"Bob Isherwood embodies a professional and personal tradition of creative leadership, integrity and dedication to great ideas that make a difference," says Ami Brophy, executive director, Clio Awards.
"The Clio jury members experienced this firsthand when Bob was executive chairman of the 2004 Clio Television/Film jury, when he served as a true inspiration to the entire panel. Bob remains a passionate advocate for the ad industry as a whole and clearly reflects the essence of the Lifetime Achievement Award as someone at the ever-changing vanguard."
Isherwood joins an impressive list of past Clio Lifetime Achievement Award honorees, including Bob Greenberg, chairman/CEO, chief creative officer, R/GA; John Hegarty, chairman/worldwide creative director, Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) and executive chairman of the 2007 Clio Awards Television jury; Lee Clow, chairman/chief creative officer, TBWA\Worldwide; Neil French, former worldwide creative director at Ogilvy and WPP; David Abbott, cofounder of Abbott Mead Vickers, and Tony Kaye, a pioneering director and cinematographer.
Australian-born Isherwood gave up his first job as an apprentice auto mechanic for the ad world and now also serves as chairman of the Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide Creative Board.
"We struggle through life for recognition," says Isherwood. "Recognition for who we are. Recognition for our ideas. Recognition for our clients. I'm truly honoured to receive this recognition from Clio, particularly when I was assured it was the ongoing Lifetime Achievement Award. Apparently former honourees have also insisted on this."
With an advertising career spanning more than three decades, New York-based Isherwood's work has been well-documented and endorsed by the industry's most prestigious organisations. He has been recognised by the Clio Hall of Fame, named Australia's leading creative director, won Australia's first Gold Lion for Cinema at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, and is among the few people to have won the British Design and Art Directors Gold award for Advertising.
His previous background included six years as a creative group head for Young & Rubicam London, and 10 years with Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners, which at that time was often regarded as the world's most creative advertising agency. In 1982, he returned to Australia to become a founding partner of the Campaign Palace Sydney.
Isherwood joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 1986. He was appointed creative director in 1988, chairman of the Worldwide Creative Board in 1995, and worldwide creative director in 1996. Under his leadership, Saatchi & Saatchi's global network of 143 offices in 83 countries has consistently ranked among the top creative agencies in the world, including number one creative network at the 2002 Cannes Festival.
He believes passionately in the power of ideas to change the world and, appropriately, serves as the driving force behind the Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas. The Award attracts judges as distinguished as Buzz Aldrin, Edward de Bono, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Danny Hillis, Baz Luhrmann, John Maeda, Lou Reed and others.
"Bob's vision and leadership have been instrumental in transforming Saatchi & Saatchi from an ad agency to a global ideas factory," adds Kevin Roberts, Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide CEO. "His pursuit of creative excellence is an inspiration to thousands of our people around the world. Bob is an amazing talented individual and a great friend, a rare once-in-a-lifetime personality who has really made a difference."
For more information about the Clio Awards, go to www.clioawards.com.
