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Interviewer >> This is 5 minutes with Jeremy Garner, the Creative Director of Weapon7.
Hi Jeremy!
Jeremy Garner >> Hi, how are you doing?
Interviewer >> I'm good. Are you okay?
Jeremy Garner >> Yes
Interviewer >> Good. Can you give us a quick summary of your career today?
Jeremy Garner >> My career, I started off in 1994 as a copywriter in Hong Kong, where
I was living at that time. I moved back to England in 1997 after about five and a half
years I've been in Hong Kong, so I was doing a job previous to that; a completely different
thing. I worked in the garment trading industry living in Bangladesh; it's a bit tangential.
I moved back to England and then I went to companies such as Motormedia, started off
and so I became their first digital copywriter. I stayed there for about 18 months. I did
the startup called Glue Media at that time with Mark Cridge; stayed there for about nine
months, I think. ,swapped over and did another one called BloodPartnership with Time Communications
and then I went to Motormedia again for a bit two and a half years or something. Wheel
became LBI and then I've been at Weapon7 for just into three years.
Interviewer >> Okay. Describe the creative industry in three words.
Jeremy Garner >> I'd say not tangential enough.
Interviewer >> [laughs] Okay, who inspires you creatively?
Jeremy Garner >> I think the people inspired me creatively probably don't work in this
industry. I really like sort of things that are a bit tangential and a bit wrong, if that
doesn't sound wrong.
Interviewer >> A lot of people I ask these questions to say that their people who inspire
them most are kind of outside of industry and they don't have any people who are in.
Jeremy Garner >> I think for me its painters, bands, anyone really. I think anyone that
thinks with a bit of spark and impulse and probably a little bit differently, and some
are kids, for example. I've got 10-year old and a 6-year old and they definitely inspire
me creatively because their thoughts; you know, they paint a lot of small canvasses
and their thoughts are just bizarre.
Interviewer >> What do you look for in good Creatives?
Jeremy Garner >> I think I look for enthusiasm, is the most important thing and a positive
attitude and the ability to make a nice cup of tea for themselves.
Interviewer >> [laughs] Okay, who's the most creative person you've ever worked with?
Jeremy Garner >> [Mumbles] that's actually a very (inaudible) (02:49) question.
Interviewer >> Maybe you are yet to work with him, who knows?
Jeremy Garner >> Probably. I've actually worked with tons of very, very interesting sparky
creative people. It would be very tricky to pick out just one actually. But there are
a few that stand out. There's a guy I worked with in the very early days when I started
off my career called 善og'. His real name is Andrew Pogson and he just stands out because
of his way of thinking. He's just very interesting and outlandish and unpredictable things. (Inaudible)
(03:28) him dressing up in silver foil [Mumbles].
Interviewer >> [Laughs] Normal for him. What's the best brand you've ever worked on?
Jeremy Garner >> I think I like working on the brands here, obviously; they're really
interesting. But, it was very interesting to work on some P&G brands a few years ago
for fragrances such as Lacoste. That was very interesting. I clocked out the whole process
actually. It was inside driven but yet there wasn't room left to come up with some very
interesting stuff, which at that time was quite different.
Interviewer >> Was that here or at LBI?
Jeremy Garner >> At Wheel.
Interviewer >> At Wheel, okay, and what's the biggest risk you've ever taken in your
career?
Jeremy Garner >> The biggest risk; it was probably moving to London instead of Singapore,
I think, back in 1997. It's not really a risk I suppose as a, I think for me if all as much
as risk was removed, it would be all very boring. So, I like to do things that are a
little bit risky.
Interviewer >> What's your favorite advertising campaign of all time?
Jeremy Garner >> I actually really like the Monster campaign actually, from a few years
ago from Saatchi's [mumbles]. I thought that was really funny and really good. I remember
seeing it on the TV at that time. I just loved it. My favorite one is the job conference
one where you got that demented guy that just laughs uncontrollably and that's really funny
and I can never ever get tired of watching that. In fact, every couple of moments I have
to watch that just to put my mind in order. I do like that one.
Interviewer >> Okay, let's move on to quick fire round. FWA or NMA?
Jeremy Garner >> FWA
Interviewer >> Canline or DNAD Pencil?
Jeremy Garner >> Either of them will do. Can I say both?
Interviewer >> Yeah, of course. Digital design or graphic design?
Jeremy Garner >> Digital design, actually.
Interviewer >> Creatives or Suits?
Jeremy Garner >> Creatives or Suits? Well, it's hard to say Creatives but I might say
Suits just to be slightly wrong.
Interviewer >> [laughs] Apple or Android?
Jeremy Garner >> Apple
Interviewer >> Degree or no degree?
Jeremy Garner >> Well, I've got no degree. Most of the other people have here though
so I'm going to have to say, degree.
Interviewer >> Web or mobile?
Jeremy Garner >> Mobile
Interviewer >> Independent agencies or network industries?
Jeremy Garner >> I think network agencies that feel like independent agencies.
Interviewer >> Good answer. Outsourced production or onsite production?
Jeremy Garner >> I think outsourced.
Interviewer >> Miami Ad School or Hyper Island?
Jeremy Garner >> Hyper Island
Interviewer >> Watford or Bucks?
Jeremy Garner >> Bucks
Interviewer >> Okay. And lastly, Don Draper or Roger Sterling?
Jeremy Garner >> I'll say, Don Draper even if I don't watch it.
Interviewer >> Okay, thanks very much!
Jeremy Garner >> All right. Thanks!