Episode 10: (PART 1) After work with...Helen Calcraft, Founding Partner @ Lucky Generals

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Helen Calcraft, Founding Partner @ Lucky Generals
Helen is a founding partner at the communications agency Lucky Generals - a creative company for people on a mission. Helen is building Lucky Generals with her partners Andy Nairn and Danny Brooke-Taylor, on both sides of the Atlantic.
The founders began this adventure with the belief that the harder you work, the luckier you are going to get. Eleven years in, this seems to be true, as the agency now works for amazing clients including Virgin Atlantic, Yorkshire Tea, Universal Studios, the Guardian and Gamble Aware. The agency has been shortlisted for agency of the year for 9 out of 11 years (who doesn't love a bridesmaid?).
Helen has worked in advertising for over 25 years. Her career started with 10 years at AMV BBDO. She then spent 10 years at MCBD, the first agency she co-founded and where she worked for some great brands including Waitrose, the Department of Health, and Hovis (for which the agency won ad of the decade). She then opted for start-up life all over again and Lucky Generals is proof that Helen is an incurable entrepreneur.
Helen has an MBA with distinction from London Business School.
She was Trustee of Cancer Research UK and then Fundraising and Marketing Committee for 13 years.
Helen is a member of the 30 Club and a proud member and former President of WACL.
She plays a key role in timeTo - a cross industry initiative to combat sexual harassment in the ad industry.
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Lucky Generals
Lucky Generals started life in 2013. Back then, it was just 3 friends (Helen Calcraft, Andy Nairn and Danny Brooke-Taylor) sitting in a pub. They talked about how the old agency model was broken and set out to create something different:
A CREATIVE COMPANY FOR PEOPLE ON A MISSION
Today, there are over 100 Generals (including the founders, who are still leading the charge). We have offices in London and New York and we have been shortlisted for Campaign's Agency of the Year for the last 5 years in a row. But our ambition and hunger are stronger than ever. As is our commitment to this simple statement of intent.
A CREATIVE COMPANY... While we excel at advertising, we deliver a broader definition of creativity. That's why our work section also contains everything from PR stunts to design projects, social media campaigns to brand behaviours.
FOR PEOPLE... This may sound obvious, but in our technology-driven world it's all too easy to forget that people are still people, with human needs and desires. Everything has changed, but nothing has changed. Insight is still key.
ON A MISSION... Perhaps most importantly, we do our best work for people who want to make a dent in the universe. Clients with ambition. There, knew we could work it back round to you.
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