Vale Ted Curl: The consumate Adman and impeccable Art Director of style and grace
Many in the industry will be saddened to hear of the passing of Ted Curl, one of Australia’s all-time great admen and art directors, who passed away yesterday aged 83 after a long battle with illness. Curl was a founding member of the great Australian creative ad agency Magnus Nankervis & Curl.
His son Peter emailed CB: “Ted, as he was affectionately known by all, passed away in his sleep after a long illness. From 1975 to 2005, Ted was joint creative director of the advertising agency Magnus, Nankervis and Curl. He was responsible for numerous award-winning ads and TV commercials. His work reflected the style and intelligence he portrayed as a man. A gracious, understated gentleman of great integrity, talent and humour. Dearly loved by his wife Stella, sons Stephen and Peter and their families.”
Curl began his advertising career at Compton in London in 1962, moving to Australia with Grey Advertising in 1969. He also worked at Ogilvy Mather and Clemenger before meeting John Nankervis in 1972 at MDA, Melbourne, where he was National Art Supervisor.
Curl, together with Nankervis and the late Michael Magnus opened MN&C in 1975, which was one of the most awarded agencies ever in Australia. Great work included the long-running Thai Airlines campaign, the Magic Door spot (FACTS Commercial of the Year in 1978), the Sydney Morning Herald campaign, including ‘Undertaker’, which won FACTS Commercial of the Year in 1986, and the highly successful Decore ‘Duke of Earl’ spot, which was voted FACTS Best Commercial of the Decade at the end of the 80s.
MN&C became part of FCB in 1993 and Curl retired in 2005, building a fabulous home in the NSW Southern Highlands.
Says John Nankervis: “I loved Ted dearly and benefited greatly from every brilliant idea he had.”
Old friend and former colleague Chris Martin Murphy wrote on Facebook: “Oh damn, first worked together on a P&G Tide campaign in Garland Compton now Saatchi & Saatchi London in 1967 and delighted in his gentle humor, understated personality and stunning art direction and production, which continued when I worked with Michael, John and Ted at Magnus Nankervis and Curl 1984-86. Ted taught me a lot about ego-free graciousness, which I was never able to emulate.”
Adds ad great John Bevins: “Always will be in awe of Ted as that Art Director I knew — without knowing at all — as a quiet man in the early days of O&M Melbourne. Next I was in awe of the agency he created with John and Michael. I am sure recalling him as such a great and creative adman risks trivialising him as a human, but that was the Ted I so admired. Would have been nice to know him as a friend. So sad for so many who did.”
Photographer Mike Skelton said: “I’m devastated! Ted, you gave me some of the greatest times of my life. I will never forget the years we worked together, the trips for Thai Airlines and Ted’s endless creativity and wicked sense of humour. Ted was a great friend, a connoisseur and truly soaring personality. Everyone who knew him loved Ted, a great comment on what a terrific person he really was. I was heartbroken to witness Ted’s slow decline into the hole that is dementia. It’s a comfort at least that he is released from that spiral. Even though the end was predictable it doesn’t make it any easier for those closest. I’m so sorry Stella and the boys, I know you will be in a world of pain for a long time. Stella, you’ve been extraordinary through Ted’s long illness.”
Director Fred Fink posted on Facebook: “Ted Curl, my old friend and travelling companion died today. Ted was a good man in so many ways, and Rosie and I loved him. I wish him well on his journey across the big desert.”
Fink is pictured below with Curl and Anthony Browell on one of their regular desert trips (also with Fred Madderom). Fink says: “Always accompanied by Ted’s well stocked humidor tucked in the back of the Defender.”
Edward William Curl
Dec 26, 1940 –– July 20, 2024
15 Comments
Ted,
Every word that your peers have written could not be truer. You left us all with so many great memories and stories. Thanks for inspiring so many of us and for setting such high standards in fighting for great work. Your book is your legacy and it is amazing. To Aunty Stela and my cousins Peter and Stephen and the families, my love as always. To John particularly, and everyone who worked with Ted over many years – how lucky were we?
RIP
Andrew Varasdi
I was incredibly fortunate to work with Ted in the early 90s and I still remark that out of all the people I had the fortune to work with he has had the biggest influence. A few simple suggestions would completely transform your layout and typography.
