Barnardos Heroin Baby ads chief to stand down

Barnardo’s high-profile marketing and communications director Andrew Nebel is stepping down after more than a decade at the children’s charity. Nebel, responsible for some of the most memorable ads for the organisation, including the “Heroin Baby” campaign in 2002, will leave in spring 2009.

During his time at Barnardo’s, Nebel has used advertising created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty to highlight issues including child prostitution, child drug abuse and sexual abuse to help reposition the charity.

Starting mid-2008, his marketing role will be split between his two deputies Diana Green and Steve O’Connor. O’Connor will be promoted to UK director of fundraising and Green to UK director of communications. Nebel will take on a new role as commercial director until he leaves and will continue to be responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation.

Nebel says: “My basic mission was to help make Barnardo’s stand out in a crowded market and explain the enormous range of support and help it gives to desperate families.

“Our mission was to rebrand Barnardo’s and tell people that it was no longer about orphanages. Every year Barnardo’s helps 115,000 underprivileged children.

“I believe the charity’s willingness to embrace modern marketing and fundraising methods has been an invaluable part in the Barnardo’s success story.”

Nebel is looking at non-executive roles in the corporate world “to extract value out of their corporate social responsibility programmes.”

He started his career in marketing in 1970 as a product manager on the Brooke Bond Oxo brand. In 1985 he went to Thomas Cook as marketing manager retail travel. Four years later he went on to be head of marketing at BUPA. From 1994 to 1995 he was marketing director at Green Flag. Nebel joined Barnardo’s in 1997.