Don’t look now, but I think that sly old B in the corner office is trying to sneak out of the building without the rest of us noticing. Shhhhh! You know who I mean – the “B” out of BCM. Who’d have thought that after 40 years as the undisputed King of Brisbane retail advertising, Bill Bristow would prefer to tiptoe into retirement with no fireworks display, no fanfare and no fuss.
So today, 16 September, Bill’s last day at BCM, there’ll be no clapping and cheering. We’ll be showing our admiration for his success in creating the largest independent ad agency in Queensland by keeping our mouths shut. We’ll be celebrating his many achievements by pretending nonchalance. And we’ll be reflecting on the high standards he has set, the excellence he has pursued and the legacy he has left behind in silence.
Because everyone who works at BCM knows that Bill has created much more than an ad agency here. He’s created a family. And because we all love him dearly, we’re going to respect his wishes. Unfortunately, we just can’t guarantee that the rest of the world will be so constrained…
Deb Enright is a Senior Writer at BCM.
Thank you Deb for saying it so well.
Our loss is Angelflight’s gain, Bill.
Long may you continue to do good in the world.
Au revoir – see you on the stairs.
Best wishes
Jen
All the best Bill, level 2 welcomes you!
Thanks for everything Bill. It’s been an absolute pleasure working alongside you as a business partner. We’ve achieved a great deal in the 16 years we’ve worked together.
You must be very proud of what you leave behind.
All the best
Paul
Bill, thanks for everything.
You are truly an inspirational man. Good luck with all of your future endeavours. You will be missed at BCM but hopefully I will still see your smiling face in the lift.
All the best – Laura
Thank-you Bill
And best wishes…
Alana
Here here. It is indeed a big legacy that you’ll be leaving here at the agency. Funny, when I first came across Messrs Knowles & Bristow in 1988 I never imagined that I’d be a part of the BCM family some 23 years later. Looking forward to seeing Angel Flight flourish with you at the helm full-time. Best wishes.
Kate
It’s been fun, it’s been real, all the best, and it’s comforting to know you’re only a staircase away!
Bill thanks for your 100% belief in me over the many, many years that we’ve worked together. You are an inspiration and a truly good person. May the next stage in your life be richly rewarding for both you and Wendy. I will miss you.
Jo
Thanks and huge congratulations Bill.
Here’s to your continued success in everything you take on in the future (apart from next year’s footy tipping!)
Al
All the best with your future endeavours with Angelflight Bill – I am sure you will continue to take AF and the great work you do onto much bigger and better things.
Thanks for being such a great father to this family Bill. The last 7 years I have been part of, has been a pleasure. Might see you in the lift to Level 2! Congratulations and enjoy the sunset! Karen Gartner
Bill, thank you for both creating this really quite wonderful agency full of very talented and genuinely good people, and also for letting me be a part of it.
All the best,
Jesse
Thanks for the opportunity Bill, and best of luck for level 2 and beyond!
All the very best Bill. You should be extremely proud of the legacy that you are leaving behind. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the BCM Family.
TA
Best of luck Bill. Congratulations on everything you have achieved to date, looks like there’s plenty more to come with Angel Flight.
You are an inspirational person Bill. Look forward to seeing more of you on Level 2.
Enjoy your change of direction xo Barb
Bill
What an amazing journey you, Paul and I have had. Sincere thanks for your contribution- intelligence, humanity, open-mindedness and humility.
Kev
PS: nice work Deb!
All the best Bill, you have led us by example and we will continue to live up to it! Thank you, Giulianna
Beautifully said Deb!
All the very best Bill! It was great working with you and being a part of the BCM team (twice!). You are a lovely person and I can only wish you the greatest happiness in your next adventure. Enjoy!
Bill, thank you for everything and congratulations on your achievements to date making BCM the great place to work that it is today. You will be sorely missed here at BCM. May your great achievements continue at Angel Flight (at least we’ll still get to see you around). Best of luck for everything still to come.
Incredibly well said Deb. What an inspiration Bill, you’ll be missed in the agency. Look forward to seeing you on level 2 more often at Angel Flight!
Cheers
Lise x
Bill,
I am very fortunate to have worked with you at BCM.
All the best
Martin
Bill, I am so proud to be apart of the wonderful community you helped create. Thank you for welcoming me into the BCM family and all the best with Angel Flight.
Bill
Thankyou for nurturing the BCM family to who we are today. You have been a guiding light to us all. I’ll certainly miss your eclectic music collection, your affection for tadpoles and our chats in the lift.
Wishing you all the best as you continue your lifesaving work with Angel Flight.
Bec
Bill,
Congratulations on your success at BCM, and all the best for your future adventures at Angel Flight. See you around Level 2!
Bill, you have profoundly influenced both my professional and personal life. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me over the years. I applaud you.
A true legend of Brisbane advertising. Enjoy your retirement Bill.
All the best Bill. It’s been an absolute pleasure and a privilege. Enjoy your times in the sky and with family. I appreciate all your support both professionally and personally. Take care.
