30 from 30. The people who have helped shape the industry and Campaign Brief: John Driscoll

For Campaign Brief WA’s 30th anniversary, over the thirty days of June we’re looking back on 30 people who helped shape the industry and us.

John Driscoll has been arguably the most dominant figure in the local industry within the last twenty years.

Coming from a Direct Marketing background, he first came to prominence as Media Director at Marketforce in the early 90s. He was part of the agency’s senior management team and quickly established himself as the likely successor to Howard Read as MD of Perth’s biggest agency.

He was mentored into the role and by 2003 was clearly the man in charge.

He had some notable achievements that year, including negotiations with Clemenger BBDO that saw that group take a substantial shareholding in the agency. And he pulled off a coup by luring Andrew Tinning – one of the region’s leading creative talents – to Perth. Six years later, he took the tough decision to part company with Tinning when he determined the agency need to restructure.

Driscoll has also been an outstanding servant of the broader industry. He’s had a couple of stints heading up the AFA in WA and was the driving force behind the Oasis Ball.

In an introduction for our first Oasis Ball/Campaign Brief Awards edition in 1996 he wrote: The AFA Oasis Project is a clear and visible sign that the advertising industry is not only aware of but has a major contribution to make in helping to solve one of our society’s most perplexing problems. Whilst the AFA and our Committee in Western Australia are focused on this cause, it is our hope that the Oasis Project will contribute to lifting the standing of the advertising industry within our community.

Next year will be the 20th Oasis Ball, which is now the premier event on the WA advertising industry calendar.

When the PADC went close to bankruptcy in 2008, it was Driscoll who stepped in as ‘Brand Champion’ and got sponsors back on-board, a pivotal role acknowledged by then President Jeff Champtaloup at the 2008 PADC Awards.

The last five years have been a time of unprecedented upheaval and challenges for Marketforce, including some of its worst years on record. The fact that it has bounced back and is now as strong as ever is testament to Driscoll’s calm, professional leadership. He is clearly a very astute businessman as well as a formidable ad man.

Marketforce is fortunate to have had Driscoll as a leader, and so is the WA advertising industry. His influence on both is unparallelled.

It would be remiss of us not to point out that this year – our 30th – is Marketforce’s 40th. The agency celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1984, as these pages from our October 12 issue of that year show.