On My Radar: Jess Gunn and Jake Butler

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

JG: There was a really clever idea in Oslo to convince residents to shop locally again. It was so simple; they announced that big high street stores (H&M) and global franchises (Starbucks, Dominoes, Subway) ‘might be opening soon’ in signs out the front of independent stores. Such an easy way to remind people why they should shop locally, without a single negative word said.

JB: Uncommon’s B&Q work really hit’s the mark for me. Clever, simple, iconic and a little bit silly. As a lover of OOH, it’s great to see something executed so simply and perfectly.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

JG: Probably The Guardian. Of course, for the fact that it’s news, but it’s also the first place I go when starting a brief. There’s nothing more interesting, insightful, inspiring or compelling than the truth.

JB: The Guardian for general newsy things, This is Colossal for art inspiration and YouTube, the ultimate place to find and absorb useless useful information.

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

JG: I actually just bought a new phone: the Google Pixel 6 [below]. My old phone was completely smashed, mostly across the front facing camera, which made video calls back to Australia challenging. I made a point to order a case before the phone this time.

JB: I’m not a massive techie, but a newly refurbed Olympus Trip 35mm. Does that count? I fell off my bike and broke the lens on my old one. Which may or may not have been after a few beers. It takes lovely shots.

What product could you not live without?

JG: My Kobo ebook reader is my most prized and battered possession. I love books. But moving to a different continent made me realise how much a large book collection sucks. Now I keep my thousands of books in one handy little device, that comfortably fits in the front pocket of my overalls. What a time to be alive!

JB: Spotify. What’s better than having the entire world’s music collection at your fingertips?

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

JG: Hereditary, by Ari Aster. Hands-down the best horror film I’ve ever seen. I very rarely get this feeling when I finish a film or a book. It’s a weird mix of emotions: jealously, admiration, inspiration and sadness that I’ll never make anything as amazing. That’s what I had at the end of that film.

JB: It’s got to be No Time to Die. A pure bombastic Bond, and a great reintroduction to blockbusters after the ‘rona.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

JG: Ooh! There’s too many on my list. 1. The Shining: it’s SUCH a classic, and it’s referenced in so many films, and not just horror films, either. 2. La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful): you’ll laugh, you’ll cry (a lot), you’ll be charmed, heart warmed and heartbroken. 3. The Fall (the 2006 film, not the series, although the series is good too): it’s weird that barely anyone knows this film. The story is so charming, it’s shot beautifully, and the art direction is out of this world. Sorry, I cheated on this question.

JB: Iconic Kubrick. Specifically, Clockwork Orange and 2001. The craft, the left-field way of storytelling, the music and the use of colour really changed and challenged cinema for the better.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

JG: I have a complicated relationship with social media. I love them and hate them. TikTok makes me feel good, since I’m constantly laughing as I scroll. But it sucks the hours away.

JB: As an art director can I say anything else other than Instagram? I use it mainly as a digital photo album but, you know, who doesn’t love a good meme?

What’s your favourite TV show?

JG: Another hard one, who writes these questions, The Rock? I’m gonna answer with the show I’ve loved longest: South Park. It’s incredible how they take super-topical ideas and weave them together into an outrageous storyline that, somehow, makes complete sense (in a South Park way, of course). And FUCK, the skill it takes for those guys to write, perform and animate an episode in six days is insane!

JB: Utopia, the Channel 4 version. What’s not to like? The cinematography, colour grade, music, acting and story are all amazing. I was hooked from the first scene. It pushed a lot of boundaries for UK TV and probably led to other awesome shows like End of The Fucking World! Cannot recommend it enough.

But actually, to be honest, my real favourite is Peep Show. Pure British cringe. I can probably recite every line from every episode. I look forward to shouting "NO TURKEY?!? Jeremy you f***ing idiot" over and over again during any Christmas break.

What’s your favourite podcast?

JG: I go through phases, but No Such Thing as a Fish is gold standard. It makes me laugh till I cry and leaves me with a buttload of useless facts. What more could you want?

JB: I’ve got a few, but there’s a really awesome one called Who Shat on the Floor at my Wedding? With a title like that, how can you not want to listen to a Kiwi ‘detective’ try and solve this hilarious crime. Honourable mentions: Hip-Hop Saved My Life, Desert Island Discs, Off Menu and, of course, That Peter Crouch Podcast.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

JG: That’s a hard one considering I’ve been avoiding museums and events since Covid happened, so I’m just going to say The Book of Mormon. This was another occasion where I felt that strange mix of feelings (see question five).

JB: A string quartet playing movie soundtracks in a circus tent. I’d never seen classical music played live and I think I might be hooked. I’d have said Museumnacht - all the museums in Amsterdam open to party on night a year - but all it inspired me to do was dance and drink beer in gallery café’s.

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

JG: Advertising using its power of persuasion for good. I’m super-proud of the shift that’s been happening, more and more in recent years, of brands and agencies pushing for work that makes a difference.

JB: The slow dismantling of white male monopoly on creativity in the business. Thankfully, creative departments are becoming more and more diverse. There’s still a massive way to go but the foundations are being laid.

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

JG: It’s slowly changing, but I wish to see more diversity in leadership positions, specifically in the creative department. Personally, I want more females to look up to. When you can’t see people like yourself at the top, how are you ever expected to see yourself there?

JB: It’s beginning to change, ironically, thanks to the pandemic, but the expectation, that the only way to get ahead is to work yourself to the bone.