On My Radar: Dan Phillips

Dan Phillips is senior producer at MPC Creative and has recently been inpressed by a caign harnessing social for football fans, American comedy TV on a long haul flight and is ever-influenced by the presence of recording artist Prince.

He likes Lipton's recent tea ad and has been enjoying cups under the covers thanks to wireless technology. Here he offers the full lowdown on his creative radar.

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

Can I say two? Working in digital you see some really great uses of social for advertising and brand engagement, and it would be remiss of me not to mention a forward-looking and digitally-enabled advertising caign here.

So for that reason I loved Juventus Football Club’s social-driven choreography caign inviting fans worldwide to suggest a set-piece for supporters to display in the game with Inter Milan. #LoveJu was just perfect as an exle of why digital can be so powerful and reach over into the physical world, but also why being a football supporter is uniquely awesome.

I also really loved The Muppets’ launch of Lipton’s #BeMoreTea caign, by adam&eveDDB, that ran during the Oscars, though I inevitably came across it online. I liked it for a number of reasons, but basically because it envisions New York City populated by millions of versions of the Muppet character Animal, one of the greatest comedy characters ever invented, so I’m not sure what there is not to like. But the messaging is also very nice, after all who could #BeMoreTea and more chilled out in a world full of Animals than Kermit. From an execution perspective it is also animated and composited really nicely, too.

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

Google. Um, because, wait LMGTFY… seriously, though, it is just the de facto starting point for enquiry and random flights of fancy, sourcing imagery and expanding knowledge. It is kind of depressing but amazing at the same time.

For more specifics, Creative Applications is a treasure trove of amazing ideas, simply and elegantly presented that I will check in with daily.

Then there’s 22 Tracks and The Music Snobs for musical wisdom and exploration.

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

The iKettle. Prepare to make a brew from under the duvet. Phenomenal.

Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter. Reader’s Digest for an attention-deprived generation. But it is great to combine self-selected discovery of cool stuff about things I am interested in, with friend-based banter. Believe it or not I am not on Facebook.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

DuoLingo because it is free and amazingly effective at helping you learn languages.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Currently Archer, which is so puerile and crammed full of amazing lines I can’t help but keep on repeat, and I have just gotten into Parks and Recreation after accidental discovery on a recent long haul plane ride and so am intent on catching up to Season six which is where I began. It looks brilliant from the three episodes I saw, with incredible characters.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

At the risk of being archetypally laddish, The Empire Strikes Back is pretty much perfect. For an artsier response, I would suggest the original Wizard of Oz, which is still astonishing in terms of its visuals, and has a story and charm that is universally applicable.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Los Angeles. I was inspired by the Mexican food I ate regularly to try to find a decent Mexican restaurant in London. No luck as yet. From a work point of view, putting on an Avegant Glyph headset sparked off a million ideas. Along with the Oculus Rift, the possibilities of what we can do within MPC Creative in utilising our broader 3D, VFX and digital talents to enhance immersive worlds is really beyond exciting.

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

Mobile. Everything has gone mobile. The resultant changes are pretty jaw-dropping for communication, engagement, tech awareness; life in general. We take it for granted, given we carry it around in our pockets. And looking ahead I am really interested to see where wearable tech takes us in terms of immersive experiences, but also in terms of life-changing applications for usage of data, enhanced reality, equality (I hope, as opposed to just tracking and selling things to us).

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

Make it less self-centred and ego-driven and more focussed on social and environmental awareness. I don’t know how that works in practice but I wish the whole industry was just more aware and engaged in ways to help tackle climate change and social inequality, through ideas as well as amended working practices. Initiatives like D&AD’s White Pencil are a massive step in the right direction.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

I have worked outside of advertising for a lot longer than inside, and my career has been broad and varied with lots of amazing influences thrown in, from lots of wonderfully talented people who have been kind enough to share their thoughts, advice and support.

Within advertising specifically my colleagues within MPC Creative inspire me everyday to try to help them deliver spectacular visual experiences, no matter the space or screen. I hope they will continue to be an important influence on my career moving forward. So all of them. And Prince. Just because he is Prince and has been there every funky step of the way.

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

Deep down I still want to be a historian. Or a rapper. Or maybe both.