Marketing communications pioneer Joseph ‘JB’ Brockdorff, founder and chairman of BPC International Ltd, passed away yesterday at the age of 77 after a sudden illness.

His interest in the media started when he was in his late teens when he took part in radio broadcasts on Rediffusion. He was instrumental in pioneering professional marketing communications in Malta setting up BPC in the late 1950s at a time when advertising was very much in its infancy.

A ground-breaking initiative was the production and marketing of the first series of 45rpm recordings of lyrics and music by Maltese composers in the 60s.

JB was the founder of the Malta Chapter of the International Advertising Association, the international tri-partite body including advertisers, advertising agencies and media companies.

He foresaw the usefulness of a broad-based and non-partisan journalistic media organisation, and was instrumental in the setting up of the Institute of Maltese Journalists.

He was instrumental in initiating the annual ‘Award to Journalists’ initiative.

JB was until recently on the board of the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.  

Funeral Mass is being heldat the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, San Pawl Tat-Targa, Naxxar, tomorrow at 2pm.