https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFeHQ2YQTqY
This is a case by Grey Singapore that won a bronze at Cannes for promo and activation.
The app does not work. By the agency's own admission; the app was just in and still remains in testing; while it has been awarded for the creative idea.
The client does not endorse the execution, stating that they were not made aware of the fact that real-time images were not being used. Said simply, they were not made aware of the details of the execution. They have discontinued their relationship with the agency.
The Apple store on which the app was hosted has taken down the app on the same day the agency won the Lion.(http://www.mumbrella.asia/2016/06/grey-singapores-fake-i-sea-app-removed-from-apple-store-but-wins-cannes-lion/)
The issue they claim to help tackle is refugee deaths at sea. By no means; a topic to be frivolously used for furthering one's professional career.
And yet a whole set of people, including the Executive Creative Director at Grey (here is an excerpt from the magazine "Wired" - http://www.wired.co.uk/article/app-save-refugees-moas) have endorsed this execution, felt it was morally right to exploit the refugee situation for awards purposes and didn't find their morals being compromised when they entered an "unreal" app for Cannes.
The award entry lists the agency's creative director, assistant creative director, head of art, art director, chief creative officer, senior account manager as contributors to the entry. This means that all of them contributed to making this false app and endorsed the idea. Their names can be found here (https://www.coloribus.com/festivals-awards/cannes-lions/festival-path-31655/third/migrant-offshore-aid-station-moas-isea-app-21436755/)
One could argue that Cannes is at fault since they should have caught such entries. That's a fallacious argument; since it means that the judging process should assume cases will be untrue or misrepresented. It assumes that the advertising industry cannot be trusted and that the industry's "scam" obsession overrides its values. This cannot be a standard operating assumption.
The real blame lies with the people who made this app and found it acceptable to enter it when it wasn't doing what it was meant to do;identify migrant ships real time. The case video protrays a perception that it is a working app, which it clearly was not.
These people are not just doing themselves a disservice. They are doing the power of advertising a disservice as well.
Advertising is a powerful medium and can be the force of change for issues that plague our world socially.
But when the intent of its creators is to not influence actual change but just exploit a humane issue for professional growth through awards submissions, it is terribly immoral.
Especially when there is no actual act to help the situation at hand; like this app for refugees.
The only way to prevent such irresponsible acts is to expose the people behind the scam. People who would have otherwise been shouting about their wins and contributions from the rooftops.
#exposethecanneswolves?
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