Vale Rosem’ry Bertel ~ a trailblazing creative director and legend of the 70s, 80s, 90s ad scene

Rosem’ry Bertel, a legend of the 70s, 80s and 90s advertising scene, has passed on at 85 years old.

A Creative Director at George Pattersons Y&R, Leo Burnett and one of the first women in Australian advertising to have her name on the door of two major independent agencies, DBHS&L (Dutton Bertel, Hiccox, Stewart and Luscombe) and RBM&R (Reese, Bertel, Maddox and Reardon) Rosem’ry was trailblazer for female creativity at a time of very little senior female representation.

Starting her career as a junior at USP Needham in the early 60s, she quickly became known for her copywriting skills and love of cheeky wordplay. Her first major break was in the Myer marketing department, where she achieved some notoriety for a new campaign branding a front-fastening bra as the “drive-in bra”

Rosem’ry’s most notable campaigns include the highly loved and successful launch of Big M, the flavoured milk which was a sensation in the summer of 1978, the first time Coca-Cola was outsold at all major summer festivals. Featuring scantily clad young men and women on the beach, the launch and subsequent campaigns were a tribute to Aussie summer and still made “Most Loved Commercials” lists for decades after the launch. View Rosem’ry discussing the campaign in 1990.

Other campaigns included Budget’s “Budget Drives Your Dollar Further” “Guess Whose Mum’s Got a Whirlpool?” and the launch of Skinny Milk, another successful campaign for Victorian Dairy.

She also taught at Copy School and RMIT, sharing her love of advertising and clever copy with the next generation of advertising hopefuls. Rosem’ry won numerous awards and was nominated as a Legend of Advertising by several industry groups, as well as being interviewed for many publications and books about the “Golden Age” of advertising.

In later life, Rosem’ry and her husband Peter started a boutique agency specialising in property and luxury marketing, she named some of the most iconic property developments in Melbourne, including The Melburnian and Yarra’s Edge.

Rosem’ry passed peacefully at home on the 26th June 2025, she is survived by her husband Peter and her children, Finn, Simon and Jessica.

Says Australian ad Legend Ted Horton:

“What a role model Rosem’ry was; not just for women,
but for all who worked in advertising during those crazy, heady days.
Great campaign after great campaign.
Universally respected professionally and personally.
Full of life, laughter, compassion and fun.
What a woman. What a career. What a legacy.
My sincere condolences to her family and many friends.”

Want to leave a comment? Share your thoughts in the comments box below, making sure to include your full name and email address.