On My Radar: Trefor Thomas

What work do you expect to win big in Cannes this year?

Some of the projects we’ve seen already picking up this year and for good reason: Rei’s Opt Outside – I love this idea and really hope it does well. Equinox’s Commit to Something. Possibly Target’s #moremusic at a more tactical level. And with any luck, Squatty Potty, just because it’s nuts!

What app will you be using on your phone during festival week?

Strava. Because I’m always up and down the Croissette so many times I’m going for a PB for total distance covered.

What device(s) did you travel to the festival with and why?

I go everywhere with my usual bag of tricks, comprising every screen size going. But if it all got thrown overboard, then as long as I’ve got my iPad and B&W headphones, I’m a happy man.

What do you think will be the hot topic of the week this year?

Last year we had everything from authenticity to gender inequality to change for good - ideas benefitting humankind were a real focus across the board. The industry universally got behind these topics – not necessarily new subject matter, but ones with scale and emotion. This year, there may be more pushback on established ways of thinking and doing – so more confrontation and non-acceptance of established behaviours. Along with this, VR will undoubtedly gain more momentum; and I think the real intelligence in AI will become ever more apparent.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

My best inspiration normally comes knockin’ early morning, just as I’m waking up. Or, if I’m unlucky, then in the early hours before I should be waking up which is a pain in the arse (as I would rather be sleeping). However, getting a bit of exercise in during the day definitely helps to get the creative juices flowing, because I can’t always afford to wait until morning!

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

It goes without saying that technology has moved on so far that the industry playing field is almost unrecognisable. But what I find most unbelievable, is that the education in many of our creative establishments has not managed to keep up. The students I’m seeing seem to be being taught with the same structure and similar content to previous decades, which is why I think many of our best creative minds are not necessarily coming from creative centres any more. If one subscribes to the bigger thought that ‘ideas can come from anywhere’, then this approach shouldn’t really be a concern, but where does that leave our creative schools, colleges, universities?

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

It would be to revamp the tertiary education creative curriculum, making it more relevant to tomorrow, and to stop treating it like a history lesson on how we evolved from Bernbach and Gill.

What were you most looking forward to about Cannes this year?

I still get excited, like a kid, when it comes to looking at the work. It’s also always good listening to what Bob Greenberg (below) has to say, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Innovation Awards are evolving. And of course I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the social aspect is a massive bonus, having the opportunity to see mates from all over the world.

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

If anyone tries to talk to me about football I’ll instantly glaze over. No interest whatsoever. In the slightest. So there’s another good reason to be in Cannes and not in Marseilles.