OPINION: Awards shows are not a game

<p>I was very disappointed with Neil French's article on the scam ads </p><p>issue (MEDIA, November 10), especially from someone who has built his </p><p>reputation in Asia and now doing bigger things in the world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>His words potentially have such influence in Asia that I feel obliged to </p><p>clear the air. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The only thing I agree with Neil is that our clients are confirming </p><p>their suspicions that advertising people are self-centered, </p><p>self-admiring children who care more about their own little world than </p><p>they do about doing a good job for the people who pay them. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This is what I call the "You pay, I play" attitude that is plaguing the </p><p>Asian advertising community. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Maybe this was once the way in in Asia, but it is people like myself who </p><p>are doing our best to clear the reputation of those advertising </p><p>professionals who take their jobs seriously. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Unless we take our work seriously, we will not be taken seriously. </p><p>Unless we take our jobs seriously, we cannot attract the best talent or </p><p>raise standards. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>I cannot agree that awards are just a game, a sideshow. If that were the </p><p>case, there would not have been such a big scandal at the latest Cannes </p><p>show. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Maybe, as Neil has suggested, we should legitimise scam ads but I would </p><p>ask for this to be identified correctly and honourably. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>I would be more than happy to endorse a ScamFest, inviting Neil to be </p><p>the lifetime chairman. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Let's be real about what agency management does withawards tallies. I </p><p>challenge every agency chief in Asia, and the world for that matter, to </p><p>prove that they do not use creative awards as their selling point. We </p><p>should. But we should present them with a clean conscience, knowing that </p><p>the ads are legitimate. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Finally, I salute those agency teams that believe in creating real work </p><p>for real clients - Sunday, by BBDO; Vitasoy, by Saatchis; and the Nokia </p><p>and Heineken work by my humble agency. What's more, we can all sleep </p><p>better at night, knowing that our reputations have not been built on </p><p>scam ads. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>