegedly, Mr. Lukman assured the agency that the material would be approved.

Following his recommendation, IMCC sought his advice on posting the billboard on August 12. They facilitated an expedited vetting process and submitted the necessary documentation based on Mr. Lukman’s guidance, expecting the approval certificate by August 11.

“On Friday, August 11, we called Mr. Lukman to enquire about the approval certificate, (and) he informed us that the campaign had been approved and the certificate was on the way… As a result of his assurances, we exposed the campaign on Saturday, August 12.”

The agency expressed deep disappointment over the incident and conveyed their commitment to prevent such occurrences. They outlined their new protocol for future advertisements, requiring vetting through ARCON’s Lagos office. IMCC expressed remorse for any inconvenience caused and affirmed their dedication to complying with advertising regulations.

“We apologize and hope that you will consider our explanation. We are committed to working with you to ensure that this does not happen again,” IMCC stated.

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