About Us

VISION

Varyer is an integrated creative studio and brand advisory. We inspire ourselves through the pursuit of inspiring others.

BACKGROUND

Variety is stability.

Our integrated practice builds partnerships around brave ideas and works with creators in pursuit of finding their most imaginative and focused voice. The diverse nature of our projects and capabilities reflects an iconoclastic approach to the traditional agency model that allows for agility, simplicity, and curiosity. We continually sharpen our skills and awareness by developing our own projects and ambitions.

Varyer set about in the early days of 2018. Our founders, Chris Kaskie and Mike Renaud, built their reputations on years of success in brand-building and creative work—primarily through their most well-known collaboration, Pitchfork. Composed of creative directors, producers, designers, digital marketers, strategists, writers, and collaborators, our dynamic team defines Varyer's shared vision. We’re based in Chicago but exist everywhere.

TEAM

Instagram

Design Lead

Principal & CEO
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify

Brand Strategist
Instagram
Spotify

Studio Director
Instagram

Principal & CCO
Twitter
Instagram
Spotify

Director of Operations

VALUES

MAXIMS

Working in tandem

At the heart of our work is the idea of co-creation, sharing ideas and improving them together in transparent collaboration with our partners.

Generosity-based collaboration

We prioritize gracious collaboration that embraces a shared purpose and goal over one’s own interests within the process, and honoring the integrity of someone choosing their gut.

All-hands-on-deck

Work we create represents a nimbleness and diversity of experience across disciplines and industries, and our combined voices are a constant source of learning and inspiration.

Rolling with the vagaries

An unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation, scope, or behavior can be a bounty of discovery for making new connections.

A crack is how the light gets in

To accomplish the highest caliber achievements, we profoundly embrace messiness, organic evolution, and awareness that not everything is perfect—and that’s what makes for perfect outcomes.

PRINCIPLES

We collaborate with socially and environmentally conscious partners who prioritize the following attributes over power and capital:

Social equity
Anti-racism
Inclusivity
Feminism
LGBTQ+ allyship
Accessibility
Arts and education

While we’re open-minded, even if a situation sees us making a positive impact in a negative environment, there are still partnerships that are not a good fit for us:

Organizations with an unchecked and irreparable history of racism, misogyny, or any other form of hate and discrimination.
Industries that have a damaging consequence on humans, the planet, and/or its animals and ecosystem (military industrial complex, fossil fuels, guns, factory farming).
Deceptive marketing practices and schemes, profiteering from insecurities, exploitation, or ever being asked to plagiarize or directly copy others’ work.

The best work is never accomplished alone.
We are thankful to a broader creative and social community and believe that their contributions should be acknowledged. Here 🔗 we will aggregate our appreciation for those who inspire, support, and orbit our work at Varyer.