On My Radar: Roger Bova

Below Barton F. Graf 9000’s head of design, Roger Bova, talks about some of the media and tech that takes his fancy, as well as his opinions on the state of the advertising industry in 2015.

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

It’s older and a bit much now, but I remember when it came out—that 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee The Things We Make, Make Us campaign. Especially the launch commercial. It wouldn’t work as well now, but was powerful and well-played for the political and economic climate at the time.

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

Designspiration: a great junk drawer of visuals.

The Dieline: I love packaging and find it covers so many facets of a brand due to the many lives it lives—competing on a shelf, then on display as artifact in someone’s home and then how it wears out and ages. Great packaging is the tactile DNA of a brand. It’s like cutting a brand in half and counting the rings. I mean, what would Twitter be if it were an object?

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

A 15” MacBook Pro, because my G5 was labelled “vintage” when I went to buy it RAM.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

No. Yes. No.

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

Chess Time. I’ve been randomly playing this old man in Rio de Janeiro on his hour-long bus ride to work everyday. He’s a killer.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Remember the old Netflix that automatically began the next episode of a show whether you liked it or not? In that New York winter of 2011 I watched all 11 seasons of Frasier by accident.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

The New York City subway system people watching.

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

Everyone’s got a better photographic eye or are at least are more conscious of its importance. That’s thanks to Instagram and I think it’s wonderful. It’s really democratised creativity, allowing amateurs to rise and pressing the professionals to keep innovating. It’s really great for the creative world.

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

Better uniforms.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

There’s a couple of people and it’s always changing, but I think 15-odd years ago in design school, when I listened to designer James Victore do his bit at the local ADC chapter—he left a big impression. That maniac literally opened up shouting “I FUCKING LOVE DESIGN”! That energy, to have and keep it, was and has always been inspirational. As for aesthetics, Lester Beall and Frank Kozik—I started off silkscreening, so bold, simple elements are my jam.