London: Ange Eleini; Don't Stop Me Now

Award-winning work comes from the confidence in evidence at Grey London over the past year, according to agency producer Ange Eleini. She tells Emily Ansell why she’s staying put to collaborate with the best directors in the business

Ange Eleini is passionate about charity and animals. So it’s no surprise that she’s asked for her shots interview to be held at the Paper & Cup in Shoreditch, a not-for-profit cafe that helps struggling Londoners get back on their feet.

“I’m passionate about finding a way to give back whenever I can. I love meeting new people and doing something different every day,” she says.

Eleini grew up by the sea in Brighton, and was always quite chatty at school and good at English. She felt that people were always pushing her to become a writer, so she studied media and journalism and that’s kind of how she veered off into the advertising world.

“I didn’t know much about advertising when I started,” says Eleini. “Someone at college had got some work experience sorted at JWT London but didn’t want to do it, so I said I would. I worked in the TV department and, on the first day, I went off on a producer’s motorbike to VTR and we were given free chocolate. I went home and said: ‘Oh my God, this is amazing!’ That made me realise I wanted to work in TV.”

Inspired by the experience, Eleini asked the head of TV, Nigel Foster, how she could get involved. It turned out they were looking for a new department runner to work on their message desk.

“I was worried I wasn’t up to it but he said it wasn’t about qualifications – it was about whether the face and personality fit. So he took me on.”

After a few years working with Grubby (as he was affectionately known), Eleini moved up to be a PA before leaving to spend a year travelling.

“I left for a year in the hope of saving the world,” she says. “But, before I knew it, I found myself standing outside The White Horse pub on Newburgh Street again, with the same people, talking about the same stuff.”

Eleini went on to work at agencies WCRS, Bates Dorland and some small production companies before receiving a call from Yan Elliot (who now runs Fabula creative studio) about an opportunity at Mother London.

“Yan’s one of my closest friends from college – he was even a bridesmaid at my wedding alongside Ewan MacLeod (it was quite a unique wedding),” she reflects. “I felt unsure about working where my friend worked, but I was asked to go in for a couple of weeks and ended up staying for eight years. It was brilliant.”

Managing around corners

Mother was followed by AMV and now, as agency producer at Grey London, Eleini is an expert in her field and has worked on award-winning ads including Vodafone’s The Kiss and Here Come The Girls for Boots.

However, Eleini modestly describes her job simply as “diary and budget management”.

“I get whatever everyone needs sorted out and manage it without getting too stressed or neurotic. It’s about seeing what could happen around the next corner and managing it,” she says.

“I like getting to work with so many different people and one of my fortes is mixing with people. We have an open policy at Grey, which means everyone has a voice and everyone contributes. It’s a great way of working.

“I’ve thought about going over to a production company, but what I love about my job is that I get to work with so many directors and when I meet them I am always inspired by them. They are so talented and I know I haven’t got that specific talent, so I get the advantage of working with and knowing them rather than doing it myself.”

When asked to pick out some career highlights, Eleini’s face lights up and she glances over a list she’s prepared. There are so many. Top of the list is her trip to the Philippines with Rattling Stick director Sara Dunlop where they filmed a homeless six-year-old girl for development charity, Plan. “After 10 days with her and her family, the authorities were alerted, housed them and promised they would subsidise her education. It’s an incredible feeling when you know that you’ve helped someone’s life,” she says.

Also up there is her visit to New York for Orange Blackout. Seeing Broadway closed for an ad was unbelievable and the film is in her top-five favourites. Eleini also had the chance to re-enact the Rio carnival for Orange, and was behind PG Tips’ The Return and travelled to New Zealand for Vodafone’s The Lake.

“I’ve been around for a while and feel so privileged to have seen some incredible things in some amazing places because of the job,” she adds. “Grey is a great agency to be at too – the confidence and camaraderie there has been growing constantly over the past year and I really think there’s no stopping us at the moment.”

After two decades in the industry, Eleini has seen adland go through many changes. But she’s embracing them all and is excited about technology and the possibilities of reaching new audiences in new ways. She says that, although budgets and timings are tighter than ever, people are working much more collaboratively and strong relationships are being formed between agencies, directors and production companies.

“There was more of a divide and, perhaps, a bit more arrogance when I first started out. Now people are more open to evolving together and making things happen,” she comments. “The media platforms are also so diverse now. I’m in the generation that’s still learning about them and I find it exciting.

“In my job, you need to push yourself that little bit further and make things as easy and enjoyable for everyone as possible. It’s also important to laugh, and to learn something new every day.”