Since the awards, there has been industry speculation over the similarity between the images and whether the Kam Fan judges knew about Ross's work.
Ross said he was not aware of the Leo Burnett campaign when it was first released. He was informed about the campaign when Leo Burnett approached him shortly before the Kam Fan about shooting the second phase. The two sides are still talking about working together.
“We see great opportunity to work with such a great photographer and come up with an even more powerful campaign,” said Connie Lo, ECD of Leo Burnett Hong Kong.
Ross described the campaign as a "neat idea but not a new idea". He pointed out that other artists before him had been doing similar work - he pointed to Giles Revell as an example.
In an online poll conducted by Media, more than 70 per cent expressed the opinion that it mattered if Leo Burnett had borrowed the idea.
However, Ross seemed unfazed by the controversy. "I am now left with the job of doing justice to their campaign,” he told Media.