An ‘unbelievable’ voice

Lionised for decades for a velvety voice that transcended the airwaves, advertising magnate and former broadcaster Adrian Robinson passed away on Monday, closing a chapter of transformation in a fast-evolving industry.

Robinson, 86, passed away at The University of the West Indies at 3:15 p.m., two weeks after the death of his wife of 41 years, Janine. She was 75.

A marketing guru, tourism stalwart, and sports commentator, colleagues and friends said he left an indelible mark on Jamaica’s cultural landscape.

Oral McCook, managing director of OGM Integrated Communications, described Robinson as a mentor whom he knew for more than 35 years.

Robinson, he said, was a gentleman and a professional of impeccable integrity.

“I had a lot of respect for him. He was an advertising man with a key sense of what moves people,” said McCook.

But what lingers in the ears and memories of those who knew him best was his golden tones in an era when distinctive voices, like Radcliffe Butler’s and Dennis Hall’s, dominated radio.

“It was unbelievable what he was able to do with that voice,” said McCook, who praised Robinson, who served as director of tourism from 1975-1978, as a stalwart in the communications business.

Born on May 22, 1935, Robinson made his professional debut at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation in his early 20s.

However, in 1964, he pursued his passion for advertising, cutting his teeth at Gerry Dunlop Advertising Agency.

Robinson lived through a series of paradigm shifts in the advertising industry, with technological innovation marking the advent of a revolution that sharpened companies’ competence in connecting with potential customers.

Among the companies moved by his magic touch in advertising are Sandals, Red Stripe, Supreme Ventures, Air Jamaica, and Shell.

Reflecting on his legacy, Opposition Spokesperson for Tourism Senator Janice Allen hailed Robinson for forming “an indigenous Jamaican agency that went on to win major awards representing major brands”.

Marketing Counselors Limited, founded in 1987, was a mainstay in the advertising industry, scooping up a bounty of awards, including from The Gleaner Company and Radio Jamaica Limited.

Eileen Lewis was 24 years old when she first met Robinson at the firm Carter Gambrel Robinson in 1973. She remembered him as a stickler for perfection whose stature and presence commanded respect.

“He was one of three directors with different responsibilities but he was the one that was most feared. I think we were in awe and respect,” she chuckled.

“I remember if we were in the lobby fooling around and he happened to drive in, everyone would just scamper back to their work … .”

Lewis subsequently joined Marketing Counselors Limited in 1999, spending 21 years there.

She described Robinson as a highly driven leader whose momentum and aura motivated others to go beyond the call of duty.

It is this commitment to distinction that son and heir Marlon Robinson believes was the late advertiser’s defining quality.

“My father was always very strict. He always looked for excellence in whatever we did and whatever we said we wanted to do … .

“He always said to me, ‘If you are going to be a garbage man, be the best garbage man that you can be. I never forgot those words,” said Marlon, who took over as general manager more than two years ago.

Marlon said he would remember his father for his humility, patriotism, and sense of humour.

“He was a son of the soil and he loved Jamaica tremendously. He loved the people and he loved being at home,” he told The Gleaner.

Robinson is survived by seven children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

At 81 years old, veteran broadcaster Radcliffe Butler can still remember the voice of Robinson, his favourite announcer, on radio in high school.

“I got into radio because of Adrian Robinson, in that while he was at RJR, he had a luncheon programme. I was attending Excelsior High School at the time. While my friends were playing skittles and doing all kind of things, I was listening to the Rediffusion because Adrian Robinson was on the air, and I said to myself that I would love to be like that,” Butler told The Gleaner.

His first interaction with mentor – while applying for a job at JBC – was not quite what he expected. Robinson turned him down.

Butler skipped over to RJR.

That was the start of a rivalry between both on the airwaves and even into advertising.

“When I got into advertising, we were competitors, but it was friendly competition and he would every now and then, he would shout me and say, ‘Good work, good work,’ and vice versa,” Butler added.

editorial@gleanerjm.com