On My Radar: Logan Wilmont

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

It’s ridiculous, but I can’t think of a single thing I’ve seen as ‘a consumer’ recently. I’ve seen some fabulous work, but it’s always on industry sites, that talk to our industry. We can scour the globe from our desks and see some great pieces… a McWhopper here and a Mt Expo there, but it's scarce pickings. Is it the fragmentation of media, the proliferation of channels, or is it just that there’s not a lot of good work out there? Where have all the great campaigns gone? Or is the more appropriate question of where have all the brave clients and the brave agencies gone?

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

Google. Can you really use the internet without it?

Thefwa.com. Much more than websites. An inspiring reminder of all the tools at our disposal.

Spotify. It helps me discover new music beyond the usual radio playlists. (Although my teenagers tell me that dattpiff.com is a much fairer way to get original playlists directly from the artists, without giving money to the record labels).

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

I bought a drone. Not for me, but for my stepson. He’s 16 and a really talented filmmaker. He can write, shoot and edit like a pro, and now he has soaring production values too. He’s part of a new generation of filmmakers who are at ease with technology, the new channels and NO budget. I believe this new breed will reinvigorate our industry, bringing new levels of execution to everyone, and that in turn will put more emphasis on the quality of our ideas. Let’s hope so.

What’s the last item – tech or otherwise – you bought that improved your life

I bought a Filson computer bag (to carry all my tech). It lights up my life.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

I used to be obsessed with Twitter. Not tweeting, but following fascinating people who posted fascinating things. I used Tweetdeck to track them, but the constant boing of incoming tweets added so much stress to my life that I had to disconnect from it. Now I’m happy with a little vacuous voyeurism on Facebook and Instagram.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

I love apps that make my life easier. We have three teenagers in our house (with two daughters below), all moving independently around London, Uber has saved my sanity. The interface is extraordinary, so good it even makes me feel like a better parent, giving them freedom and reassuring myself at the same time. Genius, truly.

Ten Health. A simple little interface for my gym. No million dollar builds or pointless content here. Just smooth utility that allows me to plan workouts weeks in advance, book them, get alerts, and even pay for sessions without ever having to pick up the phone. It has effectively removed all my excuses for not working out.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

I’m a ‘box set-er’ and a ‘catchup-er’. I love the sheer gluttony of multiple episodes, and there are some great shows that deserve that… House of Cards, True Detective, Making a Murderer and most things dark and Scandi.  All amazing quality productions worth my valuable time. But nothing beats the real life drama of live sport, it’s the only thing I appointment view.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Hmmm. City of God is a masterclass in directing. Toy Story a masterclass in screen-writing.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

In the shower, always the shower.

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

It’s obvious I suppose, but the impact of technology. I joined an analogue business. A simple, one dimensional business that valued ideas, execution and craft and was in return valued by clients. Technology and the web have fragmented our business to the point where clients see no value in what we do. Many believe they can do it themselves (maybe with the help of Google and a handful of conflicted agencies they can boss around). But clients are more in need of great unifying ideas than ever, to stand out from the clutter and not get lost in a tidal wave of touchpoints, channels, buzzwords and BS.

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

That we weren’t so insecure and needy. We do something that is of real value to clients. Something that goes beyond ‘platforms’, ‘devices’ and ‘programmatics’. It is the power of an idea, brilliantly executed, to get inside people’s consciousness and move them. It’s not maths or science, its creativity. If only we valued that more, perhaps our clients would too.

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

I’m not as angry as I sound.