On My Radar: Thom Darlow

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

I am super jealous of Tide’s It’s a Tide Ad Superbowl spot. It’s got an awesome insight. The tone is bang on. And best of all, it’s refreshing to see an actual idea in the Superbowl.

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

Complex, Kottke, Pitchfork, Stabmag, BBC News, Colossal, Brown Cardigan, and The Fader. I’m a nerd who loves hip hop and waves. These are the websites on my toolbar, and I rarely think to click outside them.

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

I just got a Modom shark proof surf leash. It uses magnets to mess with sharks’ navigation systems and scare them off. Apparently, they are great, but it’s a bit chunky so I haven’t got around to actually using it yet.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram. Like, 200 times a day. It’s bad.
 

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

Probably Instagram to be honest. I hardly ever post on it, but I’m always pesting around the fringes of everyone else’s posts when I’m supposed to be working.
 

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

It’s past its heyday now, but Trailer Park Boys is still just so unbelievably good. Broad City [below] is probably my favourite show that is still running – it’s so funny that it’s easy to miss how brave it is.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Again, it’s old, but the cult Australian film The Castle is the only film ever written where every single line of dialogue is quotable. Do I think the world would be a better place if everyone watched it? Not at all. But damn it’s good!

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

In a tent on my back lawn last night, trying to get some sleep because my kid is sprouting new teeth and keeps yelling about it.
 

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

Data – it’s great at a strategic level, but, in my opinion, there has never been a more effective way to defend average creative.
 

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

I know it’s an easy hobby horse to ride right now, but diversity is the thing I’d change. The arguments for diversity are obvious, but even if you hate it, pretty much every brand wants to reach diverse audiences, so it makes sense to have people who understand those audiences in your office.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Levi Slavin dragged me out of obscurity and gifted me a plum job at the greatest agency on earth. So, him. He is so freakishly talented that every time he opens his mouth you learn something new. 
 

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

I lived in the bush for six months when I was 14. Long story.