The Indian ad industry comes to terms with allegations of self-voting at recent Goafest
The Indian creative industry is in a bit of a twist at the moment with allegations of self-voting during the judging of the recent Abby Awards handed out at Goafest.
In a story titled “Ad fest or War fest” published today on industry website afaqs! today an inquiry has found that there were 29 instances of self-voting for their own or their agency’s work during the judging process. Allegations of legal action has followed as agencies get caught up in the drama.
The Ad Club, which runs the awards has apparently taken the unprecedented step of asking agencies involved to return their trophies. “We are hopeful they will accede to our request and return their trophies,” says Ajay Chandwani, chairperson of the Creative Abbys this year, to afaqs! in their story.
afaqs! reports industry sources saying that agencies involved in self-voting will have no choice but to return their metals in order to avoid being discredited by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), which is one of the main organisers of the Goafest. “I don’t think the agencies involved would want to risk being discredited by the AAAI,” says Rohit Ohri, managing partner, JWT Delhi. “Their reputation is at stake here. Besides, it makes sense for them to take moral responsibility and own up. The industry has to be rid of this mess. You have to make a start somewhere,” he says.
Read the full story here.
6 Comments
gotta love the politics, backstabbing and rivalry in Indian industry
Unlike the Singapore the Singapore or Hong Kong ad industry where its all peace love and vodka red bulls.
Face it, this shit goes on everywhere, but every now and then there’ll be a moron who will try to push the envelope…in this case self-voting allegedly.
Its just disgraceful….hope the organisers name and shame these guys for the sake of their own standing as an award show of repute.
Hey, self voting is even more acceptable than those scammy stuffs that we saw on adoftheworld or in CB Asia, coming out of India.
And how is that different from anywhere else?
Golly gosh.
The indian industry should grow up and be brave enough to have an international panel judge their work. That would stop this childish politics.
Their work is judged by foreigners in all the other gongfests that they enter, why not at home too?