On My Radar: Russell Davies

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

Blimey. Now you mention it I’m not sure I can think of one. Er... the last thing I remember being really envious of is the campaign of ‘fictional products’ Brendan Dawes did for MailChimp. Was that advertising? Probably not, but it was really good.

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

Kottke.org: old-fashioned, hand-rolled, artisanal content. Good stuff on the internet delivered at a human, humane pace.

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

A little sampler called Radio Music by a company called Music Thing. It makes music making slightly random and analogue, which I like.

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Favejet.com: a manageable way to read Twitter. The stuff that people you like have faved.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

Apart from all the obvious ones, the thing I love most is 1 Second Everyday. It makes me pay attention to the world and find a second of something to film, as the name suggests, every day. And then it makes it easy to stitch them together.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

The Good Wife. Old-fashioned, over-the-top serial television that takes women’s lives seriously.

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

Gregory’s Girl. It shows you the emotional weight and joy you can get out of the small and ordinary.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

On the A52 between Derby and Nottingham.

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

As I’ve only been in it for around 30 years there have been no significant changes. The first one was the conjoining of art directors and copywriters in the 60s. The second one was the invention of planning in the mid-70s. I missed both of those. Since then, nothing. 

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

I would create the cultures and competence that made it OK for people to go home at 5pm.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Two things have been ever-present through my career; PowerPoint and the internet. So, Robert Gaskins (the inventor of PowerPoint) has to be up there; he created the most effective, flexible and accessible creative tool ever. He’s a daily inspiration.

And then the community of people I meet online keep me alert and refreshed. Lately the big inspiration has been Rachel Coldicutt - the CEO of Doteveryone - a think tank I advise. They’re fighting for a fairer internet. That is good work.

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

My first job was writing jokes for the BBC.