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What the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

The New York Times The Truth Is Worth It. Simple, and so powerful. It should win a lot more awards in my opinion.

 

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

The Week. It gives me a great snapshot of current affairs.

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

Apple AirPods. I quickly got over the fact that I looked a bit strange wearing them and I worked out that I save a huge amount of stress not detangling wires. The sound quality is amazing and they make my endless conference calls a little bit easier.

 

What product could you not live without?

I bought a BMC pushbike recently and absolutely love my ride to the office in the morning. The guy at the bike shop got me at 'zero maintenance' as it's got a belt drive instead of a chain. Almost totally silent to ride.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

Vice. Astounding how it all went down with that administration and the way it's directed and cut is totally spot on.

 

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

An Inconvenient Truth. I remember watching it back in 2006 and thinking Al Gore was hyping the problem a bit. Terrifyingly, it is all coming true, and actually a lot faster than he predicted.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Instagram, of course. The influencer culture aside, it’s a great creative space for artists and non-artists alike to share their thoughts and interests, develop their personal style and expand their reach.

  

What’s your favourite TV show?

Currently binge watching The Handsmaid's Tale, but my favourite of all time has to be The Wire. I've just rewatched the first four seasons and it gets even better each time. The depth of the multiple characters and plot twists are second-to-none.

What’s your favourite podcast?

This American Life. As an expat it gives me a really good insight into this side of the pond.

 

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

Beyond The Streets. I loved the LA show and recently checked out the New York one. Such a great mix of art from the streets. It's very easy for people to jump on the street art bandwagon and get it all wrong. This exhibition features most of the names that should be called out.

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

Almost all of our projects need to be done within much more aggressive schedules. These time constraints really layer the pressure onto challenging jobs and demand more of a leap of faith from our clients. Finished work will only be seen very close to delivery and it makes multiple approval levels challenging. 

Conversely, the times we do have extended schedules we face significantly more changes as there is time to tinker with the project. There is definitely a sweet spot for scheduling where the creative partnership works at its best, where our artists are given enough space to develop ideas and our partners enough time to evolve their vision.

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

I would get the decision makers in the same room for all of the key sign offs. Wheel spinning doesn't help anyone.


Who or what has most influenced your career and why?

My old boss and mentor, Jon Collins. He showed me the industry ropes and gave me the opportunity to come to America with Framestore. 

 

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

I was in my local church choir. I had a very mediocre singing voice but we would get paid 10p for practice and 20p for the Sunday service!

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