Week Four EOC - Bob Isherwood

Bob Isherwood was the worldwide creative director of legendary ‘idea’ (the company removed the word advertising from all nameplates in 1992) [AdAge] company Saatchi and Saatchi.  Isherwood began working with the company in its Sydney office in 1986, by 1988 he was named creative director of that branch, and then in 1996 he was named worldwide creative director which he remained until his resignation in 2008.  He, along with worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts, are credited with reinventing the company and making it the advertising giant that it is today.  Not only did Mr Isherwood gain awards and recognition for Saatchi and Saatchi, but also for himself; “under his leadership, [Saatchi and Saatchi] won almost 8,000 significant creative awards. During his 35-year career in the advertising industry, his work has been endorsed by the industry's most prestigious national and international award shows.  He won Australia's first Gold Lion for Cinema at Cannes and also launched the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase, presented at Cannes Lions every year.” (Design Taxi) He has also won such awards as “Clio Lifetime Achievement Award  and has been inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame.  He is also a member of RMIT’s Acclaimed Alumni and received the first ever Honorary Doctorate in Communications from RMIT in 2007.  He was inducted into the Australian Writers and Art Directors Hall of Fame, August 2009” (Wikipedia) With all these stunning awards it is very easy to see how he flourished and made Saatchi and Saatchi what it is today.  The company’s clients include T-Mobile, Toyota, JC Penney, and other large international names for which Isherwood helped to create advertisements for.  With such prominent clients it’s no schock that his work is renowned and well respected.  After leaving the company Isherwood has now started a new company, i.e. healthcare, that helps companies to ‘engage’ with their healthcare providers for their employees.  This shows his attention to doing good deeds for not only his employees but others and helps to explain his creation of the Award for World Changing Ideas.  “This global biennial Award attracts extraordinary inventions and initiatives with the potential to make the world a better, kinder place. The most recent winner was LifeStraw, a personal, portable water purifier for use in the developing world.” (Wikipedia) These are great accomplishments for a man who quit a part time job at a mechanics shop to get his first job in an ad agency.