Dave Trott is the Creative Director of CSTTG, which is but one of the London ad agencies that he has left his initial on. He blogs frequently at https://www.cstthegate.com , tweets at davetrott , just published the book called creative mischief and actually laughed at my little doodle-portrait of him seen in this comment thread. In short, he's a sport.
What's your favorite funny story about yourself?
Ever since I first met my Chinese wife, whenever we've been shopping together, I always said she spends too much. She always says "Don't worry, kyum si sai." I always thought 'kyum si sai' meant 'honey' or 'sweetie' or 'darling' in Chinese. Years later her brother told me it means 'stingy shit'.
What piece of art (movie, book, music, painting, etc) has influenced you most? How or why?
About every 10 years I re-read 'Shogun' by James Clavell. There's always more to learn in there. Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs is also a good read.
Who was your favorite mentor and why?
John Webster. He taught me: 'It isn't who says it, it's who spots it.'
What's one thing that excites you about the future of advertising?
The dominance of book-keeping will soon be seen as a cost not an investment. It doesn't make money, you need creative thinking for that.
If you could meet with anyone in history (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
I would say Buddha. But if you understand what Buddha meant you wouldn't say that.
What’s your favorite website/blog, and why?
George Tannenbaum is very whimisical and unpredicatable, and he posts several times a day: adaged.blogspot.com
This is currently my favourite website: shitlondon.co.uk
What campaign or project are you most proud of?
The Anti Third World Debt campaign. We did dozens of commercials, posters, print ads for absolutely zero cost. We had no client, no agency, nothing. We generated millions of pounds of free production and free media. This is one I did with Paul Arden and cathy Heng.
Who is your advertising hero and why?
Charles Saatchi, Paul Arden, Ed McCabe, George Lois, all the bad boys who have fun getting into trouble.
Tell us one of the things on your bucket list.
Sitting in the jungle in the sun, with a good book and a cold beer, and the sound of exotic birds.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
I heard it in the playground, but the longer I live the more I realise how important it is: "Use it or lose it".
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