On My Radar: Carlo Cavallone

Carlo Cavallone is responsible for all creative and culture at 72andSunny Amsterdam and was previously at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam for almost nine years as a creative director for EA Sports and Turkcell. He joined 72andSunny LA in 2010 before returning to the Netherlands to oversee global accounts such as Pirelli, Benetton, Samsung and Bacardi. He’s a former rugby player, a fanzine editor, sci-fi shorts director and a conspiracy theories believer.

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

I really loved the recent Beds film for IKEA. It doesn't get much better than that. Juan Cabral is a very talented guy.

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

I regularly visit IMDB. I’m a movie fanatic. I love all kind of movies, from really good to really bad. I get on IMDB and I end up completely lost in reading about upcoming movies. I create my own “IMDB-trails”. I’m fascinated by the movie industry. It’s like the advertising industry but the stakes are much higher.

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

A GPS enabled “wearable” (yes, a watch) to run with.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook. I have a Twitter account, but I only use it to follow MC Hammer.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

I would love to say the New York Times or something smart like that instead of Candy Crush but then, I would be lying.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

I love a lot of shows. Two all-time favourites are The Wire and Community.  I love shows that are really well written and both of those are but in very different ways.

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

That’s a massive question. I would say people should watch a lot of movies, all the time. Fargo and The 400 Blows come to mind. They are both about innocence and deceitfulness – themes that I find very interesting.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

It must have been in the shower. It always happens in the shower.

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

The speed projects move at and the fact that creative development and production now work in parallel. I remember working on animatics, mood videos and sketches since forever. Now you are kind-of-editing or building a website two days after you come up with the idea.  I think that’s a good thing, by the way.

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

I am not sure because I think the industry is quite good as it is.  Maybe it would be better to have more women involved in it. But I think it’s happening already. So I say: Good on you, advertising industry!

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Two things – moving to Amsterdam when I started to work at Wieden+Kennedy and then meeting Glenn Cole and John Boiler, who now own 72andSunny. Both moving to Amsterdam and meeting those guys allowed me to discover a completely new way of doing this job. 

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

I am very superstitious – it’s an Italian thing. Most people don’t know that I am though. Or perhaps they assume I am because I am Italian. If they do, they are right.