On My Radar: Brendan Gibbons

Station Film director Brendan Gibbons thinks we should all see a certain film directed by one Brendan Gibbons; can't quite quit Arianna Huffinton and owes a lot to Bill Murray... but don't we all?

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

I love the moment in pharma ads when the side effects disclaimer goes on so long you're not sure if it's a joke. I also love elephants. So the Spiriva ad where the guy takes his elephant companion for an afternoon jaunt to a classic car show is gold.

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

The Huffington Post, although I don’t want it to be. I don’t care if “Jessica Alba doesn’t look like this anymore,” anymore. And yet, I can’t quit you, Arianna.

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

I have a MacBook Air that doesn’t have a dvd player so I don’t have to be troubled on airplanes watching the free movies the DGA sends me. I also have a new light for my bike that has three settings – blink, super blink, crazy super blink. You never know what kind of mood you’ll be in when riding home from the bar.

Facebook or Twitter?

They were both better when it was just about the music before they got all corporate.

What’s your favorite app on your phone?

I like to pretend I know how to use the Artemis View Finder app when people are watching.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Human Giant. The episode when Aziz Ansari wore a paper Mary-Kate Olsen mask to get into a club and wound up having sex with Will Arnett. The “why?” part of this feels self-explanatory.

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

Mine. It’s a film about income inequality called Preoccupied that’s both poignant and hilarious. Which is a combo we haven’t seen since Breaking the Waves. Afterwards, everyone should go to Scopa on Washington Blvd and order a Mamie Taylor. It’s got whiskey, it’s got ginger, it’s delicious. That’s what everyone should do. Sorry, I meant that’s what everyone should have already done. I’m frankly a little disappointed in most of you.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

The shower. Every shower should have some kind of water-proof sharpie board because it’s so nice in there, by the time you leave you’ve forgotten your ideas. I’d like to invent one, but it would be easier if someone else could do this then tell me where to buy it.

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

My first job was as an administrative assistant for an account executive. I like the industry more now that I don’t do that. Also the budgets. They’re just growing so bloated now, it’s hard to spend all that money when clients aren’t really asking for that much.

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

More trust. Let people close the gaps and get the idea on their own. That’s when they connect to an ad, either by being emotionally moved or by laughing. Spelling it out isn’t funny. Unless there’s a kid getting pushed off a bike by an adult. That’s always funny.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

A ridiculously disproportional number of films that have inspired me in performance and visual style have starred Bill Murray. So, if pressed, I guess I’d have to say Stanley Kubrick.