Ogilvy reviews move to boycott Cannes Festival

SINGAPORE: Ogilvy & Mather is reviewing its earlier plan to boycott this year's Cannes Festival after the new chairman of judges, Jeff Goodby, gave the agency assurances he would ignore a blacklist of alleged scam ads written up by the previous chairman, Bob Isherwood, Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide creative director.

Neil French, O&M worldwide CD, said: "After we made the decision to boycott, we heard that the new chairman would be Jeff Goodby, (CD of San Francisco ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners), "and Jeff has indicated to me via email he'll take no notice of that list."

Cannes organisers refused to disclose who was on the blacklist for fear of being sued.