Isherwood: If we all understand originality, relevance and emotional connections, why is there so much mediocre advertising?

Tim Burrowes

March 30, 2009 9:41

Aussie advertising legend Bob Isherwood has responded to criticism of his controversial presentation at RMIT in Melbourne, telling Mumbrella that he never intended to give a traditional speech. This month’s appearance – which contained more video content than it did his own commentary – was attacked for offering no personal insights from Isherwood. Among the strongest critics was Stephen Downes who wrote for Crikey:

“Almost 45 minutes into a 60-minute talk, Dr Isherwood had not “shared his personal tips” at all. He hadn’t verbalised a single insight of his own or bothered to establish any rapport with his audience, which struck many as bizarre after the gushing introduction. Perhaps there was some kind of “revelation” eventually. I guess it’s my own fault if I missed it, and my career may be the worse for it.

But had Miles Davis or Jimi Hendrix been on stage for 45 minutes without playing a note, after demanding that the doors be closed and no-one leave, I would have walked out on them too.

A few days earlier the same presentation from isherwood was also slated in the Middle East, with Campaign magazine saying:

Be a member to keep reading

Join Mumbrella Pro to access the Mumbrella archive and read our premium analysis of everything under the media and marketing umbrella.

Become a member

Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.