On My Radar: Baptiste Clinet

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

I love the work of DAVID Miami… From Heinz to Burger King it’s always incredible. The Mad Men-inspired Heinz campaign [below] was simply outstanding.  

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

Google, I have the worst writing ever, checking how to write almost every word…  

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

I have two baby boys, early wake-ups is a huge issue for me. They can’t read yet, so I bought them a light that shows a sleeping bunny when they need to stay in bed and a laughing bunny when they can get out of the bed and jump into mine. It changed my life. 

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Facebook, without a doubt. Watching my feed way too much, posting quite a bit too. It's driven by a lot of artistic work and advertising innovation content, so my feed is always full of interesting new ideas, films, insights and articles. 

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

I use Instagram quite a lot, following a lot of very interesting people and pages. I am always amazed by the amount of creativity and talent that is hosted in people's hearts and minds. 

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Of all time, I would have to say Friends, just because it was perfect. If I have to look for something more recent, I watched, a month ago, The Night Of, and I really loved it.

What film do you think everyone should have seen and why?

What a hardcore question. There are hundreds, thousand! Everyone should watch as many films as possible. I loved the French film La Haine, but I have to say that, since then, French inequality didn’t change. 

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

On my scooter. Paris is a fabulous city to cross on a scooter. It’s so beautiful. Inspiration and art come at you from every corner. 

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

The capacity needed by every person in the industry has to be 10 times superior than before. Art directors need to edit, take great pictures, be capable of shooting movies, to write, to draw, to paint…

And writers? Better for them to be art directors as well. A great strategic planner needs to be an amazing creative and a great business director, at the same time with his eyes always nailed on people's behaviours and human truths.

It’s a huge change but today, talent and technology allow agencies of five people to be able to pitch against some of the biggest global players.  

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

More women in top creative positions. I do not understand why creative departments are so alpha male. It make no sense. Creativity has no gender. 

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

First, my all time partner, Nicolas Lautier. We met at school and have worked 10 years together. He is the most talented person I know. Then, Fred&Farid was an amazing experience, pushing and teaching us to be better. And Chris Garbutt gave us a taste for craft and responsibilities.

But every person I've worked with has deeply influenced me... Now I am just trying to give back. 

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know.

A lot of people don’t even know who I am, so most people know nothing about me. I just want them to love the work, see the passion and respect my efforts. The rest is personal. The rest is precious. And the less people know about you, the more interesting you are to them and the more likely they are to invent a life for you... So I prefer to let them use their imagination.