It’s an ancient debate that refuses to go away: Melbourne versus Sydney. Is the power in media and advertising drifting up north, asks Robin Hicks
The first story I wrote since moving from Sydney to Melbourne six months ago was on the closure of DraftFCB Melbourne, a decent but painfully shy ad agency with a 50-year history that, as it turned out, was too reliant on one major client.
A fortnight later, I covered Publicis Mojo’s Melbourne office making a bunch of redundancies. Some jobs were relocated to Sydney, leaving the once-great office on Southbank with eight staff, down from more than 100 just three years ago.
This news came just three months after the collapse of another ‘once-great’ agency brand The Campaign Palace, which started life on Melbourne’s Cecil Street more than four decades ago.
(By the way, this is a long read. You can read it...
The first story I wrote since moving from Sydney to Melbourne six months ago was on the closure of DraftFCB Melbourne, a decent but painfully shy ad agency with a 50-year history that, as it turned out, was too reliant on one major client.
A fortnight later, I covered Publicis Mojo’s Melbourne office making a bunch of redundancies. Some jobs were relocated to Sydney, leaving the once-great office on Southbank with eight staff, down from more than 100 just three years ago.
This news came just three months after the collapse of another ‘once-great’ agency brand The Campaign Palace, which started life on Melbourne’s Cecil Street more than four decades ago.
(By the way, this is a long read. You can read it...
- 2/1/2013
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
In this roundJohn Mescall
In this round up from the Encore and Mumbrella annual, we celebrate the nicest people working in the industry.
1. John Mescall, Ecd, McCann Australia
When was the last time you cried watching an ad? Mescall was behind The Impossible Orchestra – a 24-hour musical tribute to the 2.6m Australians who take care of sick or disabled loved ones – which got the audience blubbing. It was a campaign with heart, and that’s what Mescall (who devotes lots of his time working with charities) is all about. A genuine, bullshit-free bloke with bags of talent.
2. Mark Coad, CEO, PHd Australia
Unassuming and mild-mannered, Coad is not your typical big-talking CEO. And yet he could not have turned around former agency Omd without making some tough decisions. One of the most accomplished media operators in Australia, the Melburnian leads with an assured lack of fuss.
3. Suzie Shaw, MD, Host...
In this round up from the Encore and Mumbrella annual, we celebrate the nicest people working in the industry.
1. John Mescall, Ecd, McCann Australia
When was the last time you cried watching an ad? Mescall was behind The Impossible Orchestra – a 24-hour musical tribute to the 2.6m Australians who take care of sick or disabled loved ones – which got the audience blubbing. It was a campaign with heart, and that’s what Mescall (who devotes lots of his time working with charities) is all about. A genuine, bullshit-free bloke with bags of talent.
2. Mark Coad, CEO, PHd Australia
Unassuming and mild-mannered, Coad is not your typical big-talking CEO. And yet he could not have turned around former agency Omd without making some tough decisions. One of the most accomplished media operators in Australia, the Melburnian leads with an assured lack of fuss.
3. Suzie Shaw, MD, Host...
- 12/28/2012
- by Luke
- Encore Magazine
Clemenger Bbdo Melbourne has hired a group account director to lead the Nab business. Lee Simpson joins from Abbot Mead vickers Bbdo in London.
The announcement:
Clemenger Bbdo Melbourne has appointed Lee Simpson as Group Account Director on the award-winning Nab business.
Simpson joins the agency from the UK’s most awarded agency, Amv Bbdo. There, his main responsibility was the Camelot National Lottery business, including the highly emotive ‘Life changing’ campaign. Vastly different to Australian lotteries, Camelot ploughs the profits back into national infrastructure and charity projects, at a rate of £30 million a week, and contributed £2.2 billion to the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. Alongside Camelot, he also led part of Amv’s Diageo business.
Simpson cut his teeth in advertising at Grey London, becoming the youngest Business Director in the office His experience there spanned a range of businesses including P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, launching...
The announcement:
Clemenger Bbdo Melbourne has appointed Lee Simpson as Group Account Director on the award-winning Nab business.
Simpson joins the agency from the UK’s most awarded agency, Amv Bbdo. There, his main responsibility was the Camelot National Lottery business, including the highly emotive ‘Life changing’ campaign. Vastly different to Australian lotteries, Camelot ploughs the profits back into national infrastructure and charity projects, at a rate of £30 million a week, and contributed £2.2 billion to the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. Alongside Camelot, he also led part of Amv’s Diageo business.
Simpson cut his teeth in advertising at Grey London, becoming the youngest Business Director in the office His experience there spanned a range of businesses including P&G, GlaxoSmithKline, launching...
