On My Radar: Ryan Ebner

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

I really like the Heinz ketchup stuff coming out of Rethink lately. Really simple, really smart ideas. And I also love the new Balenciaga campaign. It’s inspired by old Hollywood screen tests. Has a cool vibe and looks amazing.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

As a New Yorker, I find that I’m on the NY Times website more often than anything. A lot of this has to do with their daily games. I love the crossword puzzle. But Connections is my fave. It’s ironic, but I’m trying to play more games and read less news these days. For work, I’m on SHOTDECK a lot. It’s a terrific resource for treatments as well as inspiration for visual approaches to my projects.

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

I recently bought an 86” LG TV with a Sonos surround sound system for my living room, and it has completely changed the TV experience for me. I’m a big proponent of seeing films in the theatre, but the technology that’s available for the home these days is hard to deny. I have films running all day long in the background. It’s glorious.

What product could you not live without?

My Keurig coffee maker, and my Xbox.

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

This year was tough for film. I saw a lot of contenders for Best Picture, but a lot of them just fell a little flat. I voted for Anora for Best Picture in the DGA. But, in retrospect, after the awards season, I feel like Dune 2 didn’t get enough applause. It’s a very, very strong film from 2024. And I love anything Denis Villeneuve touches.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Step Brothers by Adam McKay. It just might be the most comedy movie ever made in the history of comedying.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Without sounding cliché, I’m trying to limit my social media exposure right now. But I do like TikTok. You find some of the funniest stuff because creators can be unfiltered. That freedom in this medium allows outside-of-the-box thinking to happen more organically than within the confines of a corporate marketing mindset.

What’s your favourite TV show?

Succession. Hands down. The writing, acting, and execution of that show are impeccable. I’ve watched the entire show, from start to finish, three times now. And every time I watch, I see something subtle and brilliant in the storyline. That’s a sign of a truly great TV show.

What’s your favourite podcast?

Lex Friedman. He curates supremely cerebral guests, like astro physicists and neuroscientists, but makes the conversations understandable, even to a layperson like me. I geek out on that stuff.

What have you been most inspired by recently?

Adolescence.

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

I was raised on The Smiths. The musical and emotional complexity of that project was so deep and relatable; I’m still finding new experiences every time I listen. There’s a cinematic aesthetic to their canon of work. Every song could be a film that might be funny, depressing, poignant and catastrophically poetic, all at the same time.

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

We are living in a fear-based market. It has severely stifled our acceptance of new, innovative ways to speak to one another. Most brands are not striving for ground-breaking, big ideas anymore. When the conglomerates bought up all the agencies, the focus went away from the work and more on the bottom line. I wish that would change because I truly believe in the power of great creativity to serve brands in the long run.