Vale Bruce Cormack, former federal director of the Advertising Federation of Australia/TCC

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pic.jpgBruce Cormack (left), the former federal director of the Advertising Federation of Australia (since 2010, The Communications Council) died early this week, aged 82.

Cormack took on the role of federal director of the AFA in 1979 and served the Australian advertising community until he retired 14 years later. On the back of rumblings at the old Advertising Association of Australia he was seconded from Leo Burnett to put the association back on its feet and within a short period of time had built a strong national support.

During his often stormy stewardship of the AFA, he faced all manner of challenges, some of which remain, and others now indistinct or irrelevant issues. Of the former, an extract from his 1979 Annual Review, typifies his blunt assessment of the state of the nation, “We have seen a full decade of assaults on our ability to do business in a competitive marketplace. The national nanny is not only alive, but growing – frequently sustained by government grants or entities …”

He railed against threats to advertising freedoms, agency extraction rates and fair compensation, attrition and loss of experienced people from the industry, and championed training through AdSchool.

More controversially, but acting in the interest of many members at the time, he argued unsuccessfully for the ‘legal to purchase – legal to advertise’ tobacco issue, resisted the growing influence of the consumer movement and postponed any real action on the portrayal of women in advertising.

What can be said however is he was always diligent in pursuing the interests of members, shaping an agenda for change and setting the foundation for the body as a leading industry advocate and resource.

Cormack later remained active in a more international sphere as the long-time representative of Warc in the Asia-Pacific region. The World Advertising Research Centre, as it was previously known, is the strategic knowledge partner of the World Federation of Advertising, and the association with The Communications Council remains to this day.

Says Margaret Zabel, Communications Council CEO: “Apart from our on-going partnership with Warc, Cormack was instrumental in unifying the advertising industry and laying the foundations for a strong marketing communications peak body.”

Says Lesley Brydon, former AFA federal director: “He was always a complete gentleman, never lost his love for the industry and his desire to stay involved.”