The name’s Brown, Warren Brown…
August 15 2010, 9:13 am | | 43 Comments
One of Australia’s most successful admen, Warren Brown, creative partner at BMF, is featured in a story in the Drive section of Saturday’s SMH by Matt Campbell.
Campbell writes: Losing your car keys can be the height of frustration. But for Warren Brown it would be more than an inconvenience: replacing them could cost $50,000. As an owner of a $500,000 Aston Martin DBS Mr Brown is already in an exclusive club, but he is also one of only two Australians who have ordered the optional transponder key that is incorporated in a Jaeger-leCoultre watch….
43 Comments
Who would have thought great work lead to financial effectiveness?
Lucky guy.
Like Warren Brown. Dislike the term admen. Used way too much on campaign brief and in the industry generally. Very disheartening for a talented aspiring female creative. Is this comment going to be censored? Hope not – it’s a serious issue. It sends the signal to females that successful industry figures are ‘admen’. Should I change industries?
Just think Warren, you could have bought two watches if you hadn’t flogged the agency to Photon!
Yes you should change industries; clearly you’re too sensitive – like most chicks.
Locks and unlocks the door, but doesn’t start the car. My car key locks, unlocks and even starts the car. And I have a watch and a phone which tells the time. Even makes calls too.
good to see Mr Brown and Mr Freeman upholding the old advertising stereotypes with their choice of transport
Is that politically correct adchick @2:10 now going to get her panties in a knot at my use of the term ‘octopussy’?
Grant
He got paid most in cash up front. Cash, as in ma$$$$$$$$$$es of ca$$$$$$$$$h.
I dont think he’s that worried about what Photons demise will do to his cash flow.
You, on the other hand, probably need to get back to work to pay that Toyota Yaris loan that’s overdue…. again.
screwdriver works just as well.I am a tiny bit jealous though,
so I would say that.
dear god 2:10, it gets a whole lot more sexist than that…
I find the story totally inane. Smart guy. Successful guy. Rich guy. And?
Should we call the dictionary to change it from ‘mankind’ to ‘peoplekind’?
‘Humanity’ to ‘Hupersonity’?
I’m on a pedestal.
Good to see someone in our industry who has earned the right to do reckless things with his money.
Talent really does pay in the end.
Although not enough people in our industry make serious, serious coin.
One of BMF’s larger clients is a friend of mine – he wasn’t all that thrilled to see the article. Of course I defended Warren because he’s a good guy and deserves his success. But maybe he should shelve the next article about his million dollar yacht.
Can I please confirm that the Paul F above is not me…..there seems to be some confusion. If I ever did comment here I would have the courage and conviction to put my full name. Thank you
The point of that watch is not that it opens your car, but that it allows you to advertise to the world that you own an Aston, even when you’re not driving it.
So much more discreet than putting your car keys down in full view of everyone, at every possible opportunity.
Actually, scratch ‘discreet’.
But he’s earned his money by building a good agency from scratch, so is entitled to spend it any way he wants. Personally, I’d buy a decommissioned Russian submarine and rock up to Cannes in it every year. But each to their own I guess.
I’m sure theres more than one person in this world with the initials Paul F. But then again I could be wrong.
P Fishlock perhaps?????? Only a guess.
It seems like some of you ‘admen’ can’t handle the comments of a female in your industry. Just suck it up. She wrote something you don’t like.
The problem isn’t so much the sexism. It’s the jerkism. The successful ad men tend to be pro female creatives. It’s the little ittybitty, I used to ride a skateboard, industry worshiping, DL flyer making losers that are the problem.
I always suspected that agencies have got rich off the back of production, audio and post production companies. I wonder if there will ever be a time when an agency calls about a prospective project and doesn’t start with the line “We don’t have much money for this job”?? There are way too many advertising execs driving around in flash cars for my liking. Then again, compared to most of the other agency execs out there, Warren Brown is talented and a nice guy so good luck to him.
Who actually gives a fuck Michael? I thought this blog was about advertising; not the people who drive it.
Reg, we’d love to be able to tell our production companies we have lots of money for this, but show me a client who says that to an agency these days?
Reg has a point in my view.
10:51, the point of the watch, it would appear, in the case of Brown is not that he can advertise that he owns an Aston each time someone sees his watch – it’s that he can advertise that he owns an Aston with an article about him owning an Aston in his very own newspaper article.
Doesn’t Warren own two Aston’s .. His & Hers? Does the watch come in a “Hers” version? Digital I hope, as it’s always hard to tell where the big hand is in conjunction with the little one.
I hope he didn’t trade in his gorgeous red 1964 DB4 Vantage convertible to get this, but I fear he may have. To my way of thinking, a rare classic is far, far better than an off-the-rack modern car, regardless of how technologically advanced the new car is.
And a flash new car says quite different things about you than a spectacular classic. A new Supercar says you’re a poser with money. A perfectly presented classic says you’re a poser with taste.
I agree that it’s not a great look from a client or industry point of view to be seen swanning around in an extravagantly expensive car, but then I never let that stop me.
When I bought my Ferrari in 1987, the first place I went, with John McCabe riding shotgun, was Sydney’s then pre-eminent bar, The Sebel.
After a couple of beers, John observed quite astutely “The only problem with that car is that nobody in here knows you’ve got it.”
Wow, that’s a really interesting insight into why you bought your Ferrari in 1987, Monty.
Truly. Fascinating stuff. Drove to The Sebel you say. And no one knew you had one. How about that.
Could you let us in on why you only ever buy silk socks and drink Moet? I’m deeply interested.
My God, this industry is sad.
Do you think, when a lawyer or doctor or investment banker buys a fancy new trinket, that it gets splooged all over their trade press?
Fuck people, no wonder no one has any respect for us. We’re a fucking joke.
Oh Monty, you’ve always had a knack for changing people’s opinions with your words.
Love the car, love the watch and LOVE Warren!
@ 11.26 Why so nasty and personal? Vey uncool.
Warren Brown eh? Ad guy. I wonder where he lives.
11.26 actually was rather funny I thought.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I’m being bitten by fleas.
The thing I love about advertising is if an ad-person buys a Porsche, they tell the world it’s a Ferrari signed by Pablo Picaso with cum stains from Jimi Hendrix on the passenger seat with a hint of forest floor and fox droppings.
The thing I love about the real world is if you actually drive a Ferrari, you tell people you got it on sale from a cancer ridden millionaire for $50 because he had to offload it and it was pure chance you happened to help him across the road on his deathbed.
Regardless of how well people are doing, most people are quite happy to play down how much they earn so other people feel like they’re on the same level.
Kind of what we’re paid to do. Be on a level with our target market, not on a horse.
Poor Monty, now he has fleas in his cum stained Ferrari and still no one at The Sebel knows he used to own it.
There’s a lot to be said for being Nouveau Riche, and the Brown’s mean to say it all.
The fleas are employed.
If you could describe making sausages as being employed, 2:48.
I bet you could describe sausages Monty.
Que?
Sausages are more tasty now than they were back in 1992. Even bad sausages taste better than the best sausages back then.
Everyone wants an Aston but if you get one – everyone thinks you’re a cock.. Luxury cars are awesome.