After three years Clemenger BBDO Sydney chief creative officer Ben Coulson set to depart
CB Exclusive – Campaign Brief can reveal that Clemenger BBDO Sydney chief creative officer Ben Coulson will depart after three years in the role. CB understands the move was needed to save resources and jobs.
Coulson told CB: “It’s been an intense and rewarding chapter at Clems Sydney. To be part of the agency’s creative renaissance has been quite a special thing. The body of work we created is among the best I’ve known – and I have been lucky to roll up sleeves with some of the brightest and most committed people getting around.”
During Coulson’s time, Clemenger BBDO Sydney has enjoyed the most creatively successful period in its history. Winning golds at both Cannes and Effies and being consistently recognised at every major show including D&AD, The One Show, Clio, Webbys, Spikes, and AWARD. Clemenger Sydney is currently AWARD Agency of the Year and has featured in the Campaign Brief Top 10 Agency Hot List from 2018-2020.
Prior to Clems Coulson spent six years as regional CCO for Y&R Australia and New Zealand. In that time the agency won: 67 Cannes lions, 21 D&AD pencils, was three times most awarded ANZ network at Cannes and Spikes, most awarded at D&AD, Cannes, Andy, The One Show and New York festivals. Plus multiple Grande Prix and Best of Show and agency of the year titles at Campaign Brief, Adnews, B&T, AWARD and Effies.
Coulson has ranked top 5 ECD’s in the world at Cannes and twice top 10 CCO in the world on The Won Report.
61 Comments
Truly gutted. Top bloke. Bloody amazing creative leader, the best I’ve worked under. Fair play though, Ben’s saved a few people here, and for that I salute him. Cheers for everything mate, total legend x
Coulson has unearthed more creative talent in this market than anyone. He gets the very best out of people and is happy to share the creative love. One of the very best CD’s I’ve known and a pleasure to work with. Well done on your amazing achievements at Clems Ben, you symbolise what is good about this business.
Benno, you are a true talent who has helped so many along the way. The work has never been better than with you at the helm. You never panic under pressure and always look for what is possible, in an industry often too scared to have real creative vision. Don’t know how you do it, but the work always improves when you are in the room.
Not much else to say other than good luck legend!
Ben. When you first arrived at Clems I thought you’d be a suits worth nightmare, with your pretty boy smile and easy going nature. This is a house of pain where stress and worry win most days. But you showed everyone how to not freak out, how to be positive, love our work, never get shitty with each other (or even the toughest clients) and get the really good work out. You are a Unicorn!!
Hate admitting this, but you pulled off the impossible by making Clemenger Sydney a creative force. I still wish you’d go bald soon though.
Good for you Benno, you are the best in the business, I’ll be calling you when you land at the next gig!
Back to your comfortable slumber now Clemenger Sydney, the bad dream where you have to push for good creative every day is over. And the digital revolution also never happened, everything is business as usual.
My time with Coulson was brilliant. He really lets you use your brains and initiative, and each time you’d share something with him his comments ALWAYS make the work better. He makes you feel at ease, no big boss ego- so it is easy to share your ideas. And he has a weird skill of making ok ideas really good. I have learned heaps and have great work in my book, thanks for everything Ben. Also, can I have your desk fan?
Coulson, you are shining light in an industry lost in the dark. Loved working with you!
We don’t get it? He builds people up, doesn’t put them up. He treats everyone equally, doesn’t like the boys club. He give people opportunity, doesn’t serves his own ego. He fosters talent, not exploits it. In short he’s just not our kind of guy.
Not to forget “top 10 most handsome men in advertising”
One of the nice guys. Charismatic, smart and just a good bloke to have a beer with. Clemenger’s loos. Onya BC!
I worked with Coulson at Y&R/Patts. The place has never been the same without him, probably won’t be at Clemenger either.
He is the real deal and one of the very few who make the work better- all day every day.
It seems like our industry is being taken over non creative leaders. We need people like Ben, people who put others before themselves and champion the work.
Thanks Ben, you championed us, gave us confidence and always had our backs. Made the work better and never made it about yourself. Couldn’t count the number of people who have worked with you and gone on to do big things. When it’s all said a done, there are lots of us for whom you have been an inspiration. Excited to see what you do next, hope I am part of it.
“Captain my Captain”.
Kenny Rogers and now this, it’s a lot in one week. Benno, you are all class. As Kenny would say, “you got to know when to fold em”!
Ben shows what modern leadership can be. He truely treats people equally and encourages talent. He and Emily were a formidable team. Clems have no idea what they have lost.
It will be interesting if any other well paid execs, who can look after themselves through this crisis, make a call like this. My guess is not many, sadly.
Oh look, we’re agency of the year. Let’s get rid of all the people that made that happen.
Such a lovely guy and great leader. He never let the linen wear him, he always wore the linen! Good luck Ben and more importantly good luck to those left behind!!
You can’t blame Clemenger management for this if he left for the good of the people… right?
When was the last time Clemenger made a good decision????
Ant, Michael, Paul all to the Monkeys. Garret out. Wolfy out. Even Gail and Emily out. Now Ben. What is going on there?
The decision to appoint Chris Howatson is probably the best creative decision Clems has made since the hiring of James McGrath.
Clems understand that creativity in the new world is different.
We’re all experiencing that right now – even if it’s just deciding what platform is best fo group meetings etc.
The number of big ads a Clems, or anyone will make in the near future, will be a fraction of what was made in the past.