Bill who!
Congratulations Bill on such a successful career. You must be very proud with what you’ve created here. I know I’m proud to call myself a BCMer!
Congratulations on your success Bill. You certainly are an admirable man. All the best, Tilly.
All the best Bill, it’s been a pleasure to know you and work with you, and I can’t imagine you’ll be slowing down too much!!
Cheers,
Hilburger.
Sincere thanks to a fantastic group of people. Ad agencies are little more than their people so BCM can be assured that it is in great hands. Bill
All the best Bill. Enjoy your retirement!
A great legacy but a new beginning and an exciting time ahead. All the best Bill. Enjoy.
CAZ
What a wonderful career you’ve had Bill. I’m full of admiration for what you’ve done, and continue to do. Keep flying.
P.S. Can I have your office?
Wishing you all the best, Bill with continuing your inspiring work with Angel Flight.
All the bestest, and enjoy taking to the skies!
Good luck with the next stage, Mr Bristow. Glad to know you’ll still be around to share a laugh and a fatherly word of advice from time to time. But still one question you’ve left answered: So can I have your stapler or not?!
Cheers!
Jim
Wishing you all the best Bill. You really have given us so much here at bcm and you definitely will not be forgotten. It’s been a pleasure to work for you. Take care and hope to see you in the elevator again soon.
Deb your words made me all teary but they were perfect.
Thanks for everything, Sammie.
It’s been a pleasure working at BCM with you. All the best with Angel Flight and everything else that you pursue.
Andy
I’ve never met a man quite like you, and i’m glad that I had the chance to. Thank you for the opportunities you have given me and enjoy your future in Angel Flight – hopefully you have more time on your hands for the boring stuff like flying planes.
All the best Bill!…Glad that we’ll still be seeing you round the place. Enjoy!
Best of luck with your next chapter Bill. Thank-you for creating such a fantastic place to come to work everyday.
Congratulations on all the work you have put into making BCM the agency it is today. You are a true inspiration and I wish you and Angel Flight great success for the future.
Congratulations Bill, it’s been a pleasure to work for you, we will all miss that encyclopedic like knowledge of well…… everything, especially now it’s been upgraded to Bill version 2.0 (Now includes everything you will ever need to know about Apple products)! All the best for the next endevour, Steve.
All the best Bill. Have fun flying and making a difference through Angel Flight.
Good luck Bill, didn’t really get to know you but i heard good things…May your skies be pleasant and turbulence free.
Congratulations Bill! The respect and admiration you command, both within this agency and the wider community, is unparalleled. You will be greatly missed. All the very best with your continued work with Angel Flight – and we welcome you to Level 2!
Steve J
Bill, I mentioned to The Lady this morning that today was your last with the agency – she was a bit taken back.. “isn’t he the B in BCM?,” she asked.
Its clearly the end of an era. Here’s to you for making it your own.
It’s been a absolute pleasure working with you Bill. I thank you for sharing your valuable retail experience with me and most importantly always making be feel valued and part of the BCM family.
Missing you already, luckily you are not going too far.
I wish you all the best Bill. It’s a pleasure to be a part of the fantastic BCM community you helped create. See you on level 2.
Good luck Bill. You are an inspiration
Congratulations + thanks Bill. Thanks for making me feel part of this great team. Enjoy your retirement wings – you do realise that NOW is when you become really busy!?!! Catch you in the lift – cheers!
Bill, your wisdom, wit and wry observations will be missed. Enjoy life in the not quite so fast lane. It’s been a pleasure working with you.
Best wishes, Bill, and good luck with your present and future ventures.
Thanks for everything Bill.
Will see you in the lift.
Bill, in the words of Bette Midler “you are the wind beneath my wings”. I can only aspire to fly as high as you.
Bill, the fact you’ve chosen to sail off quietly into the sunset without fanfare, booze or karaoke… probably sums up why you’ve had such a wonderfully long & successful career in Adland. Congratulations! I genuinely wish you all the best for the future, and it warms me to know that you did it as a ‘creative guy’ who occasionally wore a suit.
3 cheers.
Nick
Hello Monsieur Bill. I can’t wait to see you at the next RedBull Air Race over the Brisbane river.
Here is some inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaVoqPJUcx8
I’m very envious of your freedom, flying wherever you want must be an amazing thing.
Have fun. All the best.
I was very lucky to work with you during my time at BCM Bill, best of luck
All the very best, Bill. Thanks for everything, and especially your expert guidance in the fine arts of obfuscation and elucidation.
Well today is finally here Bill. Congratulations on what has been a long and very successful career for you. It has been a pleasure to have worked with you in both the KBA and BCM days. Thanks for your guidance, help and encouragement over the years, I am very grateful. All the best for continued successes with Angel Flight and enjoying more time with Wendy and the rest of your family. See you on Level 2 I’m sure.
Congratulations Bill! You’ve built a really great agency and you will be greatly missed! I wish you all the best for the future.
See you in the lift