Lights, camera, Clover!

“It’s mad to think that it’s been that amount of time. Wander has changed a bit since then.”

2021, the year more than eight billion COVID-19 vaccines were administered, Britney Spears’ conservatorship ended and Donald Trump was banned from Twitter.

2021 was also the year Chloë Clover sat down with North East Times to discuss her life, career and award-winning marketing agency Wander, which she co-founded with partner Lou while they were travelling the world back in 2018.

Three years, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that long.

But as we all know, in the world of business, a lot can change in a short period of time.

But in the three years since we last spoke to Chloë, the agency has developed into two halves; one that focuses on marketing and another that focuses on production.

And it’s the production side, aka Wander Films, that has really come into its own.

Chloë says: “Wander Films has been working with some really cool names.

“We’ve been pitching ideas and moving into the world of TV, but also working on commissions as well.”

Those commissions include Wander’s new BBC-commissioned documentary, The Lakes: Our Life on the Edge.

As part of Our Lives – a series of documentaries celebrating life in the UK in all its diversity – the 30-minute film highlights the story of climbers Anna and Mat, following their ambitious 100-mile challenge across the Lake District, climbing without ropes and confronting some of the UK’s most daunting peaks.

“Have you ever seen Free Solo? Watch that as a little teaser,” says Chloë.

Not to give too much away, of course.

She adds: “The documentary is purely our story; we pitched, developed and shot it.

“It feels much more in line with what people would think when they think of us.”

For Chloë, this is a dream come true.

She says: “I loved making our own documentary.

“It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.

“When you think, ‘I want to be a filmmaker, I want to make my own movies’, and we’re now doing that, it’s incredible.”

As the world changes, attention spans are shrinking and more people are getting lost in the endless cycle of doom scrolling.

But as an agency that specialises in both film and marketing, and a tag line that urges you to #BeatTheScroll, this gives Wander an edge.

Chloë says: “The television industry is changing because social media is so prevalent and young people don’t watch as much as they used to.

“We need to think, ‘how do we re-engage them’?

“We’re in a unique position, in between the world of social media and TV, so we understand both audiences and we can help speak to both in that way.

“It gives us our own unique feel and flavour.”

Even since we last spoke with Chloë, the way we consume media has drastically evolved.

Gone are the days of 24-episode seasons and slow-paced storytelling.

Streaming services have shifted towards limited and mini-series, while podcasts and vlogs have seen a resurgence in popularity due to their on-demand nature.

Chloë says: “We live in a two-screen world.

“Now, when making content for TV, a consideration must be, ‘is this simple enough so that someone who is watching it, while also being on Tik Tok, is going to be able to understand what’s happening?’

“It’s a necessity now to be able to create that type of digestible, quick and even throwaway content.”

Having collaborated with major UK television brands such as the BBC and Channel 4, creating segments for Morning Live, and with the launch of their new documentary, this marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Wander.

Chloë says: “Wander has always been incredibly ambitious.

“We’re not afraid to say, ‘we’re going to be the best in the UK’.

“We want to make waves and work on the biggest brands in the world in marketing, and make some of the biggest hits on Netflix with our production company.”

She adds: “Honestly, the future is going to be nuts.

“As we’re moving into the world of TV, we’re going to be able to really shine a light on the talent in the North, specifically the North East.”

With the £450 million Crown Works Studios project moving forward, creating thousands of jobs and transforming Sunderland into a global hub for big-budget film and TV production, this is hopefully the first of many investments in the region’s creative industry.

Chloë adds: “The springboard into the world of TV and film is going to be amazing.

“Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be able to have our own blockbuster movie happening right from Teesside.

“We can dream, right? It’s going to happen.”

 

Wander’s film The Lakes: Our Life on the Edge goes live on Friday 16th August on BBC iPlayer and will air on BBC One in November.

 

Photography by Christopher Owens