Like most great stories, ours started in a bar. The idea for The Media People came about one night at Fino’s, when our founders, Steve and Stel, pondered the question: Should we start our own agency?

A few months later, The Media People was born – an agency 20 years in the making, built on a simple vision: bring great people together to do great work. From the start, it was never just about media plans or ad placements. It was about people, partnerships, and doing things differently.

With no office to call home, we made do with what we had: a cardboard box, a black cab as our removal van, and a lot of determination.

First stop: Soho.

Second stop: Farringdon.

Third stop: Hatton Garden, where we finally put down roots (and danced barefoot at our first Christmas party because the floors had just been sanded).

Since then, we’ve grown. A bigger Farringdon base, an office in Leeds, and lots of brilliant people joining us along the way.

Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Brexit came (enough said). Then COVID hit, and 2020’s hottest destination was the Zoom waiting room. Strange times – but they made us stronger.

When we started, Google was advancing search technology, Instagram was all about the ‘Valencia’ filter, and TikTok was just the sound a clock makes. The media world has changed beyond recognition, and we’re proud to have evolved alongside it.

Although the industry continues to change, people remain at the centre of everything we do. Over the past 10 years, we’ve built real partnerships – with clients, colleagues, suppliers and collaborators. Because at our core, we’re more than just a media agency.

We want to put it in writing here: thank you. Thank you to our incredible clients, many of whom we’ve worked with for most of our careers. Thank you for trusting us, challenging us, and growing with us. You’ve been more than clients; you’ve been our friends.

It’s been an incredible 10 years. Who knows what the next 10 will have in store, but one thing’s for certain – the legacy Steve and Stel started at Fino’s will last forever.