Vale Bryce Courtenay: The legendary adman and author dies, aged 79, after long battle with cancer
November 23 2012, 10:23 am | | 14 Comments
Not only the Australian ad industry, but many in all parts of the world will be saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary adman and author Bryce Courtenay, aged 79, after a long battle with cancer..
A close friend of Courtenay’s told CB that he passed away peacefully last night at his Canberra home.
In adland, Courtenay is best known for co-creating Louie The Fly for Mortein and founding the Caxton Awards and Seminar in 1973.
During an advertising career spanning 34 years Courtenay was the Creative Director of Sydney-based agencies McCann Erickson, J. Walter Thompson and George Patterson and was a partner at Harris Robinson Courtenay. While at HRC, he wrote The Power of One, and of course, the rest is history.
14 Comments
Bryce taught me advertising when i was at college….his absolute enthusiasm for this industry was one of the reasons i’m still in it. Sad day for everyone. Condolences to his family.
such a talented, powerful, positive man. what a loss.
A true legend in our industry. Best wishes to his loved ones.
Wonderful writer and lovely man. A true legend.
Vale Bryce Courtney.
A true creative legend.
A sad day.
bryce courtenay. legend. you will be sorely missed. rest in peace.
One of the true gentlemen of our industry. A sad day for us all.
Anyone who sells 20 million books gets my vote. Bryce was a friendly, welcoming man who was prepared to give his time, advice and encouragement to young people. He helped me when I started out just by listening and being enthusiastic when others said ‘no’. All in the industry should thank him for his work establishing the Caxton’s, one of the great advertising events anywhere.
Bryce honed his writing skills in advertising and in a highly regarded column about advertising for The Australian called The Pitch. ‘The Power of One’ made his name as a novelist, but personally, I recommend you read ‘April Fool’s Day’ – so heartfelt about his son’s illness and how Bryce and his wife coped with it as he worked his way up in Sydney advertising.
You certainly lived life to the full, Bryce. Keep on running.
Ray Black told me a few weeks ago that Bryce was getting to the end. True to form though, he remained positive to the last. He told Ray that, “…he was dying, but that he wasn’t sick.”
An authentic legend. Gave me very good advice when I needed it.
Best advice Bryce ever gave me was “advertising is great at preparing you to succeed at whatever it is you decide to do with your life. Just don’t stay in it too long. Otherwise you’ll become one of those grumpy old farts in the corner office.”
The first time I met Bryce was at the Caxtons in the Blue Mountains – just after surviving an almost fatal car accident in ’88 – he made me see past the pain and to be thankful for every moment granted me since.
My sympathies to his family.
Bryce made time to see me when I was a wanna be copywriter newly arrived in Sydney. He generously gave me an hour and a half of his time and I left with a great bag of wisdom along with half a dozen names and numbers to call. Soon after i got my first proper writing job. Thanks Bryce. Sadly missed. Fondly remembered.