On My Radar: Fenar Ahmad

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

Momondo's DNA journey - It has a very powerful message that is much needed, considering the political climate generally in the world today.

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

Apple´s trailers to see whats on the way; HYPEBEAST and Complex for pop culture and different big news site´s as BBC, the Danish newspaper Politiken, The Guardian and nike.com and Kicks Lab because I love sneakers.

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

A new macbook. It is super slim and works great for writing and not carrying a heavy load around.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram is great because we communicate through images across languages and borders. Facebook makes me sad these days - its just full of negative bullshit that people project on to other people.

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

My mail app is by far the greatest thing because it enables me to work from everywhere. Beside that, Spotify or Apple music are my most heavily used apps, cant go anywhere without music in my ears.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Try to stay away from that stuff, the internet has much greater things to offer. But Narcos was good.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

A Prophet by Jacques Audiard. I am always surprised that many haven't seen this film. It is in my opinion one of the best European films ever made.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Hanging out with my good friend Reza in a park. He is a music-producer and sometimes when you spend time with another artist that works with a different craft, you tend to look at your own in a different way.

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

That social media is a big part of the reason if a campaign is succesful or not. Back in the good old days, a brand could just pay money to get exposure, but today you need the audience to take part in the commercial and share it with their friends. And almost nobody under the age of 40 watches television any more. We all stream and I think the advertising companies and brands need to focus on this matter more because the age of televison is over. My 8-year-old daughter does not understand the concept of waiting for a show to start, she just touches the screen.

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

That there was more trust between all the different people working together on a campaign. It seems that too many people are scared of failure, and fear is maybe the single worst thing to be influenced by when you need to create a powerful message, film or campaign.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Shooting my second feature film Darkland with DOP Kasper Tuxen. His vision and work-ethic has inspired and lifted my craft and ambition.