Mudra Returns Kaan Crystal Award

After Goafest, Mudra faces another controversy; managed top Kaan Award for the work which is allegedly inspired by another campaign.

Hitesh Ranot | Delhi | September 20, 2010

Mudra Communications has been in controversy once again. After Goafest, the agency created another controversy by managing the top Kaan honour, the Crystal Award for its campaign captioned 'Subtitles' for HBO which is allegedly an inspired work. Mudra has returned the Crystal Award to the organizers of Kaan Awards 2010 to end the controversy.

Into its 7th year now, the Kaan Awards recognize and reward excellence in radio advertising.

Withdrawing its HBO campaign entry, Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer, Mudra group said, “Mudra as an organisation, and I as an individual, stand by the creative integrity of our guys. We still believe it is a great piece of work, one that was unfortunately also done by someone else in another part of the world. And while we believe that is unfair to brand them as cheaters or the work as 'lifted' with evidence that is at best circumstantial, we would prefer to stop the controversy from spiralling any further and take the entry out.”

In light of the withdrawal, the Crystal Award for the most outstanding radio commercial of the year goes to Leo Burnett for their entry entitled 'Newsreader' for Bajaj Mixer. Ogilvy & Mather are now adjudged Agency of the Year and the Radio Writer of the Year is jointly awarded to Sambit Mishra & Aneesh Jaisinghani of Cheil Worldwide.

Commenting on the episode, K.V Sridhar a.k.a. Pops of Leo Burnett said, “Withdrawal of the entry by Mudra as well as the consequent re tabulation of the results is a fantastic example being set both by the agency and the organizers, in a year marked with controversy. This action vouches for the honesty and integrity of Kaan – that of Radio Mirchi, the organizers and the participants alike.”

Hitesh@BestMediaInfo.com

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