Mumbrella banned from Spikes Asia amidst concern over Cannes Lions judging
Organisers of Spikes Asia and Cannes Lions have banned Australian media and marketing platform Mumbrella from attending a Festival of Creativity in Singapore, apparently in an attempt to gain publicity for the event.
An email which appears to have been sent to Mumbrella by mistake read: “Mate want some publicity this will get it – that mate is our only leverage point in my view.”
Mumbrella has raised concerns over the judging process at this June’s Cannes Lions awards, pointing out that a number of shortlisted and award-winning entries appeared to be ‘scam’ advertising designed to win awards rather than meet the brief of a genuine client.
An investigation by the news site found that one ad scraped through the minimum entrance requirements by being published just once in the Rouse Hill Times, a low circulation suburban newspaper, in the week prior to the entry deadline which subsequently went head to head with a one-off Super Bowl commercial.
Cannes Lions organisers have dismissed these concerns, asserting that all entries were valid.