The One Show has said it will ban agencies for five years if found guilty of creating fake ads following yet another awards scam controversy.
DDB Brazil’s ‘Tsunami’ ad for the World Wildlife Fund, which was ousted as a scam and condemned as “offensive and tasteless” by the WWF, has caused an outcry in the US and forced the WWF to issue an apology.
The print advert showed dozens of planes heading for New York landmarks, with the copy: “The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it.”
Critics rushed to condemn the ad – which won a merit at this year’s One Show – as trivialising 9/11 and causing offence to victims’ families.
The outcry is reminiscent of FP7 Doha’s ‘Jesus’ ad for Samsung, which caused a religious fall-out in Lebanon and was ousted as a scam earlier this year after the Dubai Lynx. Samsung was also forced to issue a statement saying: “The company did not commission, develop or approve the publishing of the religiously insensitive advertisements.”
The One Show statement says: “In the light of the recent events surrounding the “Tsunami Ad” created by DDB Brazil for WWF, the One Club announces today that we will implement what we believe to be the most stringent and thorough “fake ads” policy in our industry.
The One Club defines “fake ads” as: ads created for nonexistent clients or made and run without a client’s approval, or ads created expressly for award shows that are run once to meet the requirements of a tear sheet.
For 2010 and onwards, the One Show will be adopting the following new rules and penalties.
1. An agency or regional office of an agency network that enters an ad made for nonexistent clients, or made and run without a client’s approval, will be banned from entering the One Show for 5 years.
2. The entire team credited on the “fake” entries will be banned from entering the One Show for 5 years.
3. An agency or regional office of an agency network that enters an ad that has run once, on late night TV, or has only run because the agency produced a single ad and paid to run it themselves*, will be banned from entering The One Show for 3 years.
* The One Club reserves the right to review ‘late-night, ran-once’ and launch versions, at The One Club’s discretion. If it is determined that the ad was created expressly for award show entry, the penalty will hold.”
Campaign Magazine Middle East 
We are in favor of the new rules; As the industry evolves, so must the rules and regulations governing award shows without being spurred by yet another mega scandal.
I had posted something on this topic in October 2008. so this incident could have been avoided If only people would wise up. here is the link
http://bloganubis.com/2008/10/01/insensitive/
Scam/ghost ads…translate to “the end justifies the means” such ads are not approved by clients, never got published, cause harm to the brand; all of this is committed in the name of creativity… just to sneak into award shows in the hope of winning!!! The only thing such ads win is despise from the professional advertising community and lack of respect.
also check this out: http://bloganubis.com/2008/04/10/o-ida-khaleej-times-ash/
Check out this outrageous comment by Neil French made recently at Singapores Spike Awards, when he was being interviewed live by BBC journalist Mishal Husain:
As reported in an article by Media, Husain asked French what he thought about such (scam) ads and whether he had a problem deceiving the consumer, wherein the adman replied: “None whatsoever. I’m in advertising; that’s what we do. I don’t mind kids trying hard and cheating and lying to get to the top.”
Wow, what a role model!!!
The problem in our industry are caused by the likes of “Neil French”.
Louai, why did you put Neil French’s name in inverted commas? Is that not his real name? Or was it a quote from the article? If so, that’s really silly. And entirely incorrect.
People really need to relax with the Neil French bashing, particularly his being a misogynistic boar. Take a look at this interview and take note of the comments from one of the world’s most talented and awarded creatives who give HIM sole credit for HER success … http://agency.asia/issue-01/106-interviews/140-the-neil-french-interview.html … and the same ridiculous allegations about him encouraging scamming are being equally taken out of context as those from his infamous speech in Cananda. I was ACTUALLY IN the audience at the Spikes in Singapore and French was clearly winding up the interviewer and making it an entertaining event for the gathering of many of APACs best creatives. He was joking! If any of the detractors here can write a long-copy ad – in fact, any ad – with the skill that approaches French’s, then please let us know who you are so we can admire your talent and compliment you. Otherwise, rather than wasting time making petty and uninformed remarks, you could do worse than to go and study his technique and undoubtedly learn something from the guy!
I have checked the interview, Mr. Neil explained his point, “my comment, although made in a jokey tone, was a heartfelt truth, gleaned from bitter experience” so I apologize for my previous comment on this post.
Mr. Anubis, you have a lot to apologize about. do you really think you are doing us and the industry a favor by all this you are trying to do. all is it the principle you are defending as you claim. who hired you!. if you leave us alone trust me you will do your self and everyone else a favor.
in one second Neil Frensh became an enemy and you took all the credit this man deserve. and then few seconds later you eat your words and apologize. and that is only because some one clarified the issue. how many people/agencies you have put down with your unprofessional, childish and subjective arguments and no one have clarified it because i think you and your website are to silly to be taken seriously.