Former Publicis Mojo writer Sean Larkin lands senior writer gig at Banjo, Sydney as founding co-creative director Jon Burden departs
Banjo Sydney has appointed former Publicis Mojo writer Sean Larkin as a senior writer, partly filling the void left by the departure of Banjo’s founding co-creative director Jon Burden – after a little over a year in the role – who is currently pursuing other options. Larkin will report to creative director Georgia Arnott.
Larkin worked at Publicis Mojo for nine years – seven years at the Sydney office, before moving to the Melbourne office for two years, working with Darren Spiller. He moved back to Sydney in November and has been freelancing since then, looking for the right permanent role.
He has produced award winning work for Toyota, The NSW Women’s Refuge, Tourism Victoria, Trading Post, Maxibon Bits and Drumstick. His work has been awarded at AWARD, MADC and Cannes.
Says Larkin: “Obviously I was at Publicis Mojo for a very long time byadvertising standards – and this is something completely different.Banjo is a small agency where there’s lots more involvement andresponsibility and lot’s of opportunity to grow. It’s a very excitingplace to be”.
Says Banjo CEO Andrew Varasdi: “We’re delighted that Sean sees theopportunity to join the agency as an exciting one. To have someone ofSean’s quality and creative ability strengthen the creative team in asenior role is very exciting for the agency and our clients.”
38 Comments
Well done Sean!
Christie
That’s Moby!!!! Well done Sean we miss you.
Pat and Chris
legend
Bro – you rock!
Great hire for Banjo – good one Sean!
Brilliant writer. And the best dancer I’ve ever seen.
I don’t know Sean, and have never seen or met him, so my rant is nothing personal. In fact I wish him all the best in his latest career move.
But I followed the link and had a squiz at his work, and it confirms that the Award judges often get it horribly wrong.
The first print ad for Toyota, from the ‘Cant wait for tomorrow’ series advertises the yet-to-be-produced Hydrogen fuel-cell car. A car that produces only water, as the headline tells us. The art direction has the copy and headline falling like rain from the sky in the shot. Well, I presume that’s the idea. Rain = Water. Very good, job done.
But then the next Toyota ads on Seans site, Award-winners for a comletely different vehicle, the Prius, feature exactly the same layout. Yet the Prius, for all its alleged marvels, does not produce water.
So was this simply an example of lazy art direction in an attempt to have continuity in the look of the ads while hoping that nobody would notice the glaring inconsistency, or am I just being picky?
It’s too late to reverse the jury’s decision, so Sean, could you please explain?
And now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a lot of chocolate eggs to deliver before Sunday.
Yes I can see Sean and Singo getting along like a house on fire.
good one buddy.
A talent with fingers so soft and long, it breaks your heart everytime he plays that little plastic piano.
An actual god darn legend.
Enjoy Banjo.
Talking of legends – alright Nige?
DH Ratboy
Don’t know the bloke but I loved the drumstick icecream ad…
Apologies to those who hate positive comments.
Easter bunny. Please tell us you’re joking?
Easter Bunny.
I don’t know you.
I don’t want to know you.
But Jesus Christ, get the fuck out of advertising.
Firstly you can’t spell, or indeed use any kind of grammar.
Secondly, you’re a bitter cunt.
Girls! Calm down.
If you disagree with me, instead of firing up the hate, try to fashion some sort of case…argue your point of view…if you’re capable.
But shouldn’t you be in church?
My my, 12:35, we’re a bit grumpy, aren’t we? Did the Easter Bunny forget to bring your allotment of chocolate?
I think 10:06 has a valid point. If you disagree, why?
Perhaps you’re an art director – perhaps you’re THE art director, so understandably you have difficulty expressing yourself in words. So here’s a little help:
Dear Easter Bunny,
I think you’re wrong because…..
(fill in this bit)
So is he a writer or just a copywriter?
Brave man for allowing the link to his work, so hats off for that.
Unusual man for having radio work on there, so hats off for that too.
If only it were close to the quality of his other stuff.
More proof that radio is your shortcut to awards.
Ben likes his comments like his coffee.
Dark and bitter.
I knew a guy that worked at Banjo. They fired him on his honeymoon.
Just putting it out there.
Any truth in the rumour that Banjo and Happy Soldiers are going to merge?
Wow, a lot of hate here for a talented, funny guy. Best of luck Sean, hope it all goes well.
‘Appy Days.
Easter Bunny.
You presume that the idea for the ad exists in the headline and the body copy running down the right hand side.
Look again at the ad (titled grass road):
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_W3WEpBY7sI0/SlbJqyqHkfI/AAAAAAAAAF4/jr5em0_G-uk/s1600-h/grassroad.jpg
Now how would you feel if your actual name was attached to your inaccurate rant?
Not very good huh?
Now as for the same treatment of the headline and body copy across the ads. It’s something that’s generally done to show that the ad is part of a campaign.
Off you hop.
Nice on Sean. All the best!
Just the type of snarky remark we’ve all come to expect from Ben.
He must be so difficult to work with.
Congrats Sean
Lea
That grass is a bit subtle, isn’t it?
2.22pm.
Possibly if you only bother to look at the thumbnail.
Not really much of an excuse for ranting over work that wasn’t even looked at properly.
Jeez, you’re right 3:41.
Pity that’s the way most visitors to Sean’s site will see it.
Fired someone on their honeymoon??? Jeez that’s low.
Sean will walk before he’s Singo’d. mark these words.
banjo must pay well.
Congratulations Sean – you are Spartacus!
Banjo does not pay well I can assure you.
Congratulations Sean! Glad that you guys are just a short flight away.
x
Your Melbourne friends.
Gilbert, is that you?
Another creative that thinks the holy grail of the industry is a TV ad. If Banjo wants to hire trad guys like this, good luck to them.
Dear 7:43 am. What are you? Some kind of maverick, I assume. A revolutionary. Quite possibly a genius.
Or are you simply feeling all warm and comfortable under your cloak of anonymity?
Please give examples of your revolutionary thinking. Or I will assume you are, quite simply, another tool who trawls the comments section of this blog rather than doing any actual work.
You guys are fucking idiots. No. Seriously, you’re fucking idiots and you don’t know anything about advertising. No. Seriously, you don’t.
If you DID know something about advertising you wouldn’t blame Mr Larkin if you didn’t like his work – you would know that a CLIENT is the one person commissioning the work.
This means that they had *direct input* into the work. So Mr Larkin has done his best trying to work around this and still managed to propel himself very far into the industry. It’s a difficult balancing act that you little try-hards wouldn’t know about. If you did, a more intelligent group of people would say: “Hmm, I’m not sure about this or that idea, but I’m sure he would have done it differently if the client hadn’t dug his heels in and circumvented his creativity. Oh well, that’s advertising for you. It’s hard to get an idea through the bureaucracy without it getting watered down somewhat.”
I know you twats like to think that you’re all creative geniuses but the reality of it is if you were, you would be working in Hollywood making films or writing best-selling novels. So stop pretending you’re mini-Stanly Kubricks and get back to your jobs: supplying clients with communication solutions, not painting the Sistine Chapel.
PS Good on you, Sean. These losers are just jealous. Yeah, you heard me losers. Come on hit me back with your hatred – you know you can’t help whinging.
Twats.