Vale Cesare Leonardi – the stylish, creative legend of the Australian advertising industry
Pic taken by photographer and friend Robert Imhoff
The Australian advertising industry will be saddened to hear of the passing of creative legend Cesare Leonardi, who passed away at home on Friday.
Leonardi was educated at the academy of Fine Arts in Milan, and in 1982 he co-founded, with Rod Curtis, Australian hotshop Leonardi & Curtis.
He created many great campaigns throughout the decade, including RSPCA ‘For All Creatures Great and Small’ (writer: Sean Cummins. Art Directors: Cesare Leonardi and Kaye Schirrman) in 1987, still on air occasionally to this day, making it the longest running commercial on Australian national television. The spot won Gold and the President’s Award at the MADC Awards that year.
The RSPCA ‘Trap’ spot won 1987 FACTS Commercial of the Year.
Other awarded work included campaign for Ikea, Freedom Furniture, Chub, Sportsgirl, NSW Cancer Council, Valencio and Comalco.
The agency attracted some great talent during its heyday, including Sean Cummins, Kaye Schirrman, Phil Atkinson, Simon Reynolds, George Betsis, Rodd Martin, Alan Wooding, Ted Horton, Nick Coombe, Geoff Denman and Chris Burgess.
In 1991 the agency folded into DDB Melbourne, which he led creatively until starting Leonardi Advertising in 1993, which became Leonardi Brandhouse later in the 90s.
In 1993 he received the ‘Most Outstanding Contribution made by a Creative Person’ award from the MADC.
3 Comments
I was lucky enough to have worked for Cesare at Leonardi Advertising in the early 2000’s…although he was semi-retired at that stage, when he did drop-in to the agency, the respect and attention he commanded was incredible. He was a warm, generous and effortlessly stylish statesman of the Melbourne advertising landscape. All class. RIP Ces’.
Cesare.
There’d never been anyone like him before in Australian advertising
and there’s never been anyone like him since.
Unique in every way.
Talented.
Persuasive.
Sharp in appearance and in mind.
And tough – but soft as butter when a friend was in need.
Everyone who knew Cesare has a Cesare story
– and always retold in their best Cesare accent.
My sincere condolences to his family, particularly his wife Yolanda,
daughters Francesca and Nicoletta and to his many friends.
Vale Cesare.
He was a good bloke.
Worked with him at SPASM Melbourne in the 70s.
I’ve never forgotten his warning on the use of words…”The fish he dies by the mouth”.
Great eye.