" Bullshit "! - Geometry Global Dubai relinquishes Cannes grand prix

This is not about the Grand Prix trophy, as you should know better And It's not sour grapes to call bullshit on this - and this isn't about disgruntled creatives who want their own piece of an award. This is about integrity, and transparency. Geometry Global purported to have been instrumental in the creation of this project. They were not. Beyond entering the Fish into Cannes they did not do anything except faking they did.

Campaign: Cannes Grand Prix handed to client
Adland: Dr Charles lucky Iron Fish isn't as fishy as you might think 

It is about the fundamental principles of award worthy work
This is about cheap win and an agency that tried to cheat the system and industry just to win a trophy

Therefore and based on the same principle you applied when you decided to strip the Grand Prix from the agency and instead reward it to Lucky Iron Fish "the client", it is the same principle you need to apply to strip Geometry/Ogilvy Dubai from all the Lions they won in all the categories in Cannes Lions (Promo, PR, Design) + Lions Health + Lions Innovation.

I think it will be a smart thing to end this now before it keeps escalating bigger and bigger , just withdrawing the Grand Prix from Geometry Global and Ogilvy MENA is even worse, that means Cannes Lions are also covering up. All awards should be credited to Lucky Iron Fish "the client" and Arcade ONLY. They came up with the idea, execution, design , process to manufacture and did the video. so whether it's PR, Promo & Activation or any other category it doesn't matter. Whether it won shortlist or Gold or Bronze or Grand Prix it doesn't matter, Geometry and Ogilvy can not take any credit. They can help them to spread it further if they are truly genuine about it without taking credit for something they did not do.

An agency that tried to cheat everyone, and did more effort in planning how to cheat than creating the body of work and the idea itself, can not be awarded. They can not be awarded just because they know how to centre align their logo in the end frame of the case study on a footage that was commissioned for google project - am sure they will go now shoot new footage and enter other awards - to fulfil their trophy greed.   

How could they be awarded in any category if they did not come with the idea, neither the design, nor the content and not a single thing of the research, conceptualisation and even execution and on top of that all not even the case study material itself ! what did they do to be awarded for?  

The Founder/ECD Arcade (The Production Company that Geometry/Ogilvy Dubai claim they worked with), Gary Tranter says :

"Even more surprised to see they'd used the footage, music and exact words from my script, in their case study video. The video implies the agency Geometry spotted a need, came up with the Iron Fish idea and somehow designed the little fish.

Bullshit.
I spent a long time in Cambodia with Chris Charles, the actual product designer of the Iron Fish (though he'd probably hate me calling him that) shooting a spot for my client Google and in the process learnt much about the amazing work they are doing out there. It's not just the Iron Fish you know; the ceramic pot water filtration system is simply brilliant and is delivering clean water to many villages.
In the whole time I was there, I saw no one from Geometry Dubai's Product Design Department, beavering away to help the people of Cambodia.
If winning is at Cannes is part of the PR awareness drive, I've got no problem at all with it, but I don't think you should claim an idea and design when it's not yours. " 

They did not come up with the idea

They did not execute it

They did not design the product

AND they did not even produce any of the content

Yet! they get a Grand Prix

Campaign Brief Asia Exclusive Report

http://www.campaignbriefasia.com/2015/06/does-something-smell-fishy-ove.html

Geometry Global/Ogilvy Dubai wins Grand Prix for stealing a Canadian Idea

Geometry Global/Ogilvy Dubai won several Lions and a Grand prix for an idea and execution they did not create in any form. The product design idea, the packaging and every Layer of the the execution all together.

All they did is that they added their logo at the back of the Canadian organisation's hard work and Chris's original life saving solution for Cambodians! 

Taking advantage of the ignorance of the client about their true intensions and the fundamental basic requirement to enter work in cannes "Originality". And steal the credit of the original idea to themselves with no right. Product design means the agency and its team have created and designed a product based on original idea that is theirs, if the idea was created by Chris in 2011 and then implemented by Gavin in 2012 then what role did the agency play into creating that product in the first place, the video link below shows clearly that everything in agency case study is not original and its only labeled by their logo at the end of the documentary that was launched by Lucky Iron Fish. Assuming Gavin agreed to participate with the Agency and gave them the right to use their logo at the end of their own original work, doesn't mean the Agency and Gavin have the right to do so and fool Cannes Lions and their fellow participants and get Geometry/Ogilvy Dubai to win cheap on something they did not create. In this case the Agency is deliberately guilty and the "client" ignorantly guilty and should know better. It's a matter of Cannes rules and integrity as well as professional ethics.

THE PROOF

"The Lucky Iron Fish is a grassroots project from an Ontario-based company started by PhD student Chris Charles at the University of Guelph."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/lucky-iron-fish-in-cooking-pots-tackle-anemia-1.2658632

And then Gavin Armstrong the president of Lucky Iron Fish started the project on 2012 and he did since then what Geometry Global/Ogilvy Dubai claim they created

Watch this documentary

And this is the agency case!

http://www.canneslionsarchive.com/winners/entry/590037/the-lucky-iron-fish-project

Nothing in what Geometry Global/Ogilvy Dubai claim is their own creation, even the iron recycling for cheap cost was the invension of Gavin in the first place, back in "2012"! 

See DW Fish vs. iron deficiency

And more like here on Boing Boing.

Google Iron Lucky Fish for more and more proofs

This is unethical. 

Taking credit of other peoples hard work and idea is lower than scam work even

We would love Geometry Global and Ogilvy Dubai to win a Grand Prix, but not like this.