Suits, Assemble: Adland’s New WIP IT GOOD Series Spotlights the Art of Account Service
- 36 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Independent creative recruitment agency no sunday blues and brand consultancy
Gambol last night introduced WIP IT GOOD, a playful new content series exploring the art of account service in the creative industry.
Rung in with a lively launch event at Central House in South Melbourne, the room was packed with whip-smart account service professionals from Clemenger, VML, Kerfuffle and more. Rounding off the evening was an insightful panel discussion led by WIP IT GOOD co-founders Steph Graham and Camey O’Keefe, together with four of their inaugural series guests.
Topics included guests’ personal takes on the realities of agency life, from client relationships and creative collaboration to leadership, burnout, career progression and the evolving role of the modern ‘Suit’.
Said Carla Blatt, series guest and Senior Marketing Leader (GAICD): “Being a client is the best mix of all the right components... Good account managers feel like part of the team and make the work even better.”
Georgina Pownall, Managing Partner (MBA) at By All Mean observed: “As account service you don't have any overt power and you can’t tell anyone what to do, so you have to be really clever.” She spoke from over 25 years of experience building strong professional relationships to get great work across the line. She gave an example from her time on the Heinz account, noting that ‘great work’ had to be effective, and that trusting clients’ judgement was paramount to successful partnerships.
Camey O’Keefe also pointed out the unique position that is an account services role, adding:
“I think we’ve lost sight of the craft – some think the role is about scurrying around and taking orders. How can we reclaim the joy? Because when suits take ownership, that’s when an agency is most healthy. Without strong suits, everything is a slog.”
The audience nodded, feeling seen, as she also noted: “Have a point of view, but do the work to make it an informed one.”
Sarah Raines, Managing Director at Sunday Gravy, agreed, adding: “Asking why and having that curiosity is so important.” She also highlighted the need for showing good hospitality – small things like offering water can be overlooked when teams are working against the clock.
Providing just a sample of what’s to come, the series will also explore:
Adland now vs then: lessons from 25+ years in account service
Motherhood and leadership in creative agencies
Account service in experiential and integrated agencies
Moving from agency to in-house marketing roles
A creative’s perspective on working with strong account leaders
What clients truly value in agency partnerships
The transition from agency life to founding a business
A shared observation that account management remains one of the most important yet underserved disciplines within agencies.
The series, produced by Two Tractors, was also shaped by a broader need for more open industry conversations around the pressures and realities of account service.
Through her recruitment work, WIP IT GOOD Co-founder Steph Graham noticed many account managers expressing similar frustrations and insecurities, often believing they were isolated in their experiences. At the same time, O’Keefe was hearing comparable themes through her coaching and leadership development work with agency talent.
Said Camey:
“I’ve always believed Suits are the biggest influence on the creative outcome. The ability to nurture the conditions for big ideas to be bought and then make them happen takes real skill and we need to see more of it.”
Said Steph:
“Having started my career in Account Service and now working as a recruiter in advertising, we wanted to create a resource to celebrate the craft and support Suits across the different stages of their career."
Together, the pair created WIP IT GOOD to make those conversations more visible,
accessible and constructive for the wider industry. The first season includes eight episodes featuring nine guests from across agencies, brands and creative businesses, including leaders from Think HQ, Sunday Gravy, Leo Burnett Australia, Graffiti, By All Means, The Thrills, Fressko and the Department of Transport and Planning Victoria.
In addition to quality content, the WIP IT GOOD team will offer quarterly webinars and bi-annual industry events. The first three episodes will drop on Monday June 8, with new episodes released monthly thereafter. With season two already in development, follow on YouTube here to watch a sneak preview and get notified of new episodes.
About no sunday blues
no sunday blues is a recruitment agency specialising in the creative, PR, advertising, social media and marketing sectors. The agency focuses on human-centric partnerships, helping talent find fulfilling roles and businesses build thriving teams. Beyond recruitment, no sunday blues builds genuine community across the industry, creating spaces for connection and conversations that matter.
About Gambol
Gambol is a Melbourne-based creative consultancy founded by strategist, Gruen panellist and certified Executive Coach Camey O'Keefe. With 25+ years leading agency teams across some of Australia's biggest brands, Camey built Gambol to put the play back into client partnership. Its training arm, Suit School, exists to raise the game of account management professionals - because great suits don't just lead clients, they fuel great work.