The Essential List: Charles Vallance

Vinyl, pork scratchings, Nando’s and more with the VCCP founder and chairman

Charles Vallance is the V in VCCP. After stints at both BBH and WCRS, he took the plunge in 2002 and decided that the time was right to work for himself (along with his partners Rooney Carruthers, Adrian Coleman and Ian Priest). The agency was founded with O2 as its only client - a brand that they still work with to this day, 15 years later - and since then has worked on campaigns for a whole host of brands and is responsible for Comparethemarket.com’s ever-popular ‘Comparethemeerkat’ campaign. 

Outside of work Charles is a keen sportsman, dabbling in cricket, tennis, football, golf, shooting and snooker - although “all at a consistently low standard”, he claims. But what else makes him tick? And what better way to find out than by featuring his Essential List? Simples. 

Travel

◦ Place of birth: Harrogate

◦ Hometown: Leeds

◦ Staycation: Walden North

◦ Vacation: Verdura, Sicily

Harrogate

◦ Place of work: VCCP

◦ Place of workout: The Blue Lion

◦ Mode of transport: Public

◦ Miscellaneous Travel Essential: Old school Apple earphones

Culture

◦ Artist: Alma-Tadema

◦ Musician: Jarvis Cocker

◦ Commercials director: CANADA

◦ Film director: Clint Eastwood

◦ Photographer: Ashton Keiditsch

◦ Film: Magnificent Seven

◦ Series: Trailer Park Boys

◦ Commercial: Anything by Aleksandr and Sergei

◦ Music Video: Rizzle Kicks, Mama Do The Hump

◦ Book: Great Expectations

◦ Newspaper (off or online): The Times

◦ Magazine: The Spectator

◦ Miscellaneous Art: Vinyl collection

Food and Drink

◦ Restaurant: Osteria - Antica Bologna

◦ Cheap bite: Nando’s

◦ Working lunch: Gastronomia Italia (worth going out of your way for)

Cheap and cheeky: Nando's

◦ Dish: Roast beef and Yorkshire puddings

◦ Snack: Salt and vinegar crisps

◦ Guilty Pleasure: Pork scratchings

◦ Bar: The Ivy (when Vic’s about)

Roast beef and Yorkies: Dream dish

◦ Tipple: Whiskey Sour

◦ Soft Tipple: Soda water, with a dash of Campari (I cheat)

◦ Miscellaneous Food: Anchovies

◦ Miscellaneous Beverage: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord

Kit

◦ Phone: IPhone 6s

◦ Computer: Apple iMac

◦ TV: Fujitsu

◦ Headphones: Apple earphones

Porky, guilty pleasures 

◦ Camera: Canon Mirrorless

◦ Soundsystem: Sonos/Spotify 

◦ Pen / pencil: Uniball Micro/Staedtler Noris

◦ Where you document an idea: Emily [Charles' PA]

◦ Watch: Poljot 

◦ App: Waze

Noris

◦ Website: BBC

◦ Blog: Jim Carroll

◦ Work program: Emily 

◦ Digital work tool: Emily

◦ Analogue work tool: Emily

◦ Grooming: Fish Soho

◦ Miscellaneous Kit Essential: A5 VCCP notebook

A British tipple: Timothy Taylor's Landlord Ale