7 Questions with the Co-Founders of Invisible North: Why Experiential Is a Mindset, Not a Channel
As we gear up for the next XLIST, we’re revisiting members of last year’s class — taking a closer look at how they think, work, and shape the industry. (You can stay in the loop on nominations and announcements here). XLISTERS Amber Ward and Geoff Renaud are the co-founders of Invisible North, which they’ve built into one of experiential's most forward-thinking agencies. Amber came up through fashion and creative production. Geoff through music and an obsession with emerging tech and culture. Both have always focused on creating moments that carry energy in culture. Together, they’ve worked with Netflix, Gatorade, Lego, Target, and Ripple (to name a few), but every brief starts the same way: finding the brand's Invisible North. Geraldine Campbell: Was your way into experiential intentional or did you back into it? Amber Ward and Geoff Renaud: Anyone who’s been in it as long as we have came in accidentally… or at least through the side door. We were definitely passionate about experiences but the industry didn’t really exist as it does now until social media made shared moments culturally valuable. GC: What do brands get wrong about experiential? AW + GR: They treat experiential like a standalone moment....
