Speaker interview with David Amers

1. What's unique about The Leith Agency and why did I join?

 A combination of things set Leith apart and made me want to join. It consistently produced outstanding creative work that had a distinct style. And it was full of down to earth, likeable and fun loving people, creating a unique culture. It was these things that attracted me 27 years ago, and they are the reason why I am still here.

 2. Who are the people who are new to you who have impressed in the last 12 months

The great thing about being part of a growing business is that we have the opportunity to regularly bring in new, talented people at every level across different departments. I'm impressed with all the new starts I've worked with over the last year. I'll single out  Caroline Olechowski in planning: she's smart, diligent, calm and brings a fresh perspective to a range of different clients.  And John McPartland, our  new Creative Director for Health: his desire to raise the creativity and profile of health and the agency is matched with an easy going, likeable approach.

 3. What has been my standout campaign to work on and why?

 Ive been fortunate to work across a wide range of great campaigns but my early years on the IRN-BRU campaign stand out. It's great when the agency creates work that audiences talk about. The cheeky posters and TV ads such as Ram Raiding Granny and the Snowman were loved by the public and they were great fun to work on. And it's lovely to see the brand still producing stand out work.

Working on The Scottish Government campaigns across a wide range of issues, most recently autism and drugs stigma, has also been a highlight. It's great having the opportunity to make a difference.

4. What does a day in the life of a strategic planner look like?

What people tend to really enjoy about agency life is the variety and the unpredictability - no two days are the same.

A planner's day has changed a lot over the years: as the agency's output and client base has diversified, so has our role. But a typical day is likely to involve insight gathering, brief or presentation writing, conversations with the account and creative teams, and working on a pitch.