On My Radar: Pete Marquis

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

It feels tacky to say something I was a part of making, but I genuinely loved Tubi’s Super Bowl prank. It was an idea the super-talented folks at Mischief came up with that ran during last year’s Super Bowl. Using the actual game announcers, the ad faked a return from the commercial break, then abruptly interrupted the game with a TV overlay and scrolled over to the Tubi app. 

To millions of unsuspecting viewers, it seemed like someone was deliberately changing the channel. At that moment, it was 35-35 with four minutes left, so it really fucked with people. We shot it months in advance; so much had to go right for that idea to work. We’re lucky it did. I think it was so smart for a brand to get weird and mess with people on that big of a stage.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Will this be running in Utah? I’m pretty sure it’s illegal for me to answer this in Utah. In all seriousness, I probably spend the most time getting sucked into Reddit. I love the comments. I like to imagine the people making them, what they’re like, and how they picture they’re coming across. I also find myself on Shotdeck a ton. I’ll have it up when I’m looking for references because the site’s filtering system is so good... but then I tend to get lost in that site and start dissecting shots.

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

I bought an oil level sensor for my car. Mostly because the light was coming on; otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have thought of it. I’ve been unofficially boycotting new tech because I spend all day getting mad at Bluetooth devices. I have so many problems I need the next generation of geniuses to solve.

What product could you not live without?

CLEAR. I’d miss every flight without it. Then I wouldn’t have work. My wife would leave me. I’d go off into the woods to reevaluate my life. I’d realise I have no reception, which would complicate things, considering I depend entirely on YouTube to survive outdoors. And after a few days, that’d be the end of me. So, yeah, I can’t live without CLEAR.

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

Incendies. I missed it when it came out, but I love everything Denis Villeneuve has done, so I figured I’d give it a shot. It’s bleak, but it’s fantastic. Ask me again after Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget comes out.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

I always get self-conscious about this one but, in my opinion, My Cousin Vinny is my perfect movie. I would take it to a desert island and name my volleyball Mona Lisa Vito. Everyone else can watch Doctor Zhivago and tell me what happens because I always fall asleep.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Instagram. It’s inspiring. It helps me keep up with friends. And, whenever I want to feel bad about myself, I can go there to feel that, too.

What’s your favourite TV show?

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson. I love the way my wife leaves the room when I put it on.

What’s your favourite podcast?

Valley Heat is my all-time top podcast. Nothing satisfies me more than hearing what the Burbank Rancho Equestrian District is getting up to. 

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I spent an afternoon at Meow Wolf in Denver, and the magnitude of it blew me away. The edible I took beforehand also blew me away.

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?

You watch, I’m gonna say somebody and then they’re gonna go off and do some tragically bad shit and get canceled, and then this will live on the Internet forever, and I’ll wish I never answered this. But here goes… R. Kelly. There’s no way that guy will ever do anything unforgivable – he sang I Believe I Can Fly on the Space Jam soundtrack.