Updated: Goafest 2013: BBDO's two Golds and one Silver Abby for DHL reinstated

The Goafest 2013 Abby Awards Governing Council had decided to withdraw the two Gold and one Silver Abby won by BBDO Proximity for work on client DHL, following a vote on alleged plagiarism.  

The awards have hence been reinstated, following a meet of the 'super jury', or heads of all jury categories for Abby 2013, it was announced on 24 April.

"The jury has voted for withdrawal of DHL both in Print and Outdoor - two Gold and one Silver Abbys will be affected," Shashi Sinha, chairperson, AGC, has said, at the time of withdrawal of the awards to BBDO Proximity.

Responding to Campaign India a day prior on the issue, Josy Paul, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO India, had said, "The campaign was judged by two sets of jury at Goafest with 12 members each (one led by Aggie and the other led by Sonal Dabral). All 24 jury members did not mention the 'HongKong' ad. It was shortlisted at Cannes and Spikes. Another 30 international jury members have seen our work and nominated it. Yet no one mentioned the 'HongKong' ad. I have just got news that our campaign has just been nominated at the One Show 2013 awards. Another 20 international jury members have seen it. Still no issues. The said 'HongKong' ad is supposed to have been done in 2011. So they entered it for Cannes in 2012. How come it didn't get nominated? And our campaign got nominated at Cannes 2012?"

He added, "Art directors, architects and artists have been known to use, and be inspired by, Escher's drawings for decades now. It's nobody's property. The execution, the line, the finish of our campaign makes all the difference. Which is why the best Juries in the world are giving it top marks. Most importantly…why would we copy someone else's ad? It's just not us."