VALE PHILLIP DAGG

Another indredibly sad day for the industry: one of Australia's finest and best loved TVC producers Phillip Dagg passed away yesterday, after suffering a heart attack on Friday. He was 53.
Says friend Warwick Majcher, partner at Morris & Partners, Sydney: "The Australian advertising industry yesterday lost a larger-than-life storyteller, bon vivant and passionate commercials producer. His body of work spans thirty years and four continents. Phillip was a passionate family man and leaves behind his much-loved wife, Bernadette, his daughter, Bridgette and son, Patrick."
Born and raised in the university town of Armidale on the NSW Tablelands, Dagg’s first full-time position was as tour manager for up-and-coming Australian band, Cold Chisel. He then moved to Melbourne, where he introduced another group of musicians to each other. These guys called themselves Men at Work.
But while Dagg loved music, his passion was film. So he left the music business and went to MIT, where he completed degrees in both Film and Economics. This led him to his life-long career as a successful commercials producer.
Phillip produced for a number of directors over the years, including Les Luxford, Paul Middleditch, David Gaddie, Derek Richards and Tony Davison.
In the early 80s he landed at Film de Luxford, producing for Les Luxford. His next gig was at Ross Woods, where he worked with Michael Robertson and where he discovered and produced for Paul Middleditch. When Michael Robertson formed Robertson Productions, Dagg and Middleditch were the first to join. At Robertson, Dagg also produced for Geoff Brown and produced David Gaddie's first commercials.
Of course, Middleditch is now considered Australia's #1 tvc director while Gaddie is a hot director at Partizan in the USA.

Phillip Dagg's funeral will be held at Northern Suburbs Cremetorium on Tuesday 6th March at 2.30pm.