Vale Legendary TVC producer Cheryl (Chez) Gough; she was greatly loved by all who knew her

Many in the Australian advertising and production industry will be saddened to hear that legendary tv commercial producer Cheryl (Chez) Gough has passed away in Sydney.

Chez started her career in advertising in 1969 in the production department of Fred Schepisi’s Film House doing everything from casting to propping.

In the late 70s she joined The Campaign Palace, Melbourne when it was a cross between a jeans store, a tropical island and a rock concert, as its letterhead stated at the time. Account service was her first role until a TV Production department was set up. Over the nine years at the Palace she worked with just about every major creative person in Australia.

In 1986 Chez, along with fellow producer Kare Godsell, teamed up with newly arrived British director and DoP Iain MacKenzie to form The Commercial Picture Makers, a hugely successful Sydney-based production company in the late 80s, early 90s.

The company churned out a blitz of highly innovative commercials for Ted Horton and Chris Dewey, including Dine, Cointreau, Qantas ‘Keel’, Holden ‘Love It’, and Faberge Jeans.

As word got out about the hottest new production company in town, they went on to shoot Candy Shoes, AMLC ‘Dinner with Tom Cruise’, Sportsgirl and Antz Pantz for The Campaign Palace.

In March 1988 Kare Godsell left to produce for former Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney ECD Ron Mather, forming Mather Godsell, leaving Chez as sole producer of The Commercial Picture Makers.

In 1990, when the ATV Awards polled the industry in search of the Best Commercial of the last 20 Years, it was Antz Pantz that won.

Some work from The Commercial Picture Makers that featured in a Campaign Brief article in 1989

Good friend and Palace chairman Lionel Hunt emailed this tribute:

“Chez joined The Palace from Fred Schepisi’s Filmhouse, and became a firm favourite as an account executive, later agency producer.

“I used to call her Czarina, for no particular reason other than there was a C and a Z in her name and she had a vaguely Imperial air about her.

“After a great career at The Palace she joined the hilariously funny director Iain MacKenzie and helped the Palace even more by producing such memorable commercials as Antz Pantz ‘Sic, em Rex’ and many others.

“A striking red head with a wicked smokey laugh Chez was greatly loved by all who knew her.

“She spent her last years on Dangar Island up the Hawkesbury River in Sydney and got a seat on the local council, no doubt knocking them into shape.

“She is survived by her son Beau and deeply missed by everyone who knew her.”

Chez (right) with good friend Jo Shorrock