Branding as a Cultural Force
"Profit alone is no longer enough," writes Robin Landa, "the most effective brands recognize their responsibility to contribute positively to society."
My connection to Mattel’s Barbie was profound. At the age of 10, I came home to find my beloved doll gone. My mother, thinking I’d outgrown toys, had given her away along with the handmade clothes I’d designed. Barbie was more than a toy; she was my surrogate, embodying my dreams and future self.
When Greta Gerwig’s film Barbie debuted, it brought back vivid memories of a conversation from my early days working at an advertising agency. Over lunch, I had suggested the idea of a “Barbie” movie to a male colleague. Initially, I imagined a romance—Barbie falls for a bad-boy type but soon realizes the merits of nice-guy Ken. Later, my vision evolved into a film that would celebrate the doll’s role in representing overlooked girls, such as the original Black Barbie® from 1980, designed by Louvenia “Kitty” Black Perkins, or “Share a Smile Becky,” the wheelchair-using doll introduced in 1996. My colleague dismissed the idea outright, insisting Mattel would never stray from Barbie’s traditional narrative, let alone create a live-action version.
When Gerwig’s film premiered, I shared my long-ago idea and my colleague’s skepticism on social media. On Facebook, a male acquaintance’s pointed response was: “Let’s see how Barbie performs at the box office.”
Perform, it did. Gerwig’s vibrant fantasy-comedy grossed over $636 million at the North American box office and $1.45 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing debut for a film directed by a woman.
“Barbiecore” fever demonstrated the immense power of brand content rooted in cultural relevance. As Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, Chief Creative Officer at FCB Canada, shared with me, one essential criterion for creating outstanding creative work is relevance—work that “addresses current and relevant cultural issues by providing insights and driving engagement for positive change.”
A cultural moment can align so perfectly with the zeitgeist that it transcends logic, creating a shared emotional connection. The Barbie film exemplified this, capturing the collective mood and making a significant cultural impact. Timing is always a critical factor, much like a slot machine jackpot, where all the cherries must align perfectly to hit the win. For a brand or cultural moment to truly resonate, all the necessary elements—timing, relevance, and execution—must come together seamlessly.
Gaëtan du Peloux, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chief Executive Officer of ad agency Marcel Paris, shared an insightful perspective: “My goal is to do honest work for our clients, ensuring they stay relevant by connecting them with the current times. Timing is crucial—our WoMen’s football campaign [for Orange Télécom], for instance, might not have had the same impact if released three years earlier or later. Brands need to resonate with the present, finding their legitimate space and relevant topics to engage with.”
And then you have Duolingo’s mascot, Duo the Owl, walking the pink carpet at the Barbie premiere in Los Angeles. Duolingo leverages AI to keep up with significant pop-culture moments, utilizing a scraper tool to track social media trends and employing ChatGPT to forecast which TV shows would gain popularity in global markets.
From the Super Bowl to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to K-pop concerts and countless internet trends, Duolingo’s lime-green-faced owl mascot seems to pop up everywhere. From Duo’s witty comments on viral videos to creative takes on TikTok trends amassing millions of views, Duolingo has brilliantly established its mascot as a cultural icon of the internet. By aligning itself with cultural phenomena, whether it’s Comic Con, Charli XCX’s tours, or Netflix tie-ups, Duo strategically integrates into the cultural conversation. This approach allows the brand to amplify its visibility and relevance by associating with the shared excitement of these cultural epicenters.
Each Sweethearts candy heart traditionally carries messages like “Be Mine” or “Cutie Pie.” Recently, the brand transformed a misprinted batch into a culturally relevant product— ”Situationship Boxes”—perfectly timed for Valentine’s Day and Gen Z’s dating reality. These limited-edition hearts playfully acknowledged romantic entanglements where relationships remain undefined and commitment is absent, breathing new life into the 120-year-old brand.
Indy Selvarajah, Chief Creative Officer at Ketchum and a D&AD judge, noted: “They took a wasted product and turned it into a new line—culturally relevant, attracting a new audience that was in decline. It also became a sought-after product that played into exclusive ‘drop culture,’ all done on a shoestring budget.”1 Sweethearts’ integration of trending cultural concepts demonstrates how heritage brands can remain relevant through humor, creativity, and authenticity.
