News//Press
OPEN LETTER TO THE CCA BOARD
From: Harry Bergmann, Francesco Bestagno, Robert Dassel, Mariusz Jan Demner, Marian Grabmayer, Michael Grill, Sebastian Kaufmann, Stefan Kopinits, René Pichler, Arno Reisenbüchler, Roman Steiner, Alistair Thompson. For further information please click HERE.
As CCA-members, as well as employees of the submitting agency, we all dissociate ourselves from the unfathomable behavior of the CCA Board of Directors.
Being the executive body of the CCA, the Board has the duty of safeguarding the interests of the CCA and its members. A function, which should appear to be integrative and one that requires impartial, objective behavior.
The events relating to the submission of “Red Noses” show that the Board fails to meet its duties. This results in particular modes of behavior that could jeopardize the reputation, and furthermore the continued existence of the CCA.
Disregarding the content aspect, we protest against the manners that are directed against the statutes and otherwise (against) all basic rules of respectful interaction with CCA-members.
This starts with a lapidary doppelganger accusation without sufficient explanation and without proof of original work within 3 days, as required by mandatory entry conditions. This was prolonged past the 3-day grace period with various arguments.
Instead of overruling the objection, the Board continued its search for doppelganger-documents. However, it was unable to provide a single piece of work, but merely presented newspaper articles with references to fundraising activities, which for the greater part - as in the on hand submission – are not possible without registration, credit cards, etc.
For the first time, in collaboration with A1 we created the possibility to generate donations directly via TV – completely barrier-free. Not one of the newspaper articles brought forward by the CCA can refute this. Therefore, in its entirety we fail to see a doppelganger. This also stands true for the technological aspect.
Contrary to rules, the Board decided to opt for a derecognition of the awards. A deprivation in all 7 categories, even though there is no justification, a piece of work which was built on existing technologies (as it is the case in numerous pieces of work submitted in this contest), using these for a campaign to then be completely expulsed from the competition.
We protest against the baseless disavowal of our work, which has been publicized (?) since June 2014, awarded and submitted to Cannes, Eurobest, Epica, Golden Drum and other international and national competitions (sometimes receiving even gold and silver), where hundreds of qualified jurors were at work. This case just got published in the latest edition of the prestigious English magazine ‘Directory – INNOVATIONS in communications’. (https://www.directnewideas.com/magazine/?id=1690)
Further unbelievable action: Even after the deprivation further research was being made. The results – once again newspaper articles on technologies, but not on pieces of work – were presented, without confronting the submitters, in a specially convened press conference on this case.
In its press release the Board embezzled that the deprivation of the pieces of work was not only done by the submitting agency, but that all 12 CCA-members came to this joint decision and, linked with a vote of no confidence, have informed the CCA-Board. Up to today we have not received comments to our allegations.
The attempt of the CCA-board to drive a wedge between the Management Board and the Creatives of the agency by implying that the decision was solely made by Mariusz Jan Demner, and the other 11 CCA-members merely complied with his commands, is the tip of the iceberg. The press release from March 13 2015 states:
VII. Employees of DMB deserve to stand in the spotlight with their other pieces of work
After pointing out the pre-existing pieces of work to Demner, we would have expected him to withdraw his work. We do not understand why he would withdraw all of his pieces of work. We regret that he decided to overrule all the people who have contributed to the numerous pieces of work and are saddened that they lose their spot in the limelight. This is especially true for Franz Merlicek, who resigned from the agency DMB.
Contrary to the facts, the CCA-Board insinuates that Mr. Demner alone decides ‘over all people, who have contributed to the pieces of work’. This obvious tactic is simultaneously an insult to the other 11 CCA members, who have informed the Board with a letter dated 01/10/2015 about the joint decision to withdraw all pieces of work.
Completely disqualifying is the embarrassing usage of Franz Merlicek, as if that would be any of the CCA’s business and not purely an internal agency matter.
We state once again: The CCA does not deserve such a board. This behavior threatens the reputation and the further existence of the CCA as leading platform for promoting creative standards within our industry.