Ad Chat - Claudiu Florea

Monday yet again, and today we get a funny story and the urge to dance from Claudiu Florea, Managing Partner at Wunderkid in Romania.

What's your favorite funny story about yourself?
Losing my wedding ring into the sea while skinny dipping during a holiday in Bulgaria. Although at the time the sun was setting and the visibility was low, with the help of one of my friends who bought a torch, we manage to find it on the sea bed, only losing it again from euphoria closer to the shore. We recovery it immediately and went along to celebrate 'till dawn.

What piece of art (movie, book, music, painting, etc) has influenced you most? How or why?
Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga because: "Man only plays when in the full meaning of the word he is a man, and he is only completely a man when he plays."

Who was your favorite mentor and why?
I didn't have a mentor.

What's one thing that excites you about the future of advertising?
Idea will still be king.

If you could meet with anyone in history (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Mikhail Baryshnikov. I would love to spend some time talking with him about emotions, dance, art, humanity, happiness. “Dance as though no one is watching you. Love as though you have never been hurt before. Sing as though no one can hear you. Live as though heaven is on earth.”

What’s your favorite website/blog, and why?
https://www.cstthegate.com/davetrott - Dave is unashamed about working in advertising, unashamed about selling, and unashamed about doing stuff that is popular. And he doesn't much care about what the industry thinks.

What's your trick to break out of a creative block?
I'm going out of the office, looking for great conversation and watching people.

Who is your advertising hero and why?
Paul Arden. He was crucial to the rebirth of design-led advertising. And for his quote: We are always waiting for the perfect brief from the perfect client. It almost never happens [...] Whatever is on your desk right now, that's the one. Make it the best you possibly can."

Tell us one of the things on your bucket list.
Act in a film.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
"DO IT, THEN FIX IT AS YOU GO."

Keep up with Claudiu on his blog or @claudinho.

---

We can't believe it's 12 weeks in to Ad Chat. If there's someone you'd like to hear from - let us know in the comments.

---

Other Ad Chats:
Keith Ruggiero Synth loving composer and sound designer at "Sounds Red"
Jill Spradley Associate Creative Director at 160over90
Brian Bronaugh President at Mullen, Pittsburgh, PA
Bo Hellberg, Swedish ECD in France, at Brave and Billington Cartmell, Paris
Jane Goldman Creative Director/Copywriter & Strategist, Boston, MA
Jonah Otieno - Executive Creative Director 5ive Ltd, Nairobi
Anne-Cécile Tauleigne ECD at JWT Paris
Esther Clerehan, Headhunter, Sydney, Australia
Ad chat: Manuel Bordé Creative copy at BBDO Dubai
Rance Randle Art Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day\LA
Åsk 'Dabitch' Wäppling the force behind Adland
Dave Trott creative mischief chief
Arnie DiGeorge Executive Creative Director of RR Partners
Andy Kinsella Innovation Director at Glue Isobar
Koert Bakker Director of Strategy at Victor & Spoils
Evan Brown, Sr. Copywriter at TBWA\Chiat\Day
Dena Walker, Digital Strategist at Irish International in Dublin, Ireland
Bernie Watt, copywriter at Make, in Sydney, Australia
Ron Smrczek, Executive Creative Director of TAXI Europe
Vincent Vella, Creative Director - Grey Paris, Euro RSCG and Publicis.
Gideon Amichay, Creative Chairman of Shalmor Avnon Amichay Y&R Tel Aviv
Richard Tseng, Freelance Copywriter at CP+B
Claudiu Florea, Managing Partner - Wunderkid, Romania
Snorre Martinsen creative at Saatchi & Saatchi Oslo
Laura Jordan Bambach, Executive Creative Director LBi
Simon White Creative Lead from Rapp, London
Richard Gorodecky Executive Creative Director at Amsterdam Worldwide
Ray Page Creative Director at Tribal DDB
Adam Pierno of Off Madison Ave.
Edward Boches of Mullen
Dirk Singer of Rabbit, UK
Gareth Kay of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners
Tim Brunelle of Hello Viking
Rob Schwartz of TBWA\Chiat\Day

---

Super bowl ad chats

Super Bowl Ad Chat: Vinny Warren, on Wassup humor & preachy advertising
Ad Chat Super Bowl: John Kritch creator of "My Bold Dad" Toyota #SBads