MLA marketer David Thomason goes out singing
Long-time Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) General Manager – Marketing, David Thomason, is departing the company after 12 years at the helm.
He’s credited with driving some of the most ambitious and successful campaigns in the Australian marketplace including the ‘Singing Butchers’ campaign for red meat and award-winning lamb campaigns with Sam Kekovich’s annual address for Australia Day.
Thomason has been marketing manager since 1998 and contributedsubstantially to the growth of over $4bn in the annual value ofthe domestic market.
He will be replaced by Glen Feist who brings to the role 25 years of marketing experience off-shore – most recently in Korea and Japan for MLA, where his efforts were focused on growing what is now one of our key export markets and positioning Australian beef as the product of choice. Feist starts in August.
Thomason says he always wanted to go out on top and will continue to follow the progress of MLA with great pride.
“After nearly 12 years leading the beef and lamb marketing effort (and that’s very rare in any marketing organization these days), I realised that it’s time for some new thinking and fresh eyes to ensure that the gains we’ve made over the past decade continue well into the future,” he says. “I’ve been extremely fortunate for the time I’ve had in MLA – marketing fantastic products and being able to positively influence the meals and health of so many Australians.”
Thomason was loyal to his advertising agencies, holding long term partnerships with BMF and The Campaign Palace.
9 Comments
I’m in NZ, don’t know the guy, never worked over there, don’t want to, but the Australia Day stuff is something I look forward to every year. It makes me wish I was Australian, a credit to the agency, and the client, and going by that write-up he sounds like the client everyone dreams of.
Sir, I’d tip my hat but I’ve got lamb grease on my mitts.
Behind every great ad is a great client.
This guy is a legend.
I worked on mla years ago and had the pleasure of working with him a couple of times. He was a true gentlemen, smart and trusting. He loved good creative and the creatives, planners and suits that worked on the biz. Very few clients deserve the title legend but this man is a legend in the true sense of the word. Congrats on a stellar innings. I’m sure the guys at Bmf will miss you dearly.
What a lot of you may not know (& David, the MLA & BMF team may find unbelievable to recall) is MLA briefed BMF to create an Australia Day radio spot. From memory we faxed ‘Sam Kekovich’ radio scripts to David in Europe. He responded, confirming he’d find funds to produce a low budget TVC instead. The result was the very first Sam Kekovich Australia Day TVC, which aired in ’05 at a time when Australian Farmers & Butchers were doing it very tough. MLA & BMF’s objective was to ‘start conversation’… and that it did! I’m very grateful to have worked with David and his team, who were insightful, brave & best of all..fun! Best wishes David!
We produced Lamb Actually with David, and he and his team were terrific to work with. It is still one of my favorite films. http://www.flyingfish.co.nz/lamb-lamb-actually/
Never met the man – but clearly a great loss to the industry as a whole
Perhaps he could open a business training other clients on how to embrace creativity
Congrats David on your time at MLA. I was a big fan of your instinctive ad knowledge and sense of humour when it came to working with you way back in the beginnings of Sam K. To take the plunge back then reaped pats on the back for us all. If only more aussie clients and GMs would follow in your footsteps.
Good luck on your next adventure.
Dale.
David
I have no idea what you’re planning next, but do us all a favour and go have a chat to Ralph Norris at the CBA
Just a thought…
I hope APL snaps him up.