It?s an event that the entire advertising fraternity in the country looks forward to. Goafest, organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India and Ad Club of Bombay, has always been a platform where the industry’s best and brightest let down their hair, brain-stormed, the younger set learnt from the veterans, and the best works of the year got feted.
But what started off as India?s biggest advertising festival and aimed to become Asia?s largest, seems to be crumbling down like a pack of cards. Marred by endless controversies ranging from scam ads, leaked awards results, self voting, et al, today the annual festival is seen as a mere three-day junket for the advertising community. So, unlike past years, this year?s festival chairperson Lynn deSouza, Group CEO, Lintas Media, and awards governing council chairman Shashi Sinha, CEO, Lodestar UM have a bigger task in hand. To bring back the faith and the credibility. And to achieve that a number of key changes have been made this year. The organisers feel that Goafest requires serious ?cleaning? which cannot be achieved in a short period and therefore this year the 3-day festival has been extended to a 5-day affair beginning April 5 at Zuri White Sands resort in Varca, South Goa.
The two major highlights of this year’s festival are the launch of the India Chapter of International Advertising Association?s Olive Crown awards to recognise pioneering work in communicating sustainability, and the association of two new categories?best communication strategy and best contribution to a campaign by a media owner?at the Media Abbys with that of the Festival of Media.
In this special edition, BrandWagon talks to the two primary forces behind this year?s festival?deSouza and Sinha ? and learns how they plan to make Goafest a big success. And then a panel of experts from the advertising and media industry picks the top contenders for this year?s Creative and Media Abbys. Read on.