The Source: Myles Lord

Myles Lord, managing creative director of Heimat Berlin, needs certain things to get by, such as music every day and plenty of cheese. He’s also inspired by Berlin’s less famous walls and the city’s plethora of ‘beautiful, creative freaks’.

What is the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen in the last few months?

IBM – A Boy and His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie, in which the IBM Research guys created the first animated film sequence created by moving individual atoms. A wonderfully simple and fascinating piece of work.

What’s your favourite website?

Soundcloud.com. I really love how some artists are using this site. It’s a great way for musicians to connect with listeners in a way that is so clean and simple. It's really just stripped down to what matters most – the music.

What website do you use most regularly?

Probably Twitter, though I don’t tweet much myself, it’s my number one spot for real-time information and a steady stream of inspiration.

What product could you not live without?

I am always within a few metres of some kind of musical instrument. I cannot live a single day without music. Music is both my motivator and my escape. I have always made music on the side as a way of staying sane in the advertising business – I guess we all need some sort of alternative creative outlet. Recently I discovered an incredible piece of hardware called Ableton Push [a music-making instrument/controller]. I’ve become completely addicted. That and my trusty Beats Pro headphones are always kept within reach.

What product hasn’t been invented yet that would make your life/job better?

The hoverboards in Back to the Future Part II. According to the film they would be available in late 2015. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

What track/artist do you listen to for inspiration?

Die Antwoord. It’s normally my psyche-up music on the plane before important presentations. These guys hail from my home, Cape Town, so their music hits me extra hard. They have a unique sound that puts raw South African rap lyrics over thumping rave beats – a bizarre and powerful cocktail of music and art. I love how they control every aspect of their work, from music through to design, video direction, wardrobe and art. They produce the total package. It has been great to watch them rise from playing in small pokey bars to sell-out world tours. They are a huge inspiration to me.

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

Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity was just phenomenal. One of the most riveting films I have ever seen. An eerie masterpiece that’s both brilliantly written and magnificently executed. 

Who’s your favourite designer?

Zaha Hadid – her work is magical and utopian. She designs fascinating objects that I could just stare at for hours – your eyes want to know and devour every detail. I love how her architecture dances and flows so beautifully – the forms she creates really appear to move in front of your eyes.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

Since the days of The Wall, Berlin has always had a strong graffiti culture. The city feels like one big sprawling urban art gallery with some of the best street artists from all over the world coming to put up their work. Recently we had JR come here to do part of his series called The Wrinkles of The City, in which 15 walls were covered with large images portraying elderly people who’ve lived through the changes and upheavals of the city. Really great work and a lot of it is still up.

If you could live in one city, where would it be?

Berlin is by far my favourite city and I have loved every moment of my seven years here so far. There’s an abundance of creative energy and inspiration. Berlin seems to always be a magnet attracting beautiful, creative freaks from all over the world. There’s so much amazing art and music to explore. The city is hectic and always under construction, but drive for an hour out of town and you’ll discover gorgeous lakes and forests. Another hour and you’re at the beach.

Mac or PC?

Mac all the way. I met my first Mac in 1993 at Y&R – the mighty Macintosh LCIII. It’s crazy to think that today my iPhone has more than five times the processing power.

What fictitious character do you most relate to?

Probably Wallace from Wallace and Gromit. I guess because we are both really dedicated to our love of cheese.

What’s your favourite magazine?

A quarterly art and culture magazine from New York called Cabinet is always a great read. It’s amazing how many agencies have ripped advertising ideas out of there.

Who’s your favourite photographer?

Jillian Lochner. Jillian always creates beautiful pictures that often have a sinister twist. She has amazing ideas and observations and is also a really lovely, inspiring person to work with.

If you could have been in any band, which band would you choose?

Actually I would love to have worked in the studio with genius producer Rick Rubin – I guess maybe as an assistant engineer or even just making the coffee. He produced the landmark albums of Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, Nine Inch Nails, Johnny Cash, Jay-Z and more. I would love to know how he managed to get a band or artist to create their greatest work.