30 from 30. The people who have helped shape the industry and Campaign Brief: Andrew Tinning

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.

Lest we give the impression that we’re doing this series in any kind of order (we’re not), let’s leap ahead chronologically to someone whose impact has been within our last decade.

It was big news in December 2003 when Marketforce announced CD Mike Edmonds was leaving the agency and would be replaced by kiwi, Andrew Tinning.  Tinning was one of the hottest creative talents in the region, so we eagerly anticipated his arrival as much as Marketforce did.

He certainly lived up to expectations and under him the Marketforce creative department produced some of the most exciting work we have ever seen across the range of its clients. Their output put Perth on the national radar more than it had been for some years and showed just how good Perth could be.

Notably, the good work was also spread across everyone in the creative department, several members of which grew considerably under Tinning’s direction. He’s also been generous in his praise of other agencies’ work. He’s been a contributor to our annual ‘Best of Perth’ feature every year since his arrival and always finds plenty to celebrate in the local industry.

He did a turn as President of the PADC and gave it a distinctly local flavor, which some people thought ‘downgraded’ the awards but we thought was a pretty good approach. The 2009 PADC Awards night opened by Gordon Dawson and MC’d by Vaughan Sutherland was great fun – one of our favourites.

Refreshingly, Tinning doesn’t take himself too seriously – like dressing up in a chicken costume, for example, for a CB story in 2011 after he and Marketforce parted company (and then getting renowned photographer Allan Myles to take the shot!).

He’s also never been afraid to have his work featured on the Campaign Brief Blog, understanding that a degree of criticism comes with the territory.

Now as a partner in his own agency, SHEDcsc, he continues to have a lively and engaging influence in the industry and Campaign Brief, both of which have benefited from his trans Tasman relocation.