- 12/11/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
The Comms Council is calling on agencies in Melbourne to turn out to the first meeting of the Account Management Group in Victoria.
The announcement:
Following the recent formation of the Account Management Group (Amg) in Victoria supported by the Communications Council and headed up by Badjar Ogilvy Melbourne’s General Manager Michael McEwan, The Communications Council now calls all Victorian agencies to join for its official Launch on Wednesday November 21.
The theme for the night is ‘The Dark Art of Account Management’ and will see a panel consisting of Peter Biggs – CEO Clemenger Bbdo, Tara Lordsmith – Head of Marketing, Simplot Australia, David Trewern – Chief Digital Officer, Stw Group and Ben Coulsen – Ecd, Gpy&R seek to clarify what is often perceived as the mysterious art of account management, highlighting what they see as a ‘great suit’ and why they believe account management is still as relevant as ever.
The...
The announcement:
Following the recent formation of the Account Management Group (Amg) in Victoria supported by the Communications Council and headed up by Badjar Ogilvy Melbourne’s General Manager Michael McEwan, The Communications Council now calls all Victorian agencies to join for its official Launch on Wednesday November 21.
The theme for the night is ‘The Dark Art of Account Management’ and will see a panel consisting of Peter Biggs – CEO Clemenger Bbdo, Tara Lordsmith – Head of Marketing, Simplot Australia, David Trewern – Chief Digital Officer, Stw Group and Ben Coulsen – Ecd, Gpy&R seek to clarify what is often perceived as the mysterious art of account management, highlighting what they see as a ‘great suit’ and why they believe account management is still as relevant as ever.
The...
- 11/12/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
This is probably the fluffiest article ever on Mumbrella.
Office dogs.
What, if anything, does having a pooch on the premises add to company culture? Does man’s best friend contribute to the creative process? Or do they, much like procurement types, tend to bark at people and shit on everything?
Like graffiti on office walls, a dog in the agency is one thing I’ve noticed a lot lately on my travels around adland. I wondered if lap dogs in hospital wards help the healing process, what role do they perform in an ad agency?
The first agency I noticed for its canine credentials was Spinach Advertising, an agency in Melbourne, a city where I’ve noticed plenty of dogs in agencies.
I was at Spinach’s office in St Kilda to catch up with their media director Ben Willee. After walking out of the lift, I was met first by a receptionist,...
Office dogs.
What, if anything, does having a pooch on the premises add to company culture? Does man’s best friend contribute to the creative process? Or do they, much like procurement types, tend to bark at people and shit on everything?
Like graffiti on office walls, a dog in the agency is one thing I’ve noticed a lot lately on my travels around adland. I wondered if lap dogs in hospital wards help the healing process, what role do they perform in an ad agency?
The first agency I noticed for its canine credentials was Spinach Advertising, an agency in Melbourne, a city where I’ve noticed plenty of dogs in agencies.
I was at Spinach’s office in St Kilda to catch up with their media director Ben Willee. After walking out of the lift, I was met first by a receptionist,...
- 11/8/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
Cummins
Woolley
McCraith
Mumbrella’s next Melbourne Question Time is to take place in three weeks time featuring adman Sean Cummins, media agency boss Mark McCraith and agency relationship consultant Darren Woolley. A fourth speaker will be announced shortly.
It takes place at Melbourne’s Marriott Hotel on Wednesday August 8, with the evening beginning with drinks at 6pm before formalities begin at 6.30.
The format of the evening sees questions to the panel from the audience moderated by Mumbrella.
McCraith is chief operating officer of media agency Maxus and a veteran of the Melbourne media scene. He joined the media department of J Walter Thompson in Melbourne in 1988 before moving to the associate media director role at Ddb in 1993 where he also spent five years. Since then he has also worked at Carat and Mindshare. Cummins is co-founder of ad agency Cummins Ross. He previously built up Cummins & Partners which he...
Woolley
McCraith
Mumbrella’s next Melbourne Question Time is to take place in three weeks time featuring adman Sean Cummins, media agency boss Mark McCraith and agency relationship consultant Darren Woolley. A fourth speaker will be announced shortly.
It takes place at Melbourne’s Marriott Hotel on Wednesday August 8, with the evening beginning with drinks at 6pm before formalities begin at 6.30.
The format of the evening sees questions to the panel from the audience moderated by Mumbrella.
McCraith is chief operating officer of media agency Maxus and a veteran of the Melbourne media scene. He joined the media department of J Walter Thompson in Melbourne in 1988 before moving to the associate media director role at Ddb in 1993 where he also spent five years. Since then he has also worked at Carat and Mindshare. Cummins is co-founder of ad agency Cummins Ross. He previously built up Cummins & Partners which he...
- 7/18/2012
- by mumbrella
- Encore Magazine
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