My Event World - Jack Horner

Jack Horner, founder and executive creative director at Frukt, set up the company more than 13 years ago with Anthony Ackenhoff. He talked to Event about bringing brand stories to life, his vocals on a failed charity record and why he despises lazy brand activations.

Frukt founder Jack Horner shares his event world
Frukt founder Jack Horner shares his event world

I got into the event industry because I have lost my heart, my mind, my energy, my wallet and once a shoe when experiencing music in all its glory, live, in a field with friends (and beer). There is literally nothing that excites me more than the anticipation of a big live moment, whether as a punter, a VIP or with a crew shirt on.

I have worked here since I invented it with my work wife Anthony. 2001 was the birth of Frukt 1.0, we became part of the mighty Interpublic Group in 2012 and it's a whole new era.        

I was attracted to this particular role because bringing brand stories to life is the most challenging, creative and rewarding thing I have yet found. There is a brief and a goal, which as a creative I love. The idea of a blank sheet of paper with no limits doesn't appeal. We have to take commercial needs and the brand story and create something that lives.

Not many people know that I sang backing vocals on a charity record for Bob Crier from ITV's The Bill. It was so bad the charity rejected it.

If I could do it all over again I would live somewhere else for a while. We are a very international business, we've delivered work for clients in over 140 countries and been involved with events in over 60 of those. I travel a lot and feel very global, but I live in Kensal Green.

The one thing I can¹t stand is celery, and lazy brand activations where disgruntled promo staff ambush you and ask for tons of details on those new fangled tablets and then give you a thimble of Ribena.

Outside of work I spend my time playing. It's so important, playing with my two boys, making things, inventing things. And the sports I take part in tend to be more about experience than competitiveness - snowboarding, diving and windsurfing.

If money were no object I would buy my own Despacio sound system. James Murphy and the 2ManyDJs guys built the ultimate, and I mean 50,000 watts of audiophile quality sound system and toured it. The only rule was everything played through it had to be from vinyl. I'd like one in my guest bedroom.

If I could switch places with anyone else in the industry it would be Moritz Waldemeyer. Our kids are the same age and we hang out, he just seems to be working on the most intricate and beautiful technology installations, and yet he always tells stories and builds narrative threads into his work.

If I ruled the event industry I would ensure that every event gave something back. Having been a marketer for many years, I really believe that all brands should be defining themselves in part at least, by their purpose. The notion of giving something back to society, baked into the heart of the brand, is starting to register in research as being a driver for both purchase preference and price point. In short you will survive and grow if you do good. So, every expression of business, be it advertising or experiential marketing, should be considering this.

Want to be featured in a future My Event World? Email news editor Samantha Edwards for further details.

For more in-depth and print-only features, showcases and interviews with world-leading brands, don't miss the next issue of Event magazine by 

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