Brand New School’s Nico Casavecchia’s Creative Inspirations

“What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?
I have to go with an involuntarily global campaign that took the world by storm in February, creating millions of dollars in earned media, using only a half-empty warehouse and some oversized rental props. I’m talking about the Willy Wonka exhibit in Glasgow, the only funny thing that happened this year. I love that the silver lining of this debacle was the fact that it catapulted the careers of the three actors who endured the worst job of their lives, turning them into bona fide TikTok stars. I see this as a triumph for the little guy.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?
Every morning I browse Feedly, a news aggregator that shows me custom updates on politics, tech and culture. It’s an amazing way to escape algorithms and connect with what human news editors find relevant, versus what garnered more engagement that day.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?
There is a saying in our industry: Buying a PlayStation is the director’s cry for help. Although this is mostly true, in my case, I’m researching horror video games for a film screenplay. How’s that for a fancy excuse? Even if it’s costing me some hours of sleep, I’m gaming for the first time, and discovering first-hand why video games are the form of entertainment of the future. Playing Alan Wake II really makes movies feel like an artifact from the past. But I still love the past!”

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