On My Radar: Ali Ali

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

It’s not incredibly recent, but I still have to say Dougal Wilson’s Unlock [for Apple]. I love the cast. Scratch that. I love everything about that spot.

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

That would be our very own page goodpeople.film because it's always full of bugs,  and I’m constantly looking out for them. 

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

I just bought three iPhone 5c’s. Because I love that size, and I want to make sure i have a lifetime supply of them. There's no way I’m moving on to those new generation Samsung-inspired iPhones.

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Instagram. And then a very distant second is Instagram.  It’s the only social media platform I care about. 

What’s your favourite app on your phone? 

I just said Instagram. But having said that, i couldn’t possibly go on without Spotify. Not happily. Not everyday. Not like that.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Twin Peaks. The old one, by David Lynch. The music and sound design are a monster. Lynch is a monster too, of course. 

What’s your favourite podcast? 

Haliluhah by Douglas Coupland, part of his Revisionist history podcast.   

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

This year, or all time? All time is The Shining. Only because it’s the best 146 mins of celulloid ever shot. This year, it would be The Florida Project by Sean Baker. Fucking epic. And Willem Dafoe’s best performance of all time.

Where were you when inspiration last struck? 

I was taking a dump in Heathrow Terminal 4.   

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

It’s not as fun as it used to be. People are stiffer, more serious and less inspired.

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

I would kill all the award shows and keep just one with the following categories. PRINT. FILM. OUTDOOR. DIGITAL. Thank you very much.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

My fine arts teacher back in college. A great man named Paul Rinaldi. Had it not been for him, I’d now be the tech guy in your agency helping set up your email.

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

I have a degree in computer engineering and started my career writing code.