David Nobay to set up Sydney branch of Publicis Groupe creative shop Marcel

That would be Grant Rutherford.

I have a sinking feeling that the words “When Nobby became available, it was a no-brainer” will come back and haunt Andrew Baxter

Meanwhile Publicis Australia hasn’t really had a memorable year. Aside from an acquisition or two, where’s the work? The client wins? The pitches?

I’m surprised they haven’t considered doing something about that first….

Hopefully Lion Nathan doesn’t have a problem with a Tiger being tied up next door.

Publicis have a distinguished history hiring senior creatives. It’s bad, really bad, but distinguished none the less.

Congrats Nobby.
Great news.

write this off too quickly.

Nobby has something to prove – and he knows he can do it – so I would suggest that given the experience and ‘lessons’ he may have learned this could be quite interesting – in time.

Love the Jeckyl & Hyde nature of David Nobay’s PR spin. 6 months ago he featured in D5 articles saying that he’d lost his creative passion and hunger and then he re-engaged in the business once Steve Coll left.

Today’s Marcel announcement confirms that “he’s back in the game”.

No wonder people are leaving our industry in droves, we’re dominated by big names in the OZ market so are consumed by their own hype.

David Nobay “became available” as he did a bad job building and growing a Australian office of the hottest communications brand in the world in Droga5.

That is like launching a local Aussie outpost of Barcelona FC and being relegated and then someone hiring you for their team, celebrating your managerial class and ability.

Come on, Tom. Be anonymously facetious like the rest of us.

Would he have got the job if there wasn’t Tiger as a foundation client? Would there have even been a job at all?

Call me cynical but this just seems like a way of nabing a piece of business that needed a home rather than a strategic masterstroke from Publicis. After the very public failure of the Droga5 business and the loss of so many high profile brands, this seems like a tough sell to market. And as another commenter pointed out, Publicis has a lot of work to do itself.

I think the expenses may be larger than the billing for the sole client…..

Nobby, you would do well to read a few pages out of the Tom Moult play book: took Cohn & Wells, instead of a payout. Then sold it back to Havas 5 years later for a rumoured killing.

This place is crawling in cowards.
And assholes.

Don’t listen to these clowns…good luck and enjoy the break.

it makes perfect sense.

Publicis Australia is so big and successful that they need a new agency brand to manage competing clients.

the fact that there is no ECD of Publicis and Nobby will be based out of their offices is a coincidence

yup folks…two hugely successful creative powerhouses that just happen to be owned by the same French benefactors

If there was a like button Tom Donald would get a like from me 🙂
And bravo on the beards lads

Nobby is one of the best creatives in the world. He also made a bit of a meal of Droga5 – surely there are some learnings he’ll take with him to the new shop.

But regardless / or because of the D5 experience expect something brilliant from them soon.

Well said Tom Donald. Love the beards 🙂

Cowards & Assholes, isn’t that a WPP agency?

“Nobby is one of the best creatives in the world”.

Please enlighten us with a few of the great campaigns he either wrote or shepherded.

I wonder what Sudeep thinks about this.

Seems to be a lot more comments allowed on this topic here rather than on another blog.

Nobby has one (or two) things that you clowns lack: balls!

Well said Tom Donald. As for the rest of you cynics who have never produced any award winning work, or run their own agency, perhaps starting thinking why that is….

Just what this market needs – another agency.

The ad industry, like most industries, runs a Goodwill Bank.

So, if you do good stuff, treat your own people reasonably nicely, don’t go ’round town bad-mouthing clients, your competitors and their work, or tell clients you’re one of the world’s great CDs, you’re entitled to call on that Goodwill Bank when your reputation is in danger of taking a bit of a battering.

If the blog comments are predominantly negative one can reasonably assume that the Goodwill Bank was pretty empty.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, including Tom Donald, that after having to close a business, despite being handed a brilliant brand name and blue chip account after blue chip account, to still have the, um, …’confidence’ to say “A single call from Paris made my decision an easy one. Game on!”, many amongst us think that ‘single call’ was one more than deserved.

I know Nobby well.I have worked alongside him.I like him.He makes me laugh.But he isn’t ‘one of the best creatives in the world’
‘Impartial’-you clearly are not.

I’ve produced some award winning work over my career – not much, but enough;
AND I run my own agency, BUT…and here’s the bit about running your own agency you obviously don’t understand – I’ve run my agency using MY OWN money. Therein lies the difference between running your own agency and being a minor shareholder in someone else’s agency. And just for the record, Bobby T, what award winning work has Nobby produced that makes you such a fan? I’d be interested to know what you think his Top 5 are because that might help answer my response to Marceau’s comment ‘he has balls!’ – ‘maybe he does, but does he have talent? Make it your Top 3 if that’s any easier.

I’m with you. It’s not a start up. It’s an offshoot funded by a big agency, with a bit of freelance for Mojo to cover the costs. No name on the door. No money on the line. And by the look of it, the well of goodwill is almost dry….