Began work as a copywriter in ad agencies in Toronto, Canada. Returned to Australia as a senior copywriter (GMH, Foster's, Cadbury) at George Patterson, moved to award-dominating Mullins, Clarke & Ralph (now Saatchi & Saatchi) (Razzamatazz, BHP, Lipton), left to start a creative consultancy working for ad agencies large and small, came back to St Kilda Road to join Kevin Luscombe, Kevin Dutton and Robin Stewart as a founder of the agency which became Luscombe & Partners (Florsheim, Berri Wines, Commercial Union), left the agency world again to work with Art Director/Designer Bruce Weatherhead (Merchant Builders, Australia Post, Gas & Fuel), back on The Road as Creative Director DDB (responsible for Telstra, Cadbury, Heinz, Channel 9, The Age — and their creative teams), left to (among other things) join film director Trevor Ling and actor, satirist and television person Max Gillies in TV comedy, corporate and training videos.
Grew portfolio to include marketing communications consulting, advertising concepts and writing, web development, video and interactive creative for small number of ad agencies, production houses, museums and visitor centres; plus pro bono work and theatre.
Links below are to some sites I have created.
A site for the very up-market Morrell and Koren
Can point to a body of advertising work for market leaders in pantyhose and packaged foods, fashion and road safety, ethical pharmaceuticals and conservation, automotive and media, financial services and progressive politics. Considerable experience (both wildly successful and depressingly educational) in product launches and building brands.
Don't think. Do. A New Year's greeting.
Writing video since early 80's (a video offering prisoners some of the skills they would need to avoid being tempted back into the arms of Her Maj, for Film Victoria), the Max Gillies series of training videos distributed worldwide by John Cleese's distributors; and countless others on everything from quitting smoking to feeding pigs.
There's drama here
Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton Queensland (before it burnt down) (the story of the song, told by the ghost you would have seen as you walked by that billabong), Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warrnambool (the museum's underlying concept, which is to put all narration and signage into the words of emigrants travelling through Bass Strait, plus writing everything from the entrance gallery to a whole-village sound and light show), Melbourne Museum (the Evolution Gallery, including Darwin to DNA, Dinosaurs in Time and a history of the Universe in four minutes) (don't blink).
A page for a son in law
Much early work for the Wilderness Society, the Australian Conservation Foundation, the East Gippsland Coalition, the Conservation Council of Victoria, the Green Independents in Tasmania and other 'green' bodies since the time of the Franklin Dam; including the campaigns for the Franklin, the Daintree and Kakadu and Bob Brown's first Senate campaign.
Helping organise and building the website for the Bid for Freedom art auctions (raising money to assist refugees) and developing the Actors for Refugees website. Helping with communications strategy and creative development for the Victorian National Parks Association biodiversity campaign, work on a revegetation and water security program to assist Tanzanian villagers. Seconded to the Greens' National Election Campaign Committee and Research and Advertising Working Group.
Currently working on a number of refugee, climate and political campaigns.
The climate crisis. Feeling lucky?
In 1982 guided the rebuilding of the Melbourne Art Directors' Club (now Melbourne Advertising and Design Club) and twice served as its President. Conceived a method of management and sponsorship that enabled the Club to grow to a membership exceeding 550; conceived the MADC Mentor scheme of student assistance and the AWARD Network (the association of advertising creative organisations of Australia, New Zealand and Singapore); instituted awards for lifetime achievements and work in community service.
For six years a lecturer at the industry-run Copyschool. Past contributor to various professional journals and guest lecturer at the AFA School, Swinburne, Monash and RMIT.
A year in a park (another new year's greeting).
Advertising awards and/or citations from the Art Directors' Clubs of New York, Toronto and Melbourne (print, radio, television); Caxton (newspapers), Golden Stylus (radio), AWARD (print, radio, television), New York International Festivals (television, radio), Cannes (television).
Awards and/or citations for film and video productions; including the Television Society of Australia (Penguin Awards), Educare (educational video), ATOM, International Television Society (corporate video), U.S. Film & Video Awards (Silver Screen).
Karl's Sculptures. Because they're so powerful.