“I was almost a tailor. One of the first jobs I ever applied for was in Savile Row; I lost out to someone whose mother was a seamstress. But I always knew I wanted a job in the city.
My first job in advertising was as a messenger in a small ad agency. I had a lot of responsibilities. I was delivering jobs to the papers in Fleet Street, making teas and coffees, sorting out the boardroom, cleaning the toilets, a bit of everything.
I eventually started at 12 Bishop’s Bridge Road (then BMP) in January 1985 when I was 17 (thanks to some lucky intervention from my mum). When I first arrived, it was incredibly exciting, especially getting the chance to work with people who made all the ads I saw on telly as a kid – the ads you learned all the lines to.
I took to the job straight away. I loved being in the production studio, crafting and making things. I was trained up as an artworker, working on a drawing board, prepping headlines, and creating artworks for press, doing everything by hand. The agency also used to send out for props to be physically made (like a big pyramid tea bag for PG Tips), but I quickly started doing these jobs in-house too and carved out a niche for myself as a bit of a craftsman. Back then, there was an enormous amount to physically create; crafting boards for presentations, props for shoots, dressing rooms for pitches and much, much more.
Over the years I’ve worked on countless exciting projects, so it’s hard to name a favourite. I’ve created giant books for WHSmith, built a model of the Star Trek Enterprise out of cardboard tubes, comics for the Honey Monster, and even a life-size British Gas man with a real flame coming out of his thumb. If something needed making over the years, chances are, I’ve made it.
I get a lot of satisfaction from my work, heading to my studio and creating something that’s unique and that people are going to love. Really, it comes down to that I like to help people, and it’s brilliant when your work gets that positive feedback. Every day is different and I’m very proud to have worked at the agency for so long. I’ve now reached the point that if someone comes to me with a task, if I can’t solve it, I know we have the people who can.
Things obviously changed when digital rolled around and became a bigger part of the production process, and in some ways, it put me in a strong position, as suddenly there was a newer generation of workers that didn’t do the physical craft that I did.
As my role has evolved, I’ve worked across different departments over the last four decades (crazy), alongside creatives, finance, and more. If I was to give any advice to people navigating their way, I think my main takeaways would be: grab opportunities, be open-minded and work hard. If you do your best for everyone, everyone’s happy.
When it comes to the industry, I also think opportunity really is everything. I left school with no qualifications, but my career and everything I’ve built, I built with my own hands. Hopefully we’re seeing more of a shift away from what academic qualifications people have towards more chances for people who are ready to learn on the job. I’ve had a great career, and I think it’s a testament to what opportunity and hard work can achieve.
Outside of work, you won’t be surprised to hear I have some handy projects on the go. My latest house project has taken seven years, and I’ve done everything: wiring, extensions, landscaping, decorating, you name it. We’re now also doing up our daughter’s house, but hopefully I can soon also find more time to start riding the many bicycles I have in my attic.
When I retire, my wife Jean and I are also thinking about getting a camper van to do some travelling. Everyone tells me I can buy a van and convert it, but maybe at that stage, I might resist the urge to have to make everything.
Thanks Mum, for getting me the job.