Bringing a tangible connection: Marvel Experiences reimagines experiential marketing

As brands compete for attention in a crowded market, Marvel Experiences is helping businesses reconnect through thoughtful, high-impact real-world moments. 

In an increasingly fragmented, content-saturated digital world, the desire for real human connection has never been stronger. For media veterans Mike Watkins and Scott Wallace, that shift presents an opportunity: Creating bespoke, real-world experiences for brands looking to stand out. 

As Co-founders of Marvel Experiences, the pair have built an experiential agency from the ground up during a period of significant change for the events industry. 

In more recent times, however, demand for in-person connection has been on the rise. Whether it’s concerts at Eden Park or the surge in community-led run clubs, more New Zealanders are choosing real-world experiences over digital ones. 

“It’s our whole events industry. It’s suddenly having its time, right?” says Scott. 

Both founders bring deep experience in media and advertising. Mike previously led MediaWorks Outdoor as CEO and spent eight years as Country Head of JCDecaux, while Scott was Group Business Director at DDB New Zealand for 18 years. 

They launched Marvel Experiences in 2019, just before the pandemic reshaped the events landscape. Rather than retreat, they leaned into the challenge, backing themselves to deliver experiences that go beyond the standard corporate playbook. 

“Resilience and being adaptable to challenges has been what’s kept our momentum going,” says Mike. 

With some projects taking up to two or three years to deliver – including a major partnership with Red Bull – the early years demanded flexibility, particularly as timelines shifted and pipelines evolved. 

In an industry where unpredictability is part of the job, planning for the unexpected is critical. 

“You run risk reports. Asking: ‘What are the things that could go wrong, and what is the back-up plan for that?’,” says Scott. 

And when issues arise, transparency matters. 

“Be straight up,” as Mike puts it. 

From sourcing an engineer to fix a trailer carrying a 12-metre skateboard to physically pushing a bus when needed, the pair say problem-solving is simply part of the role. 

For Scott, business ownership has reinforced the value of that mindset. 

“We break that paradigm of doing something predictable where nothing can go wrong. We’re doing things with lots of moving parts.” 

That willingness to embrace complexity is increasingly relevant as brands look for new ways to engage audiences. With content now limitless and always on, experiences offer a different kind of cut-through, one grounded in memory and connection. 

It’s a shift Marvel Experiences is seeing firsthand across New Zealand. 

Personal touch 

During our conversation, the pair are preparing for an upcoming corporate trip for international guests hosted by wine producer Kim Crawford. It’s a project that reflects their approach: detailed and built around the end-to-end experience. 

After being asked by the client to review a previous version of the trip, Mike and Scott experienced it themselves, and quickly identified gaps. 

What they found fell short of the brand’s promise of being ‘amazing’. 

Rather than simply adding novelty, they reworked the entire journey, focusing on the guest experience from arrival. 

“Some of them are flying 30 hours to get here, arriving in Auckland at 5am in the morning,” Scott says. 

“On the previous trips, [the company] took them directly to the domestic terminal for a four-hour wait for a connecting flight to Blenheim. That doesn’t feel like a reward to me.” 

Instead, the experience now begins with rest and recovery, before hitting the main leg of their trip in Blenheim. From picnic lunches in the Marlborough vineyards to a dinner with the winemaking team, the trip’s culinary components are curated to draw out the best of New Zealand. 

There’s time for New Zealand’s outdoor charm, too, with an authentic sheep shearing and dog handling demonstration on a farm. By the end of their trip, they would have sailed along the Auckland harbour, hiked or cycled through Marlborough, and relaxed on Waiheke Island. 

Taking a trip outdoors and finding underexplored places to go is a staple of Scott and Mike’s unique approach to the corporate retreat, with one client even hosting a meeting on a mountain top in the show. 

That same attention to detail and originality carries through to their brand activations. 

Their first major project, with the New Zealand Olympic Committee, set the tone. 

To promote skateboarding’s inclusion in the Tokyo Olympics, they built the world’s largest fully functional skateboard. 

“It had every single layer you have on a skateboard. A lot of extra cost, but it looks 100% legitimate.” 

The activation toured schools and skateparks nationwide, forming part of a broader strategy to connect with younger audiences. 

A subsequent campaign for the Commonwealth Games saw them create a portable shotput arena, bringing the sport directly to schools, corporates and public spaces. 

For Mike, these experiences stand out not just for their scale, but for the connection they create. 

“That human connection you get is really powerful.” 

While creativity is central, both founders are clear that outcomes matter. Every activation is tied to measurable objectives. 

“We’ve been on the other side in terms of creative agencies and media, so we understand what clients need, as opposed to just being an event business.” 

Looking ahead, one of their biggest challenges is encouraging more businesses to step outside established approaches. 

“There’s always a risk when you’ve got something that’s worked okay, for a long period of time,” Mike said. 

Scott agrees, noting that after a difficult “ten years”, many businesses are cautious, often “fighting for survival”. 

Even so, the opportunity is clear for those willing to think differently. 

As we wrap up, the pair return to preparations for the week ahead, finalising welcome packs that will be waiting in guests’ hotel rooms. 

For Marvel Experiences, it’s those small, considered details – combined with big, ambitious ideas – that ultimately define a successful experience.