On My Radar: Robert Herman

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

It’s not a campaign but an Xbox spot [Player 2] written by a kid who had lost his dad, a kind of eulogy. Microsoft didn’t pay for it, or have any part in making, but I like the thought that this can be advertising. It also has a truth underpinning it, which is not always the case.

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

It’s Nice That/Consume Consume/Nowness/Artnau/Thisisnthappiness

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

A smart watch (not an iWatch).  I have no idea why I bought it, it’s actually quite annoying.

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Probably Instagram.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

Maps – I have the worst sense of direction.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Better Call Saul – dark, humourous and brilliatlly human.

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

Son of Saul. A totally unique, visceral and exceptional way to tell a story that has been told many different ways before.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Bed.

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

That advertising is no longer a space bought for a captive audience, it’s embedded in our lives.

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

Fear. Fortune favours the brave. In a conservative market it doesn’t take a big step to stand out, yet so many clients are afraid to.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

All the people who have disagreed with me.

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

I’m scared of earthquakes and live in LA. Genius!