- David Gianatasio

BOSTON In the wake of the controversy surrounding the DDB Brazil 9/11 WWF ad, the One Club has implemented what it calls "the most stringent and thorough 'fake ads' policy in our industry."

Among the main points, the club says agencies entering ads made for nonexistent clients or without clients' approval will be banned from entering the One Show for five years.

What's more, the entire team credited on the "fake" entries will be banned from entering the show for 5 years.

There's a three-year ban for entering ads that have "run once, on late night TV, or ... only run because the agency produced a single ad and paid to run it themselves," the club said.

The WWF 9/11 print ad ran once in a Brazilian newspaper and won a merit award for pubic service at the One Show, which has since stripped DDB of that prize. A TV version was also produced and apparently entered at Cannes.

David Baldwin, former One Club chairman, in an interview Thursday with Adweek columnist Barbara Lippert, said: "We as an organization are incredibly careful in checking. We saw a tear sheet from a newspaper. We know that the ad ran."

He added: "Somehow the blame is shifted to the shows. Do you blame the Olympics for steroid use?"

The controversy over the use of 9/11 imagery for the WWF by DDB Brazil has grown into one of adland's biggest stories in years, quickly seeping into the general media and generating fodder for news programs, columnists, bloggers and countless Twitterers.


Here is The One Club's complete statement on the new rules:

In the light of the recent events surrounding the "Tsunami Ad" created by DDB Brazil for WWF, the One Club announces today that we will implement what we believe to be the most stringent and thorough "fake ads" policy in our industry.

The One Club defines "fake ads" as: ads created for nonexistent clients or made and run without a client's approval, or ads created expressly for award shows that are run once to meet the requirements of a tear sheet.

For 2010 and onwards, the One Show will be adopting the following new rules and penalties.

1. An agency or regional office of an agency network that enters an ad made for nonexistent clients, or made and run without a client's approval, will be banned from entering the One Show for 5 years.

2. The entire team credited on the "fake" entries will be banned from entering the One Show for 5 years.

3. An agency or regional office of an agency network that enters an ad that has run once, on late night TV, or has only run because the agency produced a single ad and paid to run it themselves*, will be banned from entering The One Show for 3 years.

*The One Club reserves the right to review "late-night, ran-once" and launch versions, at The One Club's discretion. If it is determined that the ad was created expressly for award show entry, the penalty will hold.

The One Club exists to champion excellence in advertising and design in all its forms. We will stringently enforce these rules and penalties to ensure that The One Show remains the pinnacle of advertising and design created for marketers and brands.

The One Show encourages other international award shows to follow suit with similar policies. In addition, we are in the process of developing an initiative in the agency, client, and creative communities, in which individuals and agencies will be called upon to monitor and eliminate "fake" ads at their source. A detailed guidelines will appear in the 2010 One Show Call for Entry."

Kevin Swanepoel,
President
The One Club