NORTHERN PLANNER

There was a guy I used to work with, he was an account manager. He was a little old for his title and did sometimes wonder why there hadn't been any discussions with how he could get to Account Director level.

Now there were some developmental reasons for this, little things, stuff he could work on. mostly around thinking a little more strategically and taking things an ounce more seriously. But he was experienced, never dropped the ball, things got done well, on time, clients really liked him. Everybody did. But that was part of the problem.

He wasn't a star. He didn't set the world alight, he was never going to be a Johnny Hornby, he wasn't cool. So the management just tool him for granted, he was the human equivalent of a kettle.

That's what's wrong with so much of this industry, we always look for extra-ordinary when sometimes solid and dependable are what's needed. In fact, the stars can't survive without solid and dependable, it makes up the bulk of any successful agency.

There are masses of brilliantly solid people who know what to do in agencies. You want them around you when things go tits up. The stars just flap, these are people are the ones who know what to do. We should celebrate them more.

Not to mention work that does a solid job. Fair enough, lots of Tesco work is amazing, but just try and shake the tactical press ads around and find something wrong with them. That's right. nothing.

The buyers (maybe the most important people in any supermarket's marketing) care about these ads more than anything else. They're the sum total of an intense week of photography, re-touching, genius detail account handling (get a price wrong and it costs Tesco and therefore the agency hundreds of thousands) and artworkers who really know what they're doing.

Usually, some poor bastard is at work until midnight on a Friday checking the endless regional adapts. What thanks do they get? What plaudits? These ads are genius art direction that will not break down under pressure, every bit as worthwhile as some of the sexier stuff.

And then there's the solid, dependable clients. Mostly retail, but not all. The ones that bring in huge monthly fees, pay a lot of people but never get plaudits.

What I'm saying is, be thankful for solid dependable, we'd be lost without it.