Creativeland Asia opts out of Goafest; founder Sajan Raj Kurup resigns as the Digital jury head

Even before the latest edition of Goafest, the annual festival of creativity in India, gets ready to kick off in the first week of April, it is already grappling with controversies galore. First it was Ogilvy announcing its decision to stay away from the awards this year, and then it has been the Ford Figo –JWT controversy possibly the biggest in recent times that has created ripples across the globe. Close on the heels comes the news of one of the jury heads announcing a drastic step to curb the scam menace.

Even as the final process of judging is underway for the current edition of the creative Abbys, the jury chairman of digital category Sajan Raj Kurup, Founder & Creative Chairman, Creativeland Asia has decided to opt out of the festival in totality – from judging (whatever is left of it) to his agency’s representation at the festival. Whatever has been entered shall be removed as “personally, to me it just doesn't feel right deep inside my heart to be associated with awards in any way in our country,” he said in an internal memo issued to the jury members and the senior office bearers of Goafest. In an exclusive chat on Wednesday night, Kurup confirmed the development and termed the decision as a stance against the scams and not against the industry or the organisers of the Goafest. It’s our movement against the scams terming it as ‘award hunger strike’.

The letter addressed to the jury members (digital) elaborated his stance on opting out and said that in the present circumstance with all the controversies surrounding the awards and sacking of senior people, all the rumours going around about this year’s awards and international media looking at India scornfully in depressing. The letter further said, “I have decided with the support of my organization not to return to awards in this country till we take up the issues on scam seriously and take strong stringent steps against it. I have and I will in my little humble way be standing up against this scam culture in every way I can.”

According to the Advertising Club president Shashi Sinha the decision to opt out at this stage (when most categories judging is nearly done) by an agency that has sent in many entries is something that the Ad Club Governing Council will have to look into.