Bates boycotts CCA after scam ads row intensifies

<p>Bates Asia has pulled out of the Singapore Creative Circle Awards </p><p>(CCA) and said it would boycott the event until the Lion City could </p><p>prove it had proper measures to rid itself of scam ads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The move came shortly after Bates Asia president Jeffrey Yu, in his </p><p>capacity as the chairman of the Hong Kong 4As, charged that the </p><p>Singapore 4As was not doing enough to prevent scam ads from making a </p><p>showing at the CCA (MEDIA, September 29). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Singapore 4As has described the charge as "nonsense"; however, </p><p>chairman of the CCA 2000 judging panel Paul Ruta said that tougher </p><p>measures have been put in place this year. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We've said from the outset this year that we will be asking for </p><p>verification that ads have indeed run," said Mr Ruta, who is also a </p><p>creative director with M&C Saatchi. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"This includes a letter of confirmation from the client, tear sheets or </p><p>a media schedule. As a result, this time around I think we have only a </p><p>minute number of entries - about one per cent - which are </p><p>questionable." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He admitted that last year there were no such verification procedures </p><p>but stressed that he was doing everything possible to make the contest </p><p>fair and above board. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Bates Singapore ECD Steinar Borge said that the majority of last year's </p><p>CCA winners were "obviously scam work". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But while he acknowledged the new verification procedures, he said his </p><p>agency would adopt a wait-and-see attitude. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"We really want to believe them, but we will not participate until they </p><p>have proved that they can turn this into a serious advertising </p><p>festival." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The issue comes as award shows around the world have adopted tougher </p><p>measures to clamp down on scam ads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Recently, Lowe Lintas in Sydney found itself in the embarrassing </p><p>position of having to return a Cannes Lion after it was discovered that </p><p>the ad for Taronga Zoo was a fake. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Taronga Zoo was not a client of Lowe Lintas and the campaign, which won </p><p>a bronze prize in the press and poster category, never ran. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The industry, however, is uncertain about how to exactly define a scam </p><p>ad, which forms a major part of the problem because numerous definitions </p><p>abound. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But there is a consensus on a few points: the ad has to be produced with </p><p>the client's knowledge and consent and that it must run so that it is in </p><p>the public's eye. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Opinions begin to diverge from here: some say running an ad in a minor </p><p>niche publication or in a 3am television show is fine while others say </p><p>the line must be drawn to exclude these types of entries. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mr Yu said that greater emphasis must now be placed on "ridding </p><p>ourselves of scam ads because it was devaluing the advertising </p><p>industry". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"The industry is not attracting enough talented people as it is. Our </p><p>task of getting new people is made much harder if we are categorised as </p><p>'scam doctors'," he said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>On being labelled a troublemaker, Mr Yu said, "I like to make trouble if </p><p>the issue is legitimate." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, he stressed that this was not a shouting match and that he </p><p>would like to see a regionwide effort to stamp out scam ads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>(See also page 3 and Viewpoint on page 8.) </p><p><BR><BR> </p>