After 20 years in the business – the last six as a Creative Director on international FMCG brands – I still believe most advertising fails at the first hurdle: it interrupts instead of engages.

Nobody shares a 20-second spot. But they share stories that move them.

My work starts with one question: why would anyone actually want to watch this?

The answers have led me to some uncomfortable places – films that were too long by industry standards, visuals that felt too raw for the category, ideas that made clients nervous before they made them proud.

That's usually a good sign.