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The stringent procedure for selecting the Creative ABBY award winners, the Oscars of the Indian advertising sector, are clearly not surefire.
Sustained criticism over the years has ensured that selection of advertisements for the awards, for creative excellence in this sector, comes via a stiff set of hurdles. The procedure is considered almost at par with the norms set by international advertising festivals such as Cannes in France. Yet, ad agencies in India appear to have found a way to get around these rules and regulations.
Agencies have to fill a detailed entry form for the Creative ABBYs, backing it with a copy of the ad, a client recommendation letter and proof of the release order of the ad. After this, the secretariat of the Advertising Club of Bombay, which manages the Creative ABBYs, steps in to scrutinise every entry. Entries not meeting the set norms are disqualified. The ones that do are put before the respective juries, which decide on the first shortlist, by voting.
This shortlist is then put up on the Advertising Club website, inviting members to bring to the Club's attention any issues pertaining to these. This could cover plagiarism and scam ads, which is work entered with the sole objective of winning an award. Members are given a week to come back with any complaints they might have with the initial shortlist. If there are issues pertaining to the release date of an ad, the Club steps in to verify the authenticity of the campaign in question. If the scrutiny finds the work has not been genuinely released, such ads are automatically disqualified. On plagiarism, the complainant has to back the claim with proof of the ad from which the campaign in question has been copied. This is then put up in the second round of judging.
At the second stage, jurors go through the initial shortlist, discuss and then, by a secret ballot, decide which will make it to the second shortlist. Jurors are not allowed to vote for work from their own agency. From this second shortlist, the jurors decide on the final winners, again by discussion and vote. KPMG then steps in, following selection of the winners, to conduct back-checks, calling clients to verify if the campaigns are genuine and have a legitimate release order. If the ad is a scam, then members of the Awards Governing Council (AGC) of the Goafest and the Ad Club discuss whether it should be part of the winners' list. In the case of copycats, the AGC depends on the verdict of the jury in question. KPMG, meanwhile, also does the collating of the winners of different metals, including gold, silver, bronze and Grand Prix, coming up with the final tally.
At every round of judging, the proceedings are captured on camera, to prevent any untoward incidents. Despite this, the recently concluded Goafest has not been free of controversies. Ad agency Leo Burnett, for instance, withdrew two radio spots for Tata Salt Lite, following a debate among members of the AGC that the ads were not legitimately released and were, hence, scam ads. This it did after the awards were declared on April 6, thereby losing four metals for the two radio spots in question.
BBDO lost two Gold ABBYs and one Silver ABBY for its DHL print and outdoor campaign, for copying the idea from an ad for furniture removalist Allied Pickfords by Ogilvy & Mather, Singapore. DDB Mudra lost its Silver ABBY for a print ad for Electrolux Washing Machines; the charge was lifting the idea from a campaign for LG Washing Machines by Young & Rubicam, Sao Paulo, Brazil. These recalls followed complaints last week.
Shashi Sinha, chairman, AGC, says, "This is unprecedented. We have never received complaints post the Goafest in previous years." As many as 18 to 19 complaints came in the last week, prompting the AGC to set up a super-jury to look into all these issues and complaints in the next few days.
THE ABBY SELECTION PROCEDURE IN BRIEF
- To enter work for the Creative Abbies, agencies have to fill up a detailed entry form backed with the copy of the ad, client recommendation letter and proof of the release order
- Entries that meet the criteria are put in front of the respective juries who prepare the initial shortlist by voting
- This shortlist is put up on the Advertising Club website asking members of the industry to pin-point issues with the ads
- Scam ads are disqualified and the ones that have been accused of being plagiarized while not disqualified are flagged off for discussion at the second stage
- In the second round, the first shortlist is whittled down to a second shortlist by discussion and voting. The final winners are selected from the second shortlist again following discussion and then voting
- KPMG steps in that this stage to back-check with clients whether the ads in the winners' list are genuine. Any red flags raised are discussed at a special meeting called by the Awards Governing Council. Who will finally get metals is determined after this meeting
