On My Radar: Will Barnett

Will Barnett sat on the jury for Branded Content and Entertainment at last week's Cannes International Festival of Creativity. Below, he talks about the festival highlights and his favourite gadgets. 

What’s your favourite Cannes winner and why?

Volvo Trucks The Epic Split. Simple, beautifully crafted, true to the brand, strangely compelling, shared across the world. I’m green with envy.

What app did you use most through festival week?

Instagram, Cannes Lion app and Sky Sports.

What device(s) did you travel with?

I give everything I have to Apple.

1: iPhone to take pics, tweet, message, email and maybe call.

2: iPad air for news and watching the football and FaceTime.

3: MacBook Pro for work, editing and script writing.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Fargo has blown me away with Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton in Channel 4’s remake of the Cohen brother’s classic. Razor sharp writing from Noah Hawley makes for hypnotic and addictive storytelling.

W1A makes me squirm and laugh out loud with paranoid delight.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

2001: A Space Odyssey.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

I constantly find inspiration when I’m not looking for it. The last time? Whilst playing ping-pong.

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

Digital has changed everything. The speed of change is so inspiring. From cameras, to editing, to post production. The changes in media are extraordinary too with audiences curating their own schedules across multiple devices.

The new tools and platforms all open up a new world of creative opportunities.

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

Marketers should become digital by default. (It’s happening in the world, some brand teams are being slow to catch up).

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

Secretly, I make gin.