Dream Teams: How Bright Blue Day’s Managing Directors Channel Wallace and Gromit into Their Leadership

Fifteen years ago, they met as opposite energies at Bright Blue Day. Jess was the calm in the client storm – grounded, precise, quietly pulling levers behind the scenes. Laurence, meanwhile, lived in the pitch room, spinning ideas, charming prospects, selling big visions. "I was deep in the trenches, Laurence was in the strategy stratosphere,” Jess recalls. But they clicked instantly. “Right place, right time… it just worked.”

Their first collaboration came not through a formal pairing, but organically – he needed help, she had time, and their professional dynamic was born. What followed was a decade-plus of complementary tension: she listens, he pushes. He talks, she delivers. The agency’s evolution – from a 60-year-old stalwart to a bold, future-ready brand – owes much to the push-and-pull between them. It’s not always calm, but it’s always forward.

Opposites, Actually

Their dynamic has always been rooted in contrast. “Jess is phenomenal at understanding what’s really needed – she thinks human emotion first,” says Laurence. “Whereas I can get distracted by the shiny stuff, she brings it back to the person, the story, the why.”

For Jess, Laurence’s gift is energy and instinct. “He spots the opportunity, gets people excited. I keep them reassured. We’ve learned to trust each other’s strengths – and more importantly, to stop trying to do the same bits of the job.”

That wasn’t always the case. Early on, they attempted total parity – joint title, joint decisions, shared everything. “It led to friction and things falling through the cracks,” Jess admits. “Now we’ve carved out clearer dance spaces. We bring ideas into each other’s lanes, but we don’t step on toes. Or at least… we try not to.”

When asked to name their proudest project, neither picks a campaign. Instead, they talk about the agency culture they’ve helped build out.

“For me, it’s the agency itself,” Jess says. “It’s where we’ve poured everything. It’s the one project where there’s no ego – just passion and purpose. We’re building something that will outlast us.”

Laurence echoes the sentiment, pinpointing how they handled their management buyout in the chaos of Covid as a defining chapter. “Our different strengths and trust in each other got us through. We made hard decisions fast, and brought the agency with us. I honestly think we’re better in a crisis than we are in BAU.”

Their differences inevitably spark friction – but with time, they’ve developed ways to navigate each other. “We’ve learned never to start a tough conversation on a train,” Laurence laughs. “Walk and talk works better – less intensity, more perspective.”

“Also,” Jess adds, “sometimes we just shout it out. But we know when it’s unproductive and when to circle back.” That emotional literacy and ability to challenge without ego is part of what makes their partnership rare. “No matter what, we back each other,” she says.

Lessons, Legacy, and the Long Game

Fifteen years in, what have they learned from each other?

“Jess has taught me to see the emotional truth in a story,” says Laurence. “My shortcut in a tough moment is still: what would Jess do?” For Jess, it’s Laurence’s creative fearlessness that’s rubbed off on her. “He’s made me braver. Less afraid to borrow from unexpected places, or push for something that feels out of reach. He’s future-facing. I used to just want things to be solid. Now I want both.”

In an industry that prizes collaboration but often rewards solo heroes, their creative marriage stands out. There’s no theatre, no alpha posturing – just a deep shorthand, respect, and a shared belief in what BBD can be.

“It gives you a safety net,” Jess says. “Someone who’ll challenge you, back you, and remind you to keep going when it all feels a bit much.”

And as for creative role models?

“Wallace and Gromit,” Jess says. “Laurence is Wallace – all wild inventions and enthusiasm. I’m Gromit. Quietly steering us away from disaster.”Laurence grins. “I’ll take that.”