Close-Up: My Life in Advertising ... Garry Lace, Beta

Name: Garry Lace

Job: Founding partner, Beta

- The reason I got into advertising was ...

British Airways' "face" ad. Saatchi & Saatchi at its very best, which made me set my heart on being a graduate trainee there. Applied to 17 agencies and only got one interview. Luckily, it was in Charlotte Street.

- The campaign I'm most proud of working on is ...

PlayStation "double life". The moment I truly realised the value of having a great director. The script we sold was good. The film Frank Budgen made changed an entire category.

- And the campaign I pretend I wasn't responsible for is ...

The ones Johnny (Hornby) used to do when we were at TBWA together.

- My favourite campaign created by someone else is ...

Puma's "after-hours athlete" deserves to win everything this year. Fantastic insight, brilliantly executed. Dave Droga's team are on fire.

- The best moment of my career so far was ...

Exposing myself to Nick Hurrell during an account-saving conversation that he had to have with a client.

- While the most embarrassing moment was ...

Nick enjoying it.

- The best celebrity I've worked with on a campaign is ...

Barbara Windsor. She's the nation's Queen (of bingo).

- The person I'd most like to work with in the industry is ...

Dylan Williams again. The brightest person I've ever been around in our business. At the time, I was too stupid to realise it.

- The person who's had the biggest influence on my career is ...

Whoever wrote that e-mail. They unwittingly saved me from a professional life believing my own bullshit and seeing the inside of an aeroplane more than my children growing up.

- The best piece of advice I've received during my career is ...

Never eat anything bigger than your head (Mark Wnek).

- If I wasn't working in advertising, I'd be ...

Very dull company.

- In ten years' time, I'll be ...

Watching Tom Lace opening the batting for England.

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