Burning questions over Chillies awards

Allegations of scams and manipulations are already plaguing the upcoming Chillies awards, created to celebrate and honour the best in advertising. What is intended to be a showcase for creativity and talent is turning into a battle between the Board of Trustees/the Chillies steering committee and some agencies expressing dissatisfaction and frustration at what they say is lack of action. Recently, two members from a four member 'scam busting' committee appointed by the steering committee withdrew.
However Chairman of the 2008 Steering Committee, Nalin Karunaratne said he believes the issue of scam ads will not overshadow the awards show to be held on February 23.

Sandya Salgado, the CEO/Director of Ogilvy Action, one of the two members who withdrew, told The Sunday Times FT that her withdrawal was prompted by the decision by the presidents of the two associations, Laila Gunasekera (Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies) and Imal Fonseka (International Advertising Association), to be silent observers to the 'scam busting' committee. Salgado said this decision was not communicated to anybody in the industry during the selection of the committee and they were informed only at the last moment.

"I was appointed as one of the four people from the industry and I believe we were appointed by the industry because we have credibility and integrity," Salgado said. "We were latterly informed the process was going to be observed by the two presidents of the two bodies. I felt it was an insult to my integrity and credibility and there is no point in appointing a committee if that committee is going to be watched. I decided I was not going to be a part of it. I am confident I would have done it to the best of my ability and that the industry has that amount of trust in us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been voted in." Salgado stressed that her decision to withdraw had nothing to do with the observers. "It's not about the personalities," she said. "It's about the principle. We didn't want to be silently observed by the two presidents."

Scam ads have gone into this year’s Chillies according to what Salgado has heard although some ads have been flagged by the scam busters. She said she has also learned that there was certain criteria to be met and scammers have tried their level best to get the documentation needed to prove that the campaigns were not scam. "They have been trying to get the paperwork in order."

Salgado also explained that the purpose of the scam busting committee was not to create controversy or to 'split the Chillies' but instead, create a non scam event which the majority of people want. However, she said there are a few who have a different school of thought and prescribe to the idea that awards are won on scam around the world so why should the Chillies be any different? Salgado contends that what happens in other markets is not relevant for Sri Lanka because other markets around the world are mature.

"Our point is, let's come out and say that scam is on without pretending it is non scam and hiding behind various terminology. We are merely saying that if the industry wants the awards to be run on scam, then so be it. Whoever wants to run for scam, let them. It's said that the whole industry is being tarnished by a couple of people so we tried our best to bring it out into the open." Despite those efforts, the system has taken over and Salgado said she knows for a fact that whatever scam has already gone on has been done with perfect documentation.

She suggested that another category would give a forum or opportunity for creative minds to showcase their uncensored work and would allow the public to see the potential agencies have without constraints, brands and processes. "We are not in an art competition," Salgado said. "We are doing ads to sell and build brands and those have to be done according to market and brand needs. Scam is doing something completely away from that. Clients don't say anything. They just sign on the dotted line and the agencies have a field day with that. Even the trustees and the organizing committee will say they provided the information."

Salgado said the Board of Trustees, its Chairman Gerald De Saram and the steering committee has put in processes to make the awards as foolproof as possible but it still depends on the integrity of the people. "People try to bend the rules or work through the process to their advantage so you can't really blame the trustees or the organizing committee but the people who stoop to the most scrupulous means to get their ads through. The onus is on each of us. Some of the people who were a part of the so called blue print committee for scam busting are guilty of entering scam ads this year. They should take responsibility."

The other member, Rohan Rajaratnam, the CEO/Managing Director of Minds Draft FCB said his withdrawal was due to personal reasons and time constraints and that there were 'no professional issues and no problems.' Speaking strictly as an agency head, Rajaratnam said scam should not be entered into an awards show like the Chillies as it 'goes against the vision of the awards show.' He also said there is no foolproof method to stop scam. "I've been to at least four international awards show and it's always scam that wins at these shows," he said. However, the agencies are trying to keep scam out in Sri Lanka because if there is an uncontrolled submission of scam, Rajaratnam said the Chillies could eventually end up being 'a scam awards show.'
Whether there are measures subsequent to last year's awards, Rajaratnam said they will not be 100 percent foolproof. "They will not be able to weed out all the scam but it will control the submission of scam," he said. "We only hope that at the end of the day, agencies are ethical and exercise the right industry etiquette by not submitting scam ads." He also said screening is an ongoing process. "No, we have not done a 100 percent job but what is heartwarming is that there has been an attempt and initiative to implement a system. All the agencies have got together and verbally said they want to avoid scam." However, Rajaratnam did say that there is no way to ensure whether agencies are actually doing anything to control scam but the intention seems to be there.

Rajaratnam said the idea of creating a separate category at the Chillies for scam ads is certainly not feasible. "I don't think it would work because it's like asking Marion Jones to take part in the athletics programme for drug addicts," he concluded. "The reason why we have an awards show and want to win awards is because we want to claim that we are creatively or par excellence in the world of advertising, not outside."

Karunaratne, Chairman of the Steering Committee, told The Sunday Times FT the two members of the 'scam busting' committee, Rajaratnam and Sandya Salgado have withdrawn due to scheduling conflicts. The selection of the members was based on nominations from the industry. The individuals with the highest votes were subsequently selected. After the withdrawal of Rajaratnam and Salgado, the individuals with the next highest number of votes will be appointed to the 'scam busting' committee.

Karunaratne said procedures have been drawn up to minimize the number of scam ads after consultation with the industry and the two associations. "That process was communicated to the heads of all the agencies." The steering committee is now in the process of implementing the procedures. Karunaratne added that a process to eliminate scam ads cannot be achieved overnight.

"The industry is quite aware that we have to honour and reward creativity and I am pleased to see the quality of submission this year," Karunaratne said. (NG)