Nobody sets out to make iconic work. There are too many variables. But Antoine Bardou-Jacquet hits the mark with such regularity that it's starting to look suspiciously like a well-conceived career plan. Most directors would settle for a "Cog" every few years. But Bardou-Jacquet's recent spots - "Choir" for Honda (yet again), "Easy Life" for Peugeot, "Cybershot" for Sony - just keep raising the bar. Effortless segues between reality, SFX and animation have become the hallmark of a Bardou-Jacquet spot. They're surreal, yet they make perfect sense. Check out his music video, "How Does it Make You Feel" for Air, if you still aren't convinced. Genius or just a great talent? At 37, he's probably too busy innovating to care what the rest of us think. But he'd love to find the time to take on Barbie's lawyers, just to get his hands on some of those pinks.

What was your first spot?

Something for Bank of Scotland, for BBH London.

Why does animation play such an important part for you as a director?
I like animation because everything is possible, and you can experiment with a lot of different universes. It's about your imagination, with no limits. But I like to work with real people, too, particularly on comedy. For me, it's the same job. You tell a story, with a camera and an actor.

Is there a piece of animation from one of your recent spots that you wish you could do in real life?
I have a lot of ideas about that. I think now with CG, you can do almost whatever you want. So, I'd really love to play with real life in the same way as I play with animation.

Did the man morphing into a pig in "Easy Life" come from your own experience of road rage?
It's a self-defense mechanism. I just imagined the real face of stupidity!

Who and what are your main creative influences?
Charles Eames, Michel Gondry, Steve McQueen, Arne Jacobsen, William Eggleston, Lawrence of Arabia, The Rolling Stones, Stanley Kubrick, John Maeda, Miyasaki, Jean Tinguely, Maserati Miura, François Truffaut, Erwin Wurm, Guy Bourdin, Muhammad Ali, Little Big Man, Reid Miles, John Coltrane, Victorinox, Andreas Gursky, NASA, Carlo Molino, Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, Luke Skywalker, John Williams, Boston Whealer, Ford GT 40, Helen Levitt, Joel Robuchon, Marlboro Lights...

What piece of directing are you most proud of?My kids.

What's your idea of the job from hell?
In the production business, a hair or beauty shoot. In the outside world, working for an Internet hotline... or president of the USA.

What's the most challenging spot you've ever worked on?
The last one for Honda ("Choir") was very tricky. We spent three months wondering how to show this fantastic idea on the screen.

What's the most embarrassed you've ever been on set?
I had a panic attack on the streets of Shanghaï, when thousands of Chinese people simply drove on the track of the camera with their bicycles and scooters. They just punched the policeman who tried to stop the traffic.

What's the best time you've ever had on set?
We had a good time in South Africa with an elephant in a bad mood and an aggressive, stupid monkey.

What car do you drive?
An old Ferrari 400i, when she's working. The noise is absolutely terrible. You get a headache after 50 km, and you sweat. I'm selling her, if anybody's interested...

What was your last big purchase?
A photograph by Nick Brand.

What frightened you as a kid?
My first ejaculation.

What makes you laugh?
Video Gag, the weekly show on French television, a little like America's Funniest Home Videos.

What professional ambitions lie in wait on your must-do list?
Being better than Ivan Zacharias; to be called by Steven Spielberg. And to learn English so I can answer him.

What's your favorite drink?
Caïpirinia [a rum, lemon juice and sugar cocktail].

What was the first record you bought?
Roxanne (The Police).

What place would you most like to visit?
The desert. Because it's quiet.

What's your biggest frustration with the commercials industry?
There's no smoking, drinking or murder in front of the camera. I'd like to be able to destroy cars, say "fuck", and I'd like to use 'Barbie Pink'. What's wrong with the world, if a big company can prohibit colors to us? Is this normal?

But you still love it, don't you?
Yes I love it, because I don't know what my world will be in two months' time.

Give us a Bardou-Jacquet thought for the day.
When you throw a cat in the air, it always falls down.

VITALS
Production affiliations:
Repped by Partizan for spots and videos worldwide.
Lives in:
Paris, "Because I like traffic jams, pollution, grey weather and aggressive people."; was born in Versailles, "One of the most boring towns in the universe."
Education:
Five years at graphic design school, and a year in the French army's military film division, where he learned two
lessons:
"How to roll a joint with one hand; and it's better to be the one who gives the orders."
How he got started:
Created H5, a graphic design company, with his friend Ludovic Houplain. Record covers and promos caught Partizan's eye. "They liked the promo and asked me to join. So I did."