On My Radar: Armando Bo

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

The New York Times' The Truth Is Worth It campaign is really inspiring.

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

I’m not an 'always up to date” kind of person. I recently got an Apple TV and I love it. Also (and this is technology!) I got a new bike and I use it in Uruguay.

What product could you not live without?

My wallet.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

I loved Parasite. I think it’s a life-changing work of art, and you don’t see those often. Jojo Rabbit is a wonderful movie, too.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of my personal favourites, Milos Forman is that one-of-a-kind director who can create something unique while at the same time he’s aiming at a big audience. He might be an obvious choice now since we switched to an all-screen life during this pandemic. But it’s still fresh.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Instagram. Anybody can share their work and reach millions. It's also good for keeping up with friends and family while I'm abroad.

What’s your favourite TV show?

Nowadays my favourite is El Presidente, a show I created. It's about the FIFA-gate corruption scandal. It has humour, it has drama, it's big, and it was my first experience in this medium. I learnt a lot while doing it. It was a non-stop production, with the best performers. You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video all over the world.

What’s your favourite podcast?

I like Heavyweight a lot. The host, Jonathan Goldstein, is a great storyteller. I find his work very cinematic.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I was lucky to see Frank Stella’s amazing show at LACMA. His use of colour (including the absence of it) shocks you. Please go and check it online. Please. 

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

The eruption of the digital realm. When I started working in advertising as a PA it wasn't even a thing. A few years later, it was used in low-budget films (some of them were very low-budget). Then, after social media took over, it became a huge force. Now, everything is digital. TV is not the only place you go when you crave content, there are many diverse platforms. Advertising has changed and, in some cases, it changed for good. Branded content is very powerful. I enjoyed shooting Lifeline for Qualcomm with Anonymous Content and Ogilvy. Every brand, no matter how big, should invest in contemporary and relevant stories.

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

Formulas. When you have spent all these years shooting, you watch a film and you see how they are rehashing an old idea. Everyone is under so much pressure that more often than not the end result seems safe, like something you have already seen. Thankfully, there is always that film that is new, that makes you feel something different. Maybe there are not that easy to find as before.

Who or what has most influenced your career?

Definitively Steve Golin, a great friend and the founder of Anonymous Content. He was a mentor. We lost him last year, and I miss him very very much.

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

I laugh loudly when I watch Dumb and Dumber. And I watch it more than once a year.