Profile: Russel Howcroft
By Janet de Silva | thebigchair.com.au | 15 February
Image: Rodger Cummins
Walking the streets of London as a fresh-faced 23 year old in search of work during the late Eighties proved to be Russel Howcroft’s biggest career break.
And just like many other Australian expatriates who have made London their temporary home before and since then, beer was to play a major role for Howcroft during his extended stay in the city, albeit in a more productive way than most.
With just 18 months advertising experience under his belt after a stint with McCann Erickson in Melbourne, Howcroft talked his way into a job with Lowe Howard-Spink, (one of the UK’s premium agencies) where he was promptly handed the prestigious Heinekin account.
“Not only did I not know how big Lowe was but I did not know of the success of Heinekin advertising,” recalls the stylish, Howcroft, who, whilst a far cry from the archetypal larrikin Australian abroad with a fist full of Fosters, has no doubt that his nationality played some part in him being offered the job.
“Lowe had a wonderful hiring policy. I think they just looked at me and said, ‘he’s Australian, he must drink beer, let’s get this bloke in,”.
Remaining with Lowe for the ext five years, Howcroft worked on icon brands such as Vauxhall (part of GM motors), Stella Artois and Reebok, producing entertainment-based advertisements of a style quite different to what was then being produced back in Australia.
“Lowe was a wonderful story-telling agency. They believed in one simple equation: ‘like the ad, like the brand – buy the brand’
“One of the things you learn in London is that there is a great creative spirit in advertising. It’s what drives their industry.”
Returning to Melbourne in 1995, Howcroft co-founded Leonardi Brandhouse, a creative hotspot in its day, which was sold to Havas in 1999.
The experience of running his own agency brought home to Howcroft just how tough the advertising industry is, as well as the importance of looking after clients.
“It’s a very tough business. You are very thankful when a client decides to give you business. This is a very competitive industry”.
Lured from Furnace agency to head up the 73-year old Melbourne office of George Patterson late last year, Howcroft is enjoying the leadership challenge of “ensuring that the George Patterson star continues to shine”.
“The George Patterson brand is a very important part of the ad scene. My job is really about brand stewardship”.
It’s a job that the father of three is utterly passionate about, as he has been about all his previous roles. Finishing school with average results and completing a degree in business and marketing, Howcroft is still chuffed to have been given the chance to work in advertising, following a week of work-experience at McCann Erickson.
“An old friend said to me recently, ‘we don’t have hobbies, we just have advertising’”
“I definitely think that my work and my life are the same thing. I’ve never, ever, ever been nine-to-five. I don’t switch on and switch off. I could work all day, every day quite happily. I actually don’t like holidays. I’ve always thought I’m very lucky to be in this business”.
But it wouldn’t be fair to dismiss Howcroft as a one-dimensional workaholic. He describes himself as a people’s person who thrives on meeting and dealing with people from all sorts of industries and walks of life.
“That’s the great thing about advertising. You can go from a meeting where you are talking about sustainability to another meeting where you are dealing with people from the Australian Defence Force. You get to meet a lot of people in this town…almost every one needs an ad agency in some shape or form”.
The current chairman of the Advertising Federation of Australia as well as a founding board member of the not-for-profit Media Team and a regular contributor on ABC radio, Howcroft is keen to improve the industry’s reputation. He recently spoke at a conference on sustainability and came away thinking “that the green movement really needs us to sell its message”. With this in mind, he recently invested in the carbon-trading business EMIT.
“I don’t think the (advertising) industry deserves some of the perceptions around it. It is really a valuable part of society,” he says.
Best decision: “Leaving Australia and landing a job in London. Everyone should do it. It is just great training.”
Worst decision: “Not pursuing the online agency business - Webvertising - that we started in 1997. It was potentially a great business but we went out too early.”
Career Highlights
1989 London based at Lowe Howard-Spink
1995 Founder and CEO of Leonardi Brandhouse, now owned by Havas
2004 Chairman of the Advertising Federation of Australia.
2005 Board Member of Melbourne International Arts Festival
2006 Managing Director & Chairman of George Patterson Y&R
