The inside track with the new ECD of The Brooklyn Brothers, Orlando Warner.
The inside track is a new series from Genie, where we uncover the motivations and ambitions of the leaders running creative businesses today.
Orlando Warner, the new ECD of The Brooklyn Brothers, started out as an account handler at Grey. His career highlights have been many, including Winning Cannes Titanium this year for The Kiyan Prince Foundation, coming top of the Gunn Report as the most awarded campaign in the world for dixons.co.uk. Here, we lift the lid on the person that is Orlando and his aspirations for The Brooklyn Brothers.
Where do you find inspiration?
Usually in the bath. I have one every morning. A wise woman once said: “There must be quite a few things a good bath won’t cure, but I can’t think of any of them.”
Tell us about a Campaign you wish you’d conceived?
One from the archive is the Marmite ‘Love it or Hate it’ campaign. Like all good ideas, I’m sure all creatives would love to write to it. It’s a shame that agencies and marketers don’t acknowledge how important longevity can be for a brand.
Who have you worked with that has most inspired your journey to date?
Graham Fink has been a huge influence. He believes in the power of creativity and is passionate about finding an original solution. He was never afraid to say: ‘keep going’. And if you ‘go’ for long enough, you’ll find there’s always a better way.
What piece of work have you made, that’s had the biggest impact on you?
The win that meant most to me was a campaign for The Diana Award, an anti-bullying charity. We managed to change the definition of the word ‘bully’ in all the dictionaries (Oxford, Cambridge, Collins, Google etc) from, ‘Those who use strength or influence to intimidate those who are weaker’ to, ‘A person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable’. This campaign didn’t win any awards, but that really didn’t matter.
What are your aspirations for the advertising industry?
Advertising came last in a recent Ipsos poll of trusted professions. Public faith in the industry has never been lower. Even cabinet ministers are trusted more (WTF!). I would love to see brands and agencies working towards a position of responsible credibility. Fortunately, consumer behaviour is dictating that companies engage with social issues and are willing to punish brands that don’t support good causes.
What are your ambitions for The Brooklyn Brothers?
It’s a great time to be at The Brooklyn Brothers. There’s a whole new management team with like minds and big ambitions. Due to the boutique sensibility and challenger spirit of the agency, we are perfectly pitched to work with similarly shaped clients to produce standout, relevant work that makes a difference.
What makes this job different from your previous roles?
My previous roles have been creative directing and making sure my clients were getting involved in the best possible work. At The Brooklyn Brothers, I’m loving being in charge of a team, and shaping not just the department but also the agency.
What are the key ingredients you’re going to be looking for in the talent you hire?
Hunger. Humility. Originality.
Your culture binge:
Favourite book or author 📖
I recently read ‘Train Dreams’ by Denis Johnson. It’s lean in pages, dense in wisdom.
Go to film 📽
Festen, Thomas Vinterberg’s unremittingly bleak yet humane film about a family reunion.
Box set you got hooked on 📺
The Wire.
Podcast or radio show that taught you something new 📻
Stuff from the Loft podcast. A great art director interviewing the greats of our industry from the past. It’s a brilliant learning resource.
Show/exhibition/music that’s inspired you 🎭
Shockheaded Peter by The West Yorkshire Playhouse. This combined pantomime and puppetry to create an extraordinarily original show.