Jabu Mabuza responds to the industry outcry over his Loerie speech

In the week following the Loeries there has been a strong reaction by the ad industry to the speech made by Jabu Mabuza, chairman of the MFSA, at the opening of the Electronic Loerie Awards in which he called on the industry to transform or abandon the Loeries.

"It is my point of observation that we have one simple choice, transform or abandon the Loeries. The notion of year after year coming here to celebrate creativity from a single minded exclusive South Africa perspective to the exclusion of the majority of the nation is un-South African and unacceptable. Let''s transform or simply put an end to the insult." Read the whole transcript on MarketingWeb.

Certain industry leaders and members of the Creative Directors Forum were dismayed at the speech, maintaining that real progress had been made - this was the first year that 50% of the judges were black, several award winners were black and the Loeries recognised ads that were created in a black language.

Jabu Mabuza has elaborated further and put his speech in context:

"When I shared my anguish at the lack of transformation at the Loerie Awards on Sunday evening, I did so full well knowing that my words would strike a chord (and a nerve or two).

"We at the MFSA welcome the healthy debate that has arisen as a consequence.

"On one issue, however, we must be clear. My words were carefully chosen, came from my heart, and have my absolute conviction.

"There can be no doubt that, nigh on ten years into our new democracy, our industry of marketing and advertising professionals has not tranformed nearly enough. And every time we gather at Loeries to showcase and celebrate our undisputed talent, it anguishes me that we continue to do so from an exclusive South Africa perspective to the exclusion of the majority of our nation, and without regard for the transformative wave of a democratic non-racial South Africa.

"I do not for one moment dispute the progress that has been made. That we saw more diversity of Loerie judges than ever before. That the Superbowl Gallery was full of aspiring young black advertisers. That our Banquet was well represented by our black brethren. That more black creatives than ever before came forward to be acknowledged by their peers for their creative successes. That over the past months we have begun to see exciting initiatives to address the ownership inequities in our agencies.

"But as I too celebrate this beginning let us not fool ourselves into believing it is anything more than that: a late start.

"When I suggested on Sunday that it was an insult to all South Africans to continue as such - it was as a proud servant of our industry who wishes to celebrate the achievements of all our charges, only to see the successes of some lauded whilst others are ignored and marginalised.

"I am proud of our, your achievements, but distraught at our failure to be inclusive.

"Many in our industry have chosen to focus on what will happen if we fail to transform, rather than my plea to be part of a more diverse and representative Loeries Award Festival next year.

"This saddens me.

"But let us be clear that as a committed body of South African advertisers and marketers there can be no alternative for the MFSA than to abandon the Loeries if we can not, indeed will not make the necessary change happen and be seen to do so.

"My view is shared by my colleagues at the MFSA. Abandoning Loeries will be immensely hard if we are forced to do so, but substantially easier than continuing to celebrate a status quo that is patently unfair and un-South African.

"There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that it is not right to continue to celebrate the Loeries 'as is', on the basis of a specious pragmatic view that it and our current advertising practices work and are therefore right. Indeed, apartheid worked for a long time.

"The MFSA represents every facet and discipline in the broader marketing fraternity. Our members include marketing organisations, agencies, suppliers and many creative professionals. The MFSA is not separate from the creative industry - but rather inextricably linked to and part of it.

"The real issue at hand is that WE as an industry and influential profession have a problem. Not you as advertisers. Or them as marketers. Or those creatives. But us. We. Our problem. And therefore our responsibility to harness our proven powers of creativity, problem solving, strategy and idea generation to find and implement a joint solution. We need an inclusive solution. Not one imposed by one part of our fraternity on another.

"And therefore I propose that we cease the wasted effort of pointing fingers at each other. Instead, let's sit down around the table to work on our problem. Together."

Jabu Mabuza, chairman: MFSA