John Ilian on the PADC “Logoreah”

More often than not, if you stick your neck out, you get your head kicked in. This might be one of those occasions, speculates veteran Perth creative director and former PADC President, John Ilian.

There are four State-based Advertising and Design Clubs in Australia, plus the national body – AWARD which is Sydney-based, and some would say, Sydney-centric.

All are dedicated to encouraging and acknowledging creativity and honouring the originality of ideas. And their execution.

Yet all have appallingly designed logos without meaning. Or an inherent idea. Except perhaps AWARD and Adelaide.

Even Adelaide’s symbol is not particularly unique to South Australia.

And the AWARD logo is merely a stylised capitalised ‘A.’ Perhaps it could be interpreted as a representing a ‘peak’ or an ‘arrow head’ suggesting the direction of ‘up.’ Subtle, I know.

Brisbane’s identity/logo represent its initials.

Melbourne similarly, although at least, it is ‘designed.’

The PADC logo is simply appalling. It looks like two crossed oars minus their blades. It could be for some kind of muted rowing club.

Not many may remember Jana Benjafield, once a senior Art Director at McCann Erikson Perth before it became the Brand Agency, and who later joined JMA Ogilvy & Mather. Jana came to abhor the crass commercialism of advertising and subsequently went on to become an Art Teacher.

Around 1989, he designed the original PADC logo – an illustrated, silhouetted black swan logo created as a shadow. It was too late to use in the inaugural PADC Awards in 1989. But it was adroit to say the least.

Isn’t light and shadow the fundamental currency of nearly every Art Director, Photographer and Film Maker?

And don’t designers also fish in this pond from time to time?

A black swan also symbolised the state. So it was immediately ‘locatable’ as WA-originated.

Godammit, at least, it represented an idea! Which the current PADC logo doesn’t.

Bring Jana’s design back, I say.

Okay, I’m ready. Kick my head in.

John Ilian became deeply involved with the PADC (Perth Art Directors Club – now the Perth Advertising and Design Club) when he joined at its foundation in 1980. The club was launched by Gordon Dawson, Vaughan Sutherland, Sandra Toby, John Morgan, Noel Holly and others. Ilian became its Secretary from about 1983 to 1987 and served as its President during the late eighties up to 1990. He remained on the Committee until 1992. He was made a life member in 1991.

During his time as President, they wrote the constitution and formally incorporated the club; introduced the PADC Mentor Scheme in 1986 (John Morgan’s idea); started AWARD School in Perth in 1987 following a meeting Ilian had with George Betsis and Siimon Reynolds in Sydney; inaugurated the PADC Awards (1989); instigated the ‘PADC Fellowship’ – originally a two week study tour to the agency, studio or production house of the winner’s choice anywhere in the world sponsored by The West Australian. The PADC conducted several workshops over these times involving both national and international luminaries that included Sir John Hegarty, esteemed UK copywriters Peter Mayle (ex BBDO Creative Director in New York and London) and later, author of ‘Where Did I Come From?’ and ‘A Year in Provence’), and David Abbott, plus well-known Australian award-winners such as Lionel Hunt and Ron Mather (The Campaign Palace), Street Remley (radio producer), Mike Chandler and Rod Cleary (typographers); Siimon Reynolds and Marcus Barnett (conceptualisers); and John Singleton to name a few. The PADC also flew in Ian MacDonald, Ted Horton who was joined by Sir John Hegarty, for a TV workshop with the local industry. Other memorable live events were presentations undertaken by Ken Done, Jack Vaughan, Andrew Killey and Jim Aitchison. We once organised a satellite link to the D&DA Awards presentation in London during a breakfast at a Cottesloe Hotel. The PADC inaugurated and ran the first few ‘Bullshit Band Nights’ at the Hellenic Centre that continue to this day, but which are now run by the Young Bloods.