GoaFest’s digital jury chair person Sajan Raj Kurup stands down from the role in a personal stance against the scam ads issue in India

The Indian ad industry is facing a new controversy following last week’s fiasco involving a Ford Figo campaign created by JWT India. The worldwide spotlight on the campaign has already seen JWT axe two senior executives including national Chief Creative Officer, Bobby Pawar.

In another development Sajan Raj Kurup, the founder of Creativeland Asia has announced his decision to step down from the Goafest 2013 jury, where he had been the chairperson of the Digital Jury. He has also withdrawn all of his agency’s entries to GoaFest.

Kurup (left) used Facebook to explain his decision which he says is a stance against scams and not against the industry or the organisers of the Goafest.

“I know some will applaud, some will ridicule, some will question and some will mock my decision of withdrawing from the awards,” says Kurup on his Facebook post. “But this is a personal decision for me as much as it is rooted in the ethos that I have built Creativeland with.”

“It is not like I haven’t created proactive ads in my life. I remember the pressure of winning awards when I used to work for an agency as well. But it always left a feeling of void within. When I started Creativeland the temptation to win and take shortcuts was huge.

“Somewhere in the initial years we decided internally at Creativeland that – if we are to create real value for ourselves we need to prove ourselves on real work on real brands. After that there was no looking back. I let go of the wrong kind of people. Handpicked the right kind. Plugged every opportunity for my own self to take a short cut as a creative person. So, the only way left to get Creativeland noticed was to do it on real good work on brands. For myself. For everyone.

“Today, I am proud to have stuck to it succesfully. Creativeland has won awards thereafter, year after year. Fewer, better and probably more meaningful big ones. I thank my clients for trusting me and my team. For encouraging us. For listening to our ideas. For believing in them. I don’t think we could have seen as much creativity at Creativeland without their faith and support.

“In the present circumstance with all the controversies surrounding the awards and selective sacking of senior creative people, all the rumors going around about this year’s awards and international media looking at India scornfully is depressing. Personally, to me it just doesn’t feel right deep inside my heart to be associated with awards in any way in our country.

“While I have been grappling with these issues in my head for a while, I woke up yesterday and something just snapped. I didn’t want to wait till the judging was over. My apologies if I am letting you all down or being irresponsible, but it is a ‘feeling’ thing. I just don’t feel good. 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.

“My decision is a stance against the scams and not against the industry or the organisers of the Goafest. Our country has become way too award hungry. Much as corny it may sound, for me it is an ‘award hunger strike’. And I hope you are encouraged to join it.”