MUMBAI: In the wake of the ongoing controversy that has been hammering the Goafest judging verdict for long, the Advertising Club of Bombay management committee has decided to tighten the judgment process to prevent recurrence of any further breaches.

After a thorough investigation of facts this year, the Club has discovered that the judging process breach has occurred in 29 instances involving multiple agencies, out of 4117 entries for the awards. 
 
In an official statement, the Advertising Club of Bombay states, "As the awards have already been handed over for the current year, the Club has decided to point out the instances of this breach to the respective winners and would appeal to their conscience and better judgment to voluntarily return the awards they have received."

This year the award committee received allegations that a part of the Abby judging process was breached as a result of some of the jury members voting for advertisements produced by their own agencies. 
 
The official statement further says that since the inception of Abby‘s, Advertising Club Bombay has been committed to building and sustaining this award as the most preeminent creative advertising awards in the country. To this end, it has over the years considered and implemented constructive suggestions from its members to make process enhancement that would reinforce the high stature of the award. 
 
"Abby‘s jury consists of the country‘s most eminent and respected creative brains, many of whom lead their agency‘s creative fraternity. The process of judging has been fine-tuned and strengthened over the years, and is conducted in the most transparent manner," it says.