50 Years of AADC
The story so far
AADC was founded in 1975 as the Adelaide Art Directors Club – a place where South Australia’s ad industry could come together to connect, show off their work and celebrate in true industry style. It was an era of Letraset, lightboxes and very long lunches. Ideas were sketched with markers, media was booked over drinks and a killer headline could carry a brand for years.
As the industry evolved, so did we. In August 2004, the Adelaide Art Directors Club expanded in name and focus, becoming the Adelaide Advertising & Design Club to embrace a broader creative community. Today, we’re simply known as AADC. We're a space for designers, writers, strategists, developers, producers, media pros, students and creative communicators of all kinds – anyone who believes in the transformational power of ideas and the importance of good work.
Over five decades, we’ve seen formats change, budgets shift and technology transform the way we work, but one thing has remained constant: the belief that great ideas deserve to be recognised.
In 2025, AADC celebrated the Club's 50th anniversary.
AADC Watering Can Winners
The Watering Can is AADC's most coveted prize; awarded to one recipient by the Co-Presidents each year for outstanding contribution to the creative communications industry in South Australia.
After being used in a television commercial by Clemenger in 1978, the silver Watering Can was donated to the club by Adelaide & Wallaroo Fertiliser.
1978 Street Remley
1979 Barry Tucker & Ian Kidd
1980 Don Gill & Andrew Killey
1981 Max Pepper
1982 Chriss Briscoe
1983 Idris Jones
1984 Jim Berinson
1985 Bernie Van Elsen
1986 Marsha Dearden
1987 David Minear & Peter Withy
1988 Jim Robinson
1989 Brenton Whittle
1990 Brian Braidwood
1991 Warren Wood
1992 Rita Siow
1993 Busch
1994 Richard Chataway & Michael Cusack
1995 Jack Van Gastel
1996 Jan Turbill
1997 Elspeth Baird
1998 Leanne Vine
1999 Chris Charlton
2000 Drew Lenmann & Mike Connell
2001 Phyllis Southgate
2002 Ernie Clark ACS
2003 Young & Rubicam Adelaide
2004 Marty Pepper
2005 Milton Wordly
2006 Phillip Lane
2007 Angela Heesom
2008 John Chataway & Kent Smith
2009 Sputnik
2010 Les Francis
2011 Haylie Craig
2012/13 Kim Boehm
2014 Greg Knagge & Geoff Robertson
2015 James Rickard
2016 Richard Coburn
2017 Justin Astbury & Justin Pounsett
2018 Di Willson
2019 Mark Evans
2020 John McLaren
2021 Anna Bardsley-Jones
2022 Jamie Scott
2023 Dale Roberts
2024 Scott Illingworth
2025 Andy Scott