On My Radar: Doug Hanshaw

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently? 

I love the new Nike spot for the Olympics, with Willem Dafoe doing the VO. A simple idea with great writing and art direction, executed just beautifully.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

I go to Brand New almost daily. It’s a fantastic resource to see the current design trends in the industry. I’ve used it for almost every aspect of my job, from presenting a deck to mocking up creative to finding a font to use. Then I usually visit Stereogum to check out new music that’s coming out, only to find out that I don’t like most of it. But it’s the occasional new band I’ll discover that gives me hope that I won’t end up listening to Steely Dan’s Aja in a garage by myself. Besides, Can’t Buy a Thrill is much better.

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

A dash cam, because the drivers in Nashville are terrible.

What product could you not live without? 

It’s cliché, but my iPhone. Now that I’m a father of two boys, it’s almost required so I can keep up with everything going on. Also, we got an air diffuser that needs an app to run, so, I mean, gotta have the phone, right?! 

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

I just recently watched the first two films of the X trilogy by Ti West, X and Pearl. I love horror movies and this series struck just the right balance of creepy, cerebral horror with a cinematic point of view. 

What film do you think everyone should have seen? 

Jurassic Park. Spielberg’s ability to create such an immersive world that you can turn to time and time again is without comparison. I once heard a critique about modern music that I feel applies to movies as well. Like album mixes, so much of what we see in movies is just maxed out to the point of exhaustion. There are few movies that you can watch over and over again precisely because they have struck that balance of highs and lows, laughs and scares, etc. They aren’t optimised for an algorithm but for people. We need more of that. 

What’s your preferred social media platform? 

I’m a sucker for Instagram. Blame it on my age, but I don’t really go on TikTok. As the joke goes, I just wait for the memes to make their way to Instagram two weeks later, like a responsible adult. 

What’s your favourite TV show? 

The TV version of Fargo sucked me right in. I love that they took what could have been a fairly straightforward adaptation of the movie and evolved it into something completely new and exciting but still tied to the original. The casting on that show *chef’s kiss*. 

What’s your favourite podcast? 

This changes almost daily. One is a show called Punch Mountain, in which two comedians discuss, dissect and then rank action movies. It’s been a surprising resource for checking out some movies that I’ve slept on over the years, especially in the past four or so years since I’ve had kids. The other podcast is One Song, where two music-loving hosts break down a single song’s history, context, meaning and, most enjoyably, stems. 

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

I’m a big fan of public art. I’m even a bigger fan of it when it’s functional. While visiting Målaga in Spain this past spring, we sort of just stumbled across a large promenade with this undulating, slatted canopy that mimicked the ocean waves called the Palmeral de las Sorpresas [image courtesy of Sara Darcaj]. Aside from the immediate relief it provided from the sun, it was also a welcome touch of modern architecture in the middle of such a historic city. 

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be? 

You’re asking for the classic desert island pick?! No pressure. I’m a classic over-thinker, so I’m going to give you a very rational, thought-out answer; Miles Davis. I don’t even listen to the guy that much, but here’s my reasoning: He has a really extensive catalog and has gone through numerous phases in his career, which could challenge me but could also hit me with the classics when I just need a little audio comfort.

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

Trusting the creative. I think that’s something that has been said since the beginning of advertising, so I’m not exactly having a Malcolm Gladwell moment here, but trust in the industry would create more exciting and memorable work that benefits all parties involved.