It might just be the most contentious topic on the creative side of the biz: What should be done to dissuade the entry of ghost ads at award shows? Until now, when an effort was revealed a scam, most festivals would typically just disqualify the work, strip it of a trophy and send its creators home in shame.
But last week the One Club announced it would take things one step further… and quite a dramatic step at that, by amending its rules such that agencies and creative teams would be banned for five years for attempting scam shenanigans. The decision apparently follows the storm created by the phony and staggeringly offensive “Tsunami” print ad that somehow picked up a Merit honor at the One Show last spring.
I’d venture that most in the industry will welcome the changes, though there’s one new rule that’s likely to keep the debate raging. The following from the One Club’s press release:
3. An agency or regional office of an agency network that enters an ad that has run once, on late night TV, or has only run because the agency produced a single ad and paid to run it themselves*, will be banned from entering The One Show for 3 years.
* The One Club reserves the right to review ‘late-night, ran-once’ and launch versions, at The One Club’s discretion. If it is determined that the ad was created expressly for award show entry, the penalty will hold.
While this promises to be incredibly complicated to regulate, it’s the statute that really attacks the heart of the problem: Work designed to win, not sell. With that said, it’s important to remember that “great work” and “legitimate” aren’t mutually exclusive. So bravo, I say, to the One Club for taking the lead on this. A few have argued – a bit cynically, I think – that it’s “too little, too late,” but someone had to draw a line. What’s done is done, so let’s just move forward and put the integrity back in festivals. This definitely raises the stakes for everyone… and puts plenty of pressure on other shows to follow suit.
I hope they do.
