On My Radar: Dan Mace

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

Samsung Ostrich. It runs off Casey Neistat’s Do What You Can’t YouTube clip. It’s light and uplifting. Dig it.

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

YouTube. It's where I get most of my ideas for the commercial space. YouTube creators are the most raw creatives, who focus on story first and aesthetic later. For me, telling a compelling story is the most important, no matter what medium you use.

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

I’m not really a tech guy. Recently I bought a waterproof bluetooth speaker from JBL and use it loads.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram.

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

Snapseed. Great simple editing app for iPhone photos; ideal for throwing together location images and putting the right look on them.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

This generally changes dependent on what I am watching at the time. Stranger Things has a great score which really got me going but I am more into Narcos at the moment as the cinematography is great. Actually, everything is pretty great in Narcos.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Requiem For A Dream.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Haha! I always get inspired to create when I am in a shitty situation. The last time was on a local beach in Cape Town filled with trash. It made me really bleak to see people littering with no cares in the world so I decided to start a campaign around it.

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

I have only been in the industry for a year now, but there have been some changes. I feel like agencies are giving young guys like myself a chance to ‘wildcard’ on the bigger jobs, which is great for learning!

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

Collaboration. I’d like to be more involved from the start with the creatives. Every time we have started during the script process, the job always turns out better.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

I have had loads of influences but the longest standing influence is my father. He taught me that ‘you should stop listening to answer and start listening to understand.’