A remarkable man and huge creative talent.
god speed ted. it was a privilege to have known and worked with you and shared our love of soccer.
Oh what a beautiful man he was. A true gentleman with genuine style. There’s a handful of art directors I remember with such fondness and he’s at the top of the list. You too Rocky. His voice on the phone was like chocolate and he always had time even when he didn’t. Rest peacefully Ted.
I was truly privileged to work with Ted as a partner at Magnus Nankervis & Curl for 20 years. Michael and John were the front of house but, more than anyone, Ted was the heart. A wonderful creative and art director – gentle, funny and principled, he was respected and loved by all those lucky enough to work with him. My sincere condolences to his wife Stella and sons, Stephen and Peter. Rest in peace, Ted.
When art direction was all about craft, Ted was the best.
Sad news.
Beautiful Ted, such sad news. I was the ‘suit’ on the Thai Airlines account between 1980-1984 and working with Ted and John was a seminal moment in my advertising career. As many have already said Ted was a much loved true gentleman with a huge talent and a rare elegance. My deepest condolences to Stella and family.
It was wonderful reading all the beautiful tributes to my creative partner Ted Curl. Everything his son Peter [and everyone} else said I agree with wholeheartedly. I would simply like to add that I loved Ted dearly and I, along with all at MN&C benefitted greatly from every exquisitely executed idea he worked on. To say I miss both Ted Curl and Mike Magnus is the understatement of the year.
One day John and Ted took McCabe and I out for lunch.
John: Well lads, how does a hundred thousand sound?
McCabe and I: Yeah, that’s sounds alright.
Ted: Great, fifty thousand each then!
Awkward pause…then much laughter.
It was my very good fortune to meet Ted in 1981. He gave me the best start in Advertising that any aspiring not-so-young Art Director could wish for (in my job interview he pointed out that at my age I was an “old boiler”). He had bags of style, talent, and integrity… and that wicked sense of humour. He surely would have come up with some hilarious tombstone lines.
I had the pleasure of working with, and around, Ted for twenty years. Very creative, intelligent, and amusing, Ted was a man with a wide range of interests, which made him such great company. He loved football and cricket. He loved jazz and classical music. He collected books. He was a long time subscriber to New Yorker magazine. Ted was a one off. In an industry famous for flashy cars, his vehicle of choice was a Land Rover Defender. That was Ted to a tee.
20 years of the very happiest of my working life, was due largely to producing with Ted…. So many brilliant commercials, so much laughter, late nights and early mornings; good and bad, reminding Ted of clients’ names and bagging the bad guys!..
How blessed we were to have known and loved this man. Stella – my heart aches for you all..be so proud!
What a very lucky move it was coming to Sydney in 1981 and joining this -at the time- very small agency, Magnus Nankervis and Curl. As we know, it was highly successful, and grew rapidly, to become “the most stylish, creative and award winning agency of the 80’s and 90’s.” But it was much more than that. The combination of Michael, John and Ted made it just a lovely place to work. People joined, and people stayed. People in finance, people in media, people in the studio. Bugger me, they just didn’t leave. I think Ted had a lot to do with this. Ted was the man on the ground, always in the agency, one of us. Ted was all that others here have said, clever, ego-less, witty. Fun to be around. This was how the agency was. I remember freelance suppliers coming in, and hanging around after their meeting, ” to see Ted. ” A loved man alright, as others have said. How lucky we all were. Thanks Ted.
My late dear friend David Bourne and I were welcomed with open arms by both Ted and Stella and the boys when we arrived in Sydney in the early 1980’s. I will never forget and always be grateful for them opening their home and hearts to David, Poppy, Sam and me.
My heart goes out to you, Stella. When the light of one’s life is extinguished, moving forward is so very hard.
Just now I was talking to my business partner about MNC. And I hasten ad in the most complimentary fashion. It prompted me to google them and I was saddened to discover the news of Ted’s passing.
I came to Aus in 81 and became part of an amazing, vibrant advertising community, the best time in my career to be honest. And it was people like Ted that made the business what it was.
Unpretentious, witty, smart and charming. A sad loss.