The Source: Andy Nairn

Andy Nairn, co-founder of Lucky Generals, has nothing but respect for Paul Smith, may have left his heart in San Francisco, finds food-based art deeply fulfilling, and takes refuge in ambient soundscapes when the world gets too noisy

What is the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen in the last few months?

I loved the ‘dial-a-Swede’ [The Swedish Number] campaign that won the Direct Grand Prix at Cannes recently. In a world where advertising ideas are often over-engineered, this concept for Sweden’s tourist board – allowing people around the world to call a number and have an unfiltered conversation with a random native – is so simple and pure, it stands out.

What’s your favourite website?

I’ve just discovered asoftmurmur.com, a site which allows you to plug in your headphones and select ambient sounds to block out the distractions of the outside world. Perfect for when a tricky deadline looms. (I’m currently filling in this questionnaire to the sounds of a tropical rainstorm, in the desperate hope that it cures my writer’s block. There, that’s two questions done already.)

What website do you use most regularly?

I really enjoy SabotageTimes for a daily dose of opinions I wouldn’t find in the mainstream media.

Instagram or Twitter?

That’s an easy one – and not just because we’re Twitter’s first UK agency of record [they won the pitch last year]. I genuinely love the platform and have been a user since the early days. I love how eclectic it is, how democratic the connections are and how live the conversations are. Although admittedly, I mostly use it to share dodgy dad jokes and GIFs, rather than lessons in marketing leadership.

What product could you not live without?

My trusty Moleskine notebook is never far from my side and when I lose it (which is very often), I get a bit panicky.

What product hasn’t been invented yet that would make your life/job better?

A time machine. I’m writing this the day after the Brexit vote, so I’d go back 24 hours, armed with a few choice facts and warnings for Leave voters.

What track/artist would you listen to for inspiration?

None of the music I like to listen to is inspirational, in the literal sense. I’ve always been into fairly tortured stuff like Joy Division and The Smiths – and this taste has now morphed into a love of modern miseries like John Grant and Antony and the Johnsons. An exception might be something by Stornoway, who have some acceptably upbeat tracks like Zorbing or I Saw You Blink.

If you could live in one city, where would it be?

I spent a couple of years living in San Francisco, while I was working at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and my only regret is that I didn’t spend longer there. Not only is the city buzzing with creative opportunities, but the culture is avowedly liberal and the aesthetics are amazing. Even the weather – while mocked by most Americans – is perfect for a pasty Scot like me.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

A very funny short film called A Reasonable Request, directed by Andrew Laurich. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but suffice to say the story concerns a desperate son who gets back in touch with his estranged father with a request that is anything but ‘reasonable’.

It is only eight minutes long and shot in one location but the dialogue is so well-written, the acting and direction so note-perfect and the idea so downright dark that it packs an incredible punch. Just don’t watch it with your kids.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I am ashamed to say I can’t think of one. A sad reflection on the downside of start-up life: I need to get out more.

What’s your favourite magazine?

Fast Company magazine is great for putting our own creativity in a wider context (often in a rather humbling way).

What fictitious character do you most relate to?

My favourite novel is A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, whose main character is a grotesquely driven contrarian called Ignatius Reilly. While this individual is an absolute monster, I harbour a secret dread that my love of the book means that I subconsciously relate to him.

Who’s your favourite photographer?

Another easy one. One of my best friends is the supremely talented Patrice de Villiers, currently counting her latest haul of Cannes Lions, won with Parisian agency Marcel for their Intermarché campaign. She has an extraordinary gift for finding beauty in something as mundane as baked beans.

Who’s your favourite designer?

I feel I should probably name somebody impressively obscure here. But my colleagues will only grass me up. So the truthful answer is Paul Smith. Not only do I like the cut of his jib (whatever that is), I admire his backstory and attitude to life: a self-made entrepreneur, who never rests on his laurels.

If you could have been in any band, what band would you choose?

As per my answer above, all my favourite bands are pretty miserable, so I’m not sure being in any of them would be a bundle of laughs. Would have been a blast hanging around with Bowie for a few decades though, wouldn’t it?