PATTS SYDNEY NAMES PROCTER NEW ECD
George Patterson Y&R Sydney managing director Julie Porter has announced the appointment of James Procter as the new executive creative director, filling the void left with the departure of Michael Stanford in August.
Procter joins from CumminsNitro Melbourne where he has served as creative director for the past three years. He has also worked at Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne and Leonardi Brandhouse and is the outgoing president of the Melbourne Advertising and Design Club (MADC).
Over a period of three months Porter considered a number of candidates from agencies in U.K, U.S. and Asia. Says Porter: “This business is all about teamwork and James and I immediately clicked. He has the perfect combination of talent, attitude and intelligence that will help deliver my vision for the agency.”
Procter has worked on a diverse list of major international clients including Pepsi, Adidas, Virgin Atlantic, Clarks, Nestle, Libra, Just Jeans, Holden, Sorbent, AXA, Kraft, Starburst, Stihl, Multiple Sclerosis and The Traffic Accident Commission (TAC).
Along the way, he’s had success at numerous local and international award shows including D&AD, Cannes Lions, One Show, AWARD, Folio, Caples, New York Festivals, ADMA, and MADC.
Procter described his decision to take up the post as an opportunity just too good to pass up: “It’s not just the heritage of the GPY&R brand in Sydney, it’s the people involved in the re-invigoration that makes the job so appealing. Nigel and Julie have a great track record and the vision for the Sydney office is compelling. Add to that the global support of someone like Tony Granger and you can start to see why I’ve bought in.”
“I’m under no delusions about the scope of the challenge but there is a very clear mandate for creative change. One person cannot be expected to single handedly turn an agency’s fortunes, but my focus is the same as the rest of the management team – doing great work. The rest usually takes care of itself.”
47 Comments
Woow, that’s a brave move for Patts Sydney.
If he does half the job that Coulson is doing in Melb, they might just become a hot network.
That would be a strange day.
Good luck James, would love to see you pull it off.
Nice move.
Instead of one hot agency in Melb & a stone cold one in Sydney, they might start to get in Sync.
Far too early to be a threat, but it would be great to see Patts take it to the other cooler big networks.
Never thought i’d ever see a day when people might want to work at Patts Sydney, but it just might happen.
As far as I’m aware, Clarks, Just Jeans, Holden, Sorbent and the TAC are not major international brands.
Did you hear that?
It’s my axe being ground in the background.
Fight the good fight. It’s needed badly. Julie, please support him in doing it and I’m sure you guys will do well.
As the guys at DDB say, ‘Say no to bland’. Well done.
I worked with him at Clems. Great bloke and talented. He should do well.
Definitely not the expected choice. But could work. If he can do good things at Cummins….
If someone can pull it off, it’s James. He has what it takes.
Let’s remember a little old tale, should we…Once upon a time there was another James that was ridiculed for leaving a great position in an awarded and prosperous shop to take another in a declining, non-creative shithouse. 6 years later and undoubtedly, thanks to his legacy, that same agency he took over has won gold lion after gold lion over the years and is now considered one of the ‘hottest’ agencies in the world. Do you remember what I’m talking about? ’cause if you do, then it’s just possible that it will happen again. A tale of two Patts. Good luck James.
This guy has obviously achieved a lot for Cummins Melb.
Sean Cummins certainly has an eye for great talent.
Smart move for GPY&R and congratulations on backing some “home grown” talent.
Good work man, congrats!
Guess I won’t be seeing you in Melbourne then.
Cheers,
Umlaut
Sean,
Can we have your take on the departure of your CD?
It seems a lot of senior people are leaving your Melbourne office.
Was James pushed into looking for a new job?
Are you planning on appointing a replacement CD?
10:45AM
Can any Sean answer those question?
If the answer is ‘yes,’ then:
YES
(NOT A QUESTION)
NO
NO
Sean Buchanan.
Good to see they didn’t feel the need to fly someone in from the States, South Africa. the UK, etc.
And what’s with all the idiotic cummins-bashing? the guy built an agency worth plenty, and people have continually left his agency in better shape than when they went in.
You don’t have to like him, but you’re a fool if you don’t respect what he’s achieved.
Either way, CumminsNitro will need to do something to stem the creative losses. They are just too big to ignore. Then again, a couple of juniors may have rung Sean’s mobile over the past week or so.
Who left? A senior team and now James? Anyone else? Looks like pure coincidence to me…
Ben Couslon – ex Cummins CD
james Proctor – ex Cummins CD
Richard Maddox -ex Cummins Protege
I am sending my CV to Sean Cummins!
Sean Cummins – ex Cummins CD.
The list goes on.
THE JULIE & JAMES SHOW WILL BE ONE TO WATCH.
RUSSEL HAS PULLED MELBOURNE OUT OF THE SHIT. JULIE HAS THE GRIT AND THE SMARTS TO FIX SYDNEY. SHE’S ON HER WAY.
Ditto 12.45.
What is all the Sean bashing about?
Congrats James.
James is a smart buy for Patts.
It’s first real CREATIVE director.
There are major cracks throughout Cumminsnitro Melbourne.
Junior staff, in effectual management….watch that space..it could be up for rent soon!
