I got to interview veteran creative director Allein Moore a couple of months back for a project to document Singapore’s design history. It turns out he too was doing documenting what went on in our advertising scene back then. Some of it is published in his online magazine ADAsia.

It is a collection of personal memories from the pioneers, beginning from the ’50s when Singapore’s modern advertising industry first began. Many of the personalities and company names will sound unfamiliar to most of us because of how much consolidation and merger the industry has underwent.

However, one name that is important from a graphic design perspective is Brian Hoyle. He first came to Singapore from the United Kingdom in 1960 to join an advertising firm. Two years later, he and other creative directors here started the Creative Circle Awards in 1962 to raise local graphic standards. Then, in 1969, he co-founded with another veteran ad man, John Hagley, a specialised graphic company known as Hagley and Hoyle — one of our earliest graphic design consultancy. The company is still around today, but no longer owned and run by either, who are both retired and back in Europe.

Find out more about Brian and other pioneers of Singapore’s ad industry here!