SINGAPORE: The controversy surrounding Ogilvy & Mather Singapore's
performance at Cannes is threatening to hit the Creative Circle Awards,
with several agencies talking about boycotting the show.
This emerged after O&M's Cannes wins came under a cloud amid allegations
that its Guinness work was a scam, and that it had ripped off work from
The Smith Agency in the US for the "God" campaign for the Churches of
the Love Singapore Movement. Agencies said there was nothing to stop O&M
from entering both campaigns in the CCA.
O&M is alleged to have misled Cannes judges into thinking Guinness
"What's on your mind" work had beencreated for Asia Pacific Breweries
(APB). Greenaway said the work was originally created for APB's
joint-venture United Stout Marketing (USM), but then the account moved
to Saatchi & Saatchi.
O&M then approached Gaelic Inn pub owner Ian Crowhurst, who paid for the
media, while O&M covered production costs. Greenaway, who was on the
Cannes print and poster judging panel, said he only realised APB's name
was on the entry form when the ads were being judged.
Greenaway said the "God" campaign was similar because of the affiliation
between the US and Singapore churches, and added, "our work is an
extension of the US campaign".
See analysis, p11.
