On My Radar: Richard Denney

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

Has to be the Audi Clowns spot. An absolute gem of an idea and executed beautifully.

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

I regularly pop into thisiscolossal.com; it’s like visiting an amazing museum or gallery without having to leave your chair. The talent/work on show there is incredible and will always leave you full of inspiration.

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

Alexa. We have one in pretty much every room at home now. Makes me feel a little like Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne.

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Twitter, for the time being.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

Camera+.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

You can’t beat a good laugh and the BBC Three mockumentary, People Just Do Nothing is proper funny.

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

Oh blimey there’re loads. Ok, let’s go with The Godfather. A real masterpiece in classic filmmaking from the script to casting, performance, cinematography, music, the location, sets; it’s all there. So powerful, so tragic and beautiful. If you ever get the chance to see it performed live with a 60-piece orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, I highly recommend it. You will be blown away….

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

The loo.

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

The worldwide web.

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

We’re proud that St Luke’s’ creative dept is 50:50 male:female, and our wider management team is 55:45. It’s a known fact that gender diversity creates better thinking and creative, a more dynamic workspace and increases profitability. But there’s still more to be done.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

My grandfather, Dick Denney. He was famous in the music industry for creating something unique (see below).

I grew up inspired by this incredible, charismatic man and wanted to do something special that people would like and respect me for. Hopefully some of the work I have created throughout my career has achieved that, but there’s still lots to do to create THAT piece of work.

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

I am the grandson of Dick Denney [above], inventor of the VOX AC30 amplifier, which created the sound of the 60s and shaped the sound of pop music. It is regarded as one of the best amplifiers ever made. From the Beetles and Kurt Cobain to Brian May and Tom Yorke of Radiohead, the best of the best used it and still do today.