Nigel Reed passes away at age 57
Nigel Reed, creative director and partner of Sydney agency Reed Miltiades Kaye, passed away yesterday after respiratory failure, aged 57.
Reed, who was born in Nigeria on the 12th September 1951, starting his advertising career in London and migrated to Australia in 1985, working at agencies including McCann-Erickson, Lintas, Y&R and Bam SSB.
He was a highly awarded copywriter and was recognised in the AFA’s celebration of the top 100 advertisements between 1956 -2006 with NEC’s ‘Mr Okamura’ campaign.
Says old friend Tim Hall, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Wellington: “Nigel was a wonderful creative, and an even better friend. I spent many a boozy evening at his Balmain address, listening to stories about his childhood in Nigeria and his early years in the industry in London. I first met him as a wet behind the ears junior at Y&R Sydney and he immediately took me under his wing and encouraged me to believe in myself. Unfortunately, he didn’t afford himself the same self belief. But his endless generosity combined with his dry and at times caustic wit made him a lovable rogue and one of the true characters of our industry. Vale Nigel, the world’s a poorer place for your passing.”
Nigel’s funeral will be held this Tuesday 25th August, 2.00pm – 2.30pm at St Johns Church, Corner Birchgrove Road & Spring Street, Birchgrove.
4.00pm Celebration of Nigel’s Life:
RMK
10 Hancock Street
Rozelle
15 Comments
Oh my goodness.
I am so so sorry.
Lovely lovely man.
A very sad loss to the industry and his loved ones.
I didn’t know him but it seems far to early for him to go.
How awfully sad.
They don’t make ’em like Nige any more – and what a great shame that is.
I first met Nigel at Lintas in the mid 80’s – and our first meeting didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.
He was a senior creative guy with a well deserved reputation for ripping apart a badly written brief – I was the young eager account guy hoping like hell that he’d be impressed with what I’d written.
Suffice to say, that after a few well chosen and beautifully crafted words from upon high I was exited out the door – and told to come back when I’d given him and his long time creative partner Paul Fonteyn something they could work with – a one line totally defendable creative proposition – not a paragraph of ‘inconseqential waffle’. (Every time I wrote a brief from that point on I had Nigel ringing in my ears).
It was a great piece of advice – and ironically, the begining of a wonderful and long lasting friendship.
Nigel was an educated, generous, talented and extemely endearing man who loved a drink or two – and loved his friends even more.
I, like all his friends, will miss him greatly.
Vale Nigel
A big bear of a man with a huge heart and immense wit – I loved every moment I was lucky enough to spend in his company and my heart aches to think he is gone. To his family, many friends and colleagues, my condolences. To Nigel, my thanks for creating a special place in my heart where you have always lived and always will.
This is a tragedy. Nigel was a wonderful person who I admired. I enjoyed working with him at Lintas and the world will be a sadder place without his style and creativity. Joy
We remember a really gorgeous sweet sweet man, the biggest and warmest heart.
Nigel was extremely lovable and generous.
Once in a conversation he said to me
‘Always be the bigger person, be the biggest person you can be.’ Meaning forgo pettiness and vindictiveness.
Nigel was a big person, with a big spirit and soul who I think really understood what we are here for….and somehow still worked in advertising….
A loyal, loving, funny, generous humanist Labrador in human guise, Nigel you really affected everyone who knew you and you will be missed deeply by us and all who loved you.
Nigel, we hope you are having a simply enormous party in Heaven.
xxxxx
M and B
I’m just gutted that the wonderful Mr Reed is gone, much much too soon.
I met Nigel at the same time as Tim; he was erudite and educated, witty and wicked – the Stephen Fry of Y&R – but incredibly kind, welcoming and generous of his time and his talent.
In recent years, working with Nigel at Reed Miltiades Kaye underscored what a delightful man he was, dry of wit, huge of heart and the most bon of vivants.
For me the Three Weeds, the RMK local, will forever more be known as the Three Reeds.
To Mark, and all his friends at RMK, my deepest, heartfelt condolences.
Carolyn x
I worked with Nigel in a couple of agencies and had a few late night drinks with him over the years as well.
He floridity is sorely lacking from today’s cookie-cutter creative types. Every time I see Stephen Fry I feel I am looking at Nigel’s doppelganger.
He would hate the Christian Heaven, although I imagine he would be tempted by the 72 virgins in the Muslim variation.
I just don’t know what to say. What a wonderful man with such a huge personality. Funny, clever, thoughtful, generous and kind. I am gutted. You will be greatly missed Mr Reed that’s for sure. My thoughts go out to his family, Mark, and all the great people at RMK.
Bettina Clark x
I met Nigel In 1979 at a London agency where we teamed up together, we worked in quite a few agencies and (even got fired together,) but soon he became a very good friend and spent a lot of time in pubs/restaurants – as you do in London.
He had a brilliant writing style for ideas and headlines and in those days would spend at least a day or two writing long copy by hand, then finally putting it on his typewriter. He would insist on not being disturbed whilst doing this so I would squeak away with magic markers quietly. He was eccentric, arrogant, very well educated
and very kind and generous, all at the same time. I certainly learnt a lot about advertising and life from Nigel. He even was my best Man in 1993- he was a bit nervous at the rehearsal so he turned up pissed, I almost fired him but didn’t.
He slurred a very funny and brilliant speech on the night, he was such a wag.
thanks Nigel for being in my life, cheers Hugh
Nigel…. the only copywriter who actually took the time to read a media document AND correct the ‘grammar’. Buzz and Nigel… formidable team – not least for Nigel’s incredible stamina in the Basil Street Wine Bar!
Have a couple up there Nigel!
Dx
Never a dull moment around Nige, even Steven Fry would have had trouble keeping up with him. The only time I ever saw him lost for words was when a stripper-gram sat on his knee at his birthday party.
I am very saddened to hear of Nigel’s death. I met him during his week long stay in a backpackers in paraparaumu on the Kapiti coast. He was very kind.
Andrew Vermeersch.
I’ve finally read these stories of Nige many years later, all of your coments about Nige ring so true. Nigel has been missed everyday since his passing, his Birthay is in 3 days and will be 5 years since his passing, I shall endeavour to have a couple, well maybe a few more than a couple of drinks. I miss his wit, nastyness, intelegence and all the other things that made Nigel Nige.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts for a prince among men.
Love you always Nigel, Marc
I knew Nigel for a very short time back in 1974. Together we traveled all over Nigeria. It was an epic trip and I am sure Nigel may have spoken about it . I still have many of his black and white photos of the trip ( I believe he was studying graphic art at the time ).
Some where there must be mountains of film, and prints from Niger, Cameroon, Mambila plateau, jalingo, Serti and many out of the way places .
We visited Abuja when it was a village !
We lost touch – but had a great adventure, and African experience, that I still think on often. Needless to say a good drink was always part of the experience.
So sorry to hear of his passing