Cannes Lions 2016: Bronze Lion winner app 'I Sea' may be a scam

CANNES: What’s a Cannes Lions without some controversy? On a day when there was not much to speak of by way of spectacular wins, the Indian ad fraternity was buzzing with news of a Lion-winning entry being written off as a scam by press from Mashable to Mumbrella. The work is Grey Singapore’s I Sea app (apparently made in collaboration with Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS)) which won a Bronze Lion in Promo & Activation on day one of Lions Innovation.

In the few weeks preceding the festival, there was a groundswell of chatter questioning its credibility, leading it to be pulled off the Apple Store as of June 20. Ironically enough, around the same time it was being awarded. It all began when a tech writer @SwiftonSecurity called the app "feel-good bullsh*t" on Twitter on finding out that it simply didn’t live up to its promise of helping spot boats full of refugees in distress.

MOAS said in a statement: "We were dismayed to discover that real time images were not being used. We have since discontinued our relationship with Grey for Good and spoken candidly about our disappointment to the media."

Mails to Nirvik Singh, chairman, Grey APAC, and Rob Reilly, global creative chairman, McCann Worldgroup (jury chair for Promo & Activation) didn’t elicit any response till press time.

Cannes Lions chairman Terry Savage said: "The way we handle these things is by not reacting in Cannes. To really look at these things you need time, you need to take a deep dive. So when we get a controversy — we wait till after Cannes — look at it, investigate it and take whatever appropriate measures we need to."