Nice try “jeffrey”.
By the way it’s ineffectual. Dumb arse.
Yes, they have employed people (particularly when they were juniors) who have gone on to bigger and better things.
But let’s be honest. They didn’t do it out of altruism. They hired them because they had to and juniors are cheaper to employee and easier to manage.
Either way, they have lost I reckon between 20 to 30 creatives over the past three years.
Yes, they are successful. I’ll grant them that, but that is a very narrow platform to win respect from me.
So, call me small, but every time I read less than ideal news about that agency, I get a little smile on my face and feel the inclination to have a pot shot.
And I have little doubt they are big enough to take it and probably more so than his defenders on this blog.
INT: DAY: A Melbourne agency.
A Phone rings, AGENCY CHIEF answers it.
It’s CHRIS.
AGENCY CHIEF: ‘Oh..Er… Chris. Hi, how’s it going?’
CHRIS: I’ve got one question for you.
I want you, to SHOW. ME. THE AGENCY!!!
AGENCY CHIEF: You want me to show you the Agency?
CHRIS: Show. Me. The Agency!!!
Oh Jeffrey………..is that wishful thinking or true insight?
Do you really think that…or are you stuck for something controversial to say?
We are not allowed to slam work on the blog. nor should we slam agencies
Agencies go through cycles like trees go through seasons.
The tree blosoms. then the leaves fall off. then the tree blossoms again. and you cant have one without the other. There are very few melb (or australian) agencies consistently strong through the years. Cummins has been steady for so long now. Avoiding the high highs and the ineviatble low lows. That takes skill. And great management.
So sorry Jeffrey…i think you are wrong.
Jamie Durie (not my real name)
wow this is a first, a story about Patts Sydney turns into another agency getting bucketed for a change. Wonders will never cease….
Dear 5:12
You RECKON they have lost 20 – 30 people over the last few years?
So you’re just guesing? Hmmm. that’s healthy.
While i will guess you’re wrong. Having said that they are a big agency. And turnover in our industry is pretty high.
But let’s stop the guessing. Stick to facts. Proctor has been there for 3 years. And Matt and Caroline who left recently were there for 3 and a half years.
Hardly a short stay. So what do you RECKON about that?
Signed
tTe Australian Bureau of Statistics
who gives a shit about patts sydney. they still have the same clients.
…will be good in a year though, after the cd hand picks his team and gets some good logos on board.
success.
Good luck James. We will miss you.
Good luck to James but watch this space, as far as Cummins is concerned – the best is just about to come.
Congratulations James.
Ant K.
1.25 :
“As the guys at DDB say, ‘Say no to bland’.”
You mean real ads?
5.27: It’s Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Don Burke
For what it’s worth 5:12’s “guess” is pretty close by my count.
I can think of at least 25 creatives who have been through the place in the last 3 years.
Make of that what you will. It’s also indicative of the staff turn over through out the whole agency too.
I work at Cummins nitro
And you guys have it all a little bit wrong.
We are a big agency amnd people do turn over. we have tough clienst like kmart.
But we also attract people that want to forge ahead. Its what sean has called the “thrill ride’.
Sean gives people a go. the people who have come and gone…and mostly stayed a period of time do so mostly at their own will.
Please remember that sean isnt the CD of our melbourne office. Over the last 5 years we have had a couple of people in the role. James was the last CD. And I reckon he learned a lot here. So before you ascribe an exodus to Sean …maybe you should question james. And the previous CDs.
All i can say is its great working here. because you have nowhere to hide.
And i suggest before you bag Sean…or indeed anyone high profile in the industry…walk a mile in their shoes.
Go open an agency. And then see what its like to work with creative people.
By the way…I am a suit
Seriously Sean… let it go man.
Ridiculously transparent.
It’s not always about you.
5.15… I’m so glad you’re not a suit at my agency. Especially if your brief’s are as dumb ass as your comments.
Bob.
9:30 AM – You’re being smug and rude.
5:15 PM makes a substantial point, and in you swagger with your cliched creative pretensions that just reinforce all of the very worst stereotypes of the creative side of this industry.
Good on you, sunshine. Keep swinging. Sooner or later you’ll hit yourself in the head.
Regards,
A. Junior (and that’s actually true).
Can’t imagine for one second who the spiteful 5.15pm is. James threw everything into building that agency over the last 3 years. The least you can do is show a little grace when he moves on to bigger and better things.
James was there for three years, but he wasn’t the CD for three years.
Patts Sydney is making a comeback people.
So those who like bagging them, remember this comment in 12-18 months time.
It’s true James wasn’t the CD for 3 years of his time there. There was a period when Monty Arnold was the CD, and I think this is often overlooked. It could be said that in his short time there, much of the ground work for James was laid.
I really can’t take any credit for for anything done by Cummins & Partners prior to James Procter’s ascension, as I was only there for 5 minutes.
But thanks for thinking of me, 10:04
Monty Arnhold
It’s true. James was only CD for 2 of the 3 years.
James was a writer for the first year with Sean as CD.
Monty was there for five minutes somewhere in between.
It seems that what Patts Sydney needs right now is a steady hand on the wheel. From what I’ve heard James is a pretty good driver.