Cummins quits SapientNitro
October 9 2009, 1:41 pm | | 29 Comments
B&T reports that Sean Cummins has quit SapientNitro, the agency he founded as Cummins&Partners in 1997…
B&T reports that Sean Cummins has quit SapientNitro, the agency he founded as Cummins&Partners in 1997…
29 Comments
Well done, Sean. You fired me. I hate you for it. But I still grudgingly respect your success and passion.
The end of an era.
the end of a press shot.
I’m really glad I had the chance to work at Cummins with Sean at its helm. It was a unique environment and no matter what they say in the press release, it just can’t be the same if he’s not a part of it. He built the brand, the client relationships and its creative reputation from the ground up.
SapientNitro has made a huge error in judgement underestimating Sean’s importance in the network. But as he’s leaving on such a creative high, it’s Sean who gets the last laugh.
If I know Sean, we haven’t seen the last of him and I eagerly await his next move.
LA TV show?
Best hair in advertising.
What’s going to happen to all the “C” logo Cummins biscuits provided for special clients?
Think of us when you are sipping a Pina Colada on your own private island.
You will be very much missed
That ‘non-compete clause’ is bullshit. I went through it a few years ago, I wasn’t supposed to work for any competing agency for 6 months.
In court, it’s actually ‘restriction of trade’, contract or no contract.
It will be interesting to see if the effect of the loss of Sean Cummins to the brand is in any way comparable to the way the loss of Maurice Saatchi to Saatchi & Saatchi at the time. The point being that those who axe the founder of a company often completely overlook that the founder IS the brand.
Having said that though, and knowing both men as employers, I’d say that’s where any comparison ends.
Plenty of Cummins and Goings in Melbourne today then
Best resignation in the world?
That SapientNitro must be a real piece of work. I never thought I’d read a press release where I’d end up thinking Sean was hard done by.
stay tune.
Congratulations to Sean. I know some people may have been fired from cummins and I’ve been fired too from another agency and I know it can piss you off. But I’ve worked for him and it’s been a great experience. Sean’s been demanding but all cds are and should be. The simple facts are that Sean had the balls to start his own agency 12 years ago. Sold some of it to Lowe, bought it back then sold it again!!! He sold it twice!! Maximum respect and good luck to you Sean. Cheers.
Some people really make their mark in communication. Sean has. He was like the new age mo and jo when Virgin launched; a cheeky fresh look and feel in advertising. His agency has gone from strength to strength, kick-ass! His legacy is testament to his remarkable leadership in this industry. He rocks. Good luck, old mate!
At the risk of mincing my metaphors, I’m guessing that the comments that squeezed their way through the eye of the blog needle to get this far would be the tip of a severely culled iceberg.
A blog moderators nightmare, eh Lynchy?
Is it just a coincidence that Big Al writes in those short little sentences so favoured by Sean?
And the winner is…Chris Clarke?…….Yes?….No…Sean….well played, a great innings…
With all due respect, which self-respecting ad person would want to work for an agency called SapientNitro? It’s sounds like a spin-off of Masters of the Universe or something.
I worked for Sean and liked him at times and despised him at others. Sometimes I found him quite brilliant creatively and at other times I found him embarrassingly cliche, self-indulgent and pedestrian. However, what he had that so many other people in our industry lack is the entrepreneurial spirit. At the end of the day, when you lock eyes with a client and recommend a strategy or a piece of creative, being an accomplished and successful businessperson rather than just an ad guy must count for a lot. There are too many bureaucrats in our industry – people who hide behind agency brand names, arcane processes, jargon and track records forged by others. Sean wasn’t one of them. And I respect him for it and hope to emulate him.
I think Sean is a brilliant man and is a mentor to me.
He took me under his wing and into his agency as a junior, despite not having Award School qualifications. Any creative qualifications actually. He believed in me and gave me a chance, which is more than I can say about other agencies. The best thing about Sean is that he always has his eyes on the prize and I believe that’s the case now too. I hope his next big project will be bigger and better than his last.
What’s YOUR legacy?
Open a hairdressing salon. That would be fucking funny! And pocket change, too.
By the sounds of things, Zoe must be a pretty good sort.
‘Quit’?
Is that what they call it these days when the new owners don’t want the old one around anymore?
Now, now, 9:29AM.
(Funny, though).
John – that’s because it wasn’t a press release.
Come on people! Where’s the bile? Unless CB’s been spooked by threats of legal action, this is a very soft reaction.
Last call for comments on this before this story disappears into the archives.