#45. Michael, the movie. The strategic role of storytelling in brand experience.
I walked out of the Michael biopic thinking about brands like Adobe, Polaroid, and Airbnb. The film is not just a tribute to the King of Pop. It is a close study in how storytelling is used to shape what an audience remembers, accepts, and feels. This issue reflects on how brands have been doing the same thing for years.
#44. A story no one retells is just content
What turns a brand story into something the audience retells on its own? A look at Airbnb's Milano Cortina campaign and the alphabet FutureBrand drew from the Amazon river. Plus a thought about what AI still cannot do.
#43. Brands that outlast themselves
Week 1 of Design Brands that Last is behind me, and one concept did not get the time it deserved. So this Sunday I want to give it the space it needed: resolution, and the three spheres through which a brand's impact actually lands. Two of them is what makes a brand last. Three is what makes one rare.
#42. “Don’t worry. If AI steals my job, I’ll become a cook!”
I said it as a joke. Then I realised I meant it.
If AI takes my job, I will become a cook, and not just because cotto in Italian means "done for." But because thinking like a cook turned out to be the most useful framework I have found for understanding what AI should take from us, and what we should never let go of.
#41. When brands stop solving problems, they start recognising opportunities
I believe that what keeps a brand alive today is no longer just its ability to solve problems. AI can do that. What makes a brand irreplaceable is something much more human: the ability to recognise opportunities, tell meaningful stories, and create experiences that matter.
In this issue of The Sunday Tales, I explore what happens when we stop designing around limitations and start designing around possibilities.
#40. The Brand Quiz: What origami taught me about branding
Branding is one of the most misunderstood topics in design.
Some people think it’s a logo. Others think it’s personal visibility or social media presence.
But branding is actually a process that requires patience, precision, and a clear sequence of steps.
Recently, while preparing a new series of short videos called The Brand Quiz, I realised that the best metaphor to explain branding might come from an unexpected place: origami.