Ben is a great creative. But Clems is a great agency. I think both know what they’re doing.
Good luck Ben. And good luck Clems.
Ben, you are a true creative pirate, Clemenger you are the Navy.
Pray for the souls left behind.
Hands down the best creative leader I’ve worked with. Put his team first to the end. Best of luck. You’ll be missed.
The kind of creative director everybody wants to work for, and aspires to be someday. Good luck on the next gig Benny, you’ll be impossible to replace.
Let’s not do the usual blog hack thing today. Respect to Ben, and all going through this craziness.
This reads like bad news, but fark- what a creative reputation he takes with him, he is exactly what this business will need on the other side of this.
The man could hoover up creative awards better than most. That was his currency and he delivered in spades. The big question now is will awards ever be creative currency again?
Coulson was a BRILLIANT boss when I worked at GPY&R Melb with him. Considered every idea and made it better, every single time. And, he let you do the work instead of micromanaging everything into oblivion. Best CD I’ve worked for by a stretch. Plus, he has the good taste to support the mighty Cats, even though he is the jinx for the club.
A great stint at Clemenger, Ben. Well done. Onwards to the next one.
Wolfy and now Coulson gone, the two best creative leaders they had. I thought Clemenger were all about keeping the best talent. Must have missed the latest memo.
Dear ???,
Creative leadership is changing because what businesses view as creative is changing.
The management consultancies recognised this some time ago.
Agencies have recognised it too, but most have been very slow to act.
Clems were one of the first to get on the front foot.
Much of their business now centres around digital and data – just like PwC and Deloittes et al.
And many of their new clients, who think they’re more creative than ever – couldn’t care if they didn’t make a TVC for them or not.
Ben is a great talent and is probably fending off offers as we speak.
But his leaving doesn’t automatically make Clems less creative.
It might simply mean the stellar creativity they’re famous for, is being offered in a different way.
I call bullshit on the timing of this. Ben is a great creative leader, but this was on the pipeline a while ago. Left ‘for the good of the people’ is just spin. Best of lucks, Coulson. Not that you need it.
Coulson is an exceptional creative leader, one of the very few who sets the agenda, creates the environment and encourages all to excel.
I know I worked with him for seven years.
Please don’t confuse CHE Proximity and Clems as the one and the same. They are 2 different agencies. They run under different leadership, and offer different products.
I’m not confused .
If CHEP wasn’t the new Clems Nick G would be CEO and not Chris Howatson.
Good for you Benno, you are the best in the business, I’ll be calling you when you land at the next gig!
Ben you are the best! You have been amazing at Clemenger and are one of the best creative leaders in the world. I’m happy to hear you are doing something new, you will totally kill it. Can’t wait to hear what it is.
Had the pleasure of standing next to Ben at The Palais as we accepted a Gold Lion. Wouldn’t have happened without him and his sprinkling of magic dust.
Good luck with next chapter Ben.
Time will tell. I know where my money is.
I enjoy writing positive comments about Ben
Ben, we are all bloody gutted today. You are brilliant and we have all benefitted from your positive passion for the work. We know why you left, and it makes sense, but we are very sad. Travel well friend.
And Emily Perrett recently left. Didn’t get reported.
Congrats on a great stint at Clems. Have never seen someone with the innate ability to see an idea, process it and with less than 10 words make it better every time. Ben has that rare skill. Best of luck in the future.
What a relief to work with an open minded, supportive person rather than a control freak. No doubt Ben was the same at Clems. We should all be so lucky.
Emily is like Ben, bloody excellent at what she does, but also showed up a certain individual.
As this crisis bites the industry, how many bosses will move quickly to protect themselves and fire many staff, how many will accept less and save many staff?
Yes Ben has the best record in the business for winning awards, but look at the body of amazing work behind the prizes, over all the years and agencies.
I worked with Ben, we made the best work of my career on Defence Force (a big ugly client) and we made it the most creatively recognised advertiser in the market. Same with CUB, same with Schweppes, AFL, and the list goes on.
It’s not the tin that drives him, it’s doing the best bloody work on every client. He would alway preach that we raise the creative standard on every client, not just the easy ones. I took that lesson with me. It is the recipe for genuine creative success, year on year, whatever the agency. You just need his levels of talent and commitment to make it happen, which is fuck’n rare.
Ben, you are the constant, everything else goes up and down!
Most management and shareholders of big agencies are like toilet roll hoarders in these times, they panic and look after themselves.
He never made his staff feel like shit and always gave them the space to do what they did best. It seems that’s a rarity and a little learnt lesson in this industry, which is a shame. All the best with the next move, Ben. We need more leaders like you.
Such flattering comments. Weird how you didn’t use your name.
I recently had the pleasure to work closely with Ben with regards to a project I was consulting on.
Not only was he all the nice things outlined above (including his good looks) he also had a wonderfully large set of ears.
Something only the very best CCO’s have in their arsenal.
at Clems Sydney anyway?
I liked you that movie, the one where you played a singer with Lady Gaga.
Big big fan. Ben will continue to do great things.
Bad luck Ben – hope you find something mate.
Ben, you are so much better than the bloke who was on the other side of this call. History will quickly show that. All the best to you, you are one of the very brightest in the game.
Why would anyone take on that gig now? Surely you can’t hope to make enough money in the two or three years you’re going to get. Could anyone honestly feel they’re worthy of better treatment than the giants who’ve now gone before them?
Welcome to the club Ben.