DR MUMBO: Nicked chin; who is M Villivankk? Herald Sun realises it’s 2009; columnist cures bulimia

Tim Burrowes

January 19, 2009 8:15

Brisbane agency De Pasquale is no doubt very proud of its new fundraising campaign for the Leukaemia Foundation, featuring “chin faces” TVCs to encourage people to “be brave and shave”. And meanwhile, Dr Mumbo is equally proud of his Christmas present, The Popbitch book, seen here on the right, opened on an entirely random page.

Rumour has it that this remarkably strange TVC, entitled “The Importance of Awards in Advertising” and featuring the wisdom of M Villivankk, is to promote AWARD. It’s surfaced on US-based web site AdWeek, which is able to throw little light on it, other than to observe: “According to the e-mail we got, it was written and directed by someone called Jim Hosking to promote something called the Australian Writers and Art Directors Association.” Hosking is affiliated with Paddington-based production house Revolver. And if anyone can shed further light, Dr Mumbo will be most grateful.

[youtube=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypvy8UU5yl0]

It’s always nice to see newspapers investing in marketing. So well done to yesterday’s Sun-Herald for ignoring the fact that we’re already more than half way through January and giving away a 2009 year planner. The point of including on it the first 18 days of the year is a subtle one that eludes Dr Mumbo.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.