The Source: Al MacCuish

Al MacCuish, co-founder and chief creative officer, Sunshine London, can’t get enough of the carefully curated and crafted, whether it’s the background story of Bowie at the V&A, Mark Rylance’s Cromwell, Chipotle’s history-making The Scarecrow, Shinola’s lovingly engineered timepieces, or Perry Haydn Taylor-inspired designer groceries in his kitchen cupboards

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

Chipotle’s The Scarecrow by CAA Marketing blew my mind. It’s a perfect piece of work. From the script and grade on the film, to the beautifully engineered app, and how it was activated socially – wow! There are very few brand campaigns that have won an Emmy – it’s the only one that I know of that won an award in the Entertainment category rather than the Marketing slot.

What’s your favourite website?

Acontinuouslean.com. I love finding out the stories behind how products and objects are made, their history. This is the ultimate geek site for that. Warning: you can get completely lost on their blog roll. It’s like going through the looking glass.

What website do you use most regularly?

The Guardian: national treasure.

Mac or PC?

Mac.

What’s your favourite magazine?

Wallpaper.

What product could you not live without?

My Shinola watch. Kit [Hawkins, Sunshine CEO] and I went to their factory in Detroit last year and we were blown away by what they’re doing. The attention to detail that goes into their products is incredible.

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

An electronic twin who is much better than me at all the things I’m terrible at (which is a great many).

What track/artist would you listen to for inspiration?

That changes by the hour! It’s totally driven by how I’m feeling or what the task is. My top five at the moment are: Exile by Hurts, Love Will Never Tear Us Apart by Paloma Faith, the soundtrack to Waltz With Bashir by Max Richter, Fever To The Form by Nick Mulvey, and Ice Cold Daydream by Shuggie Otis.

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

I’m watching more television than films at the moment. I’m obsessed with Wolf Hall – from Mark Rylance’s performance to the cinematography, it’s extraordinary.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

The David Bowie exhibition at the V&A. I know the music backwards, but being able to see the history behind that and understand how all the chapters of his life stitched together was transformative, especially the circumstances around his time in Berlin.

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

Tokyo. I mean LA. I mean Paris. Oh, okay then, London. Yes. London.

What fictitious character do you most relate to?

Sherlock. I wish. Probably Tom Hanks in Big would be more honest.

Who’s your favourite photographer?

Jane Bown, whom I was lucky enough to meet. Her story is an inspiration. Simplicity, humility, humanity.

Who’s your favourite designer?

I can’t pick one. I have favourites, plural. When I think about the designers that mean the most to me, I think about the people who have designed things we have in our house or lives. Anthony Burrill – who my wife introduced me to – is a genius. Never has one man done so much to reintroduce us to the wonders of typography in a digital age. Michael Mast – one half of the Mast Brothers – is responsible for their insanely good packaging. Talking of packaging, Perry Haydn Taylor at Big Fish is another big favourite. He’s created more beautifully designed household brands than any man I know. Our cupboards are full of his work. The list goes on and on. The team at Partners & Spade in NYC are also heroes of mine – the care and craft they put into their projects is inspiring.