Goafest 2013: Leo Burnett requests AGC to withdraw two radio entries for Tata Salt; Tally to drop by two Golds and two Silvers

Leo Burnett has requested the Awards Governing Council (AGC) to withdraw its two entries in the Radio and Radio Craft categories entered at Creative Abby 2013, both of which were work on client brand Tata Salt Lite. The two entries won the agency two Gold and two Silver Abby awards this year. The agency reasoned in its communication to the AGC that it did not want ‘unwarranted insinuations’ about one of its prestigious clients, and was hence withdrawing the entries.

The entries in question had come up for debate at the AGC earlier for being ‘proactive’ work.

Tata Salt issued a statement, which said: " The entire award submission process is one initiated and entirely managed by the agency; our role as a client was limited to approval of the creative. As a client, we were not aware of all the other technical requirements and subsequent process of submission criteria etc. As soon as the inconsistencies were brought to our attention, and upon further enquiry, we conclude that it would be appropriate for the agency to return the award to the organisers.”

Clarifying the stand of the AGC, Shashi Sinha, its chairperson, said, “The entries were awarded only after stringent checks were done by our auditors KPMG. I have recommended last night (8 April) to the AGC that we must withdraw the five awards and put out a revised tally sheet.”

The five awards include one Gold in Radio Craft awarded to production house Lingo India, for the same piece of work entered by Leo Burnett.