Brands that align with the zeitgeist and address societal tensions go beyond selling products—they create cultural connections and moments of pop-culture transformation. As Kristie Malivindi, creative director, said, “Being authentic and acting with integrity are imperative to resonate honestly in culture.” Cultural relevance involves understanding, influencing, and anticipating changing consumer preferences while consistently reflecting the spirit of the times. Recent data reveals that over half of U.S. consumers favored advertisements that entertained them with humor, while nearly 50 percent appreciated ads that delivered motivational and inspiring messages.2
CULTURE-FIRST MESSAGING
As e.l.f. Beauty sees it, America’s corporate boardrooms have an issue: “So many Dicks.” It turns out that there are more men named Dick (including Richard, Rich, and Rick) on U.S. public corporate boards than there are individuals from entire underrepresented groups. In its “Change The Board Game” initiative, e.l.f. Beauty addresses corporate board inequity by promoting diversity and profitability. The “So Many Dicks” campaign highlights striking statistics, such as: “There are twice as many men named ‘Dick’ on publicly traded boards as there are Hispanic women, regardless of their name.”3
At a time when some corporations and universities are scaling back diversity initiatives, the timing of this campaign was less than ideal. Yet, the “So Many Dicks” campaign made a powerful impact, amassing 2.3 billion media impressions and becoming LinkedIn’s most talked-about campaign. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with 98 percent favorable media sentiment. More importantly, the campaign led to tangible change— corporate boards have already placed 10 percent of diverse candidates sponsored through the initiative.4
SOLVING TENSIONS IN CULTURE
“For the best ideas, you need to have some level of risk or … of fear that this won’t work,” according to Rob Reilly, WPP Global Chief Creative Officer.5 Reilly describes the Press Release Process: “It’s going to solve some tension that’s out there in culture. And when this idea lands in culture, what’s the thing that the press writes about? What’s that thing people love to share and spread?... If you can’t figure that out in a sentence or two, there’s no way you’re going to be able to make an entire campaign that’s going to pop in culture.”6
Brands that solve cultural tensions in creative, bold ways achieve relevance and spark meaningful conversations. With so many platforms and technologies, the need for a big idea is greater than ever.
“Young people, especially, really want to see a brand that’s got big ideas, but also stands for something. Young people will cancel you if you’re not really doing the right thing, so I think it’s a combination of doing it by a big idea but also doing the right thing by society,” Reilly said.7
WHY BRANDS MATTER
A reasonable observer from another planet might wonder, “Why would someone choose a branded product or service when a simple commodity could suffice? What motivates consumers to engage with a brand on social media, or watch branded entertainment, or be influenced by a creator hired by a company to promote its wares?” This question points to the deeper emotional and cultural drivers behind consumer behavior, forces that go beyond mere functionality or price.
Emotional connections, personal values, and cultural resonance often shape the decision to choose a branded product over a generic commodity. Brands don’t just sell products—they sell identities, stories, and experiences that people can connect with emotionally. Giorgia Lupi, partner at Pentagram, emphasizes, “We have to see ourselves in the stories.”
Brands often provide a sense of identity, status, and connection. For instance, according to a report by YouGov, 77 percent of adidas wearers like products that reflect their lifestyles.8 Consumers engage with brands not only to fulfill practical needs but also to project an aspirational vision of their desired lifestyle. It’s not just about the product but about what the brand represents and how it resonates with personal values, aspirations, or broader cultural moments.
As Emma Robbins, Chief Creative Officer at M&C Saatchi Melbourne, shared, “The best brand storytelling happens when a brand is telling the story of their customer. Their customers’ needs, their customers’ lives, their customers’ success—not their own. Brands can appear arrogant when they tell a ‘we’ story. People don’t care about that. They care about how being the biggest will help them feel, or how being the most awarded will make them feel safer.”
Pancho González, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of INBRAX, emphasized: “What I value most is purpose. Originality and execution are important, but without positive impact, the work has no foundation.” Creating purpose-driven campaigns is challenging, particularly when consumers are quick to call out anything performative. Yet brands continue to develop initiatives that are both impactful and genuine.
Sheba, the cat food brand, is committed to restoring coral reefs, recognizing that healthy oceans benefit the fish that become their products while simultaneously addressing marine ecosystem collapse. Coors Light launched “Chillboards” in Miami, painting rooftops white to reflect heat and reduce air conditioning needs in underserved communities. These initiatives demonstrate how brands can align business interests with environmental action, creating tangible impact rather than just marketing messages.
As Juliana Constantino, Group Creative Director at Dentsu Creative, notes, “Some brands jump on social issues for short-term campaigns without genuine commitment. These efforts can come across as insincere, especially when their actions don’t align with their promises. The authenticity and ongoing commitment of purpose-driven branding set it apart. It’s not just about joining a conversation; it’s about living your brand’s values every day.”
TAPPING INTO CULTURE
Leveraging culture to build emotional connections with audiences is key to creating content that truly resonates. A social media trends report by agency Ogilvy aptly asks, “Wasn’t 2023’s Barbie mania a live-action masterclass in the power of content with culture at its heart?”9 This cultural impact reached beyond the screen, exemplified by the “Barbie: A Cultural Icon” exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, which attracted long lines for months.
The true power of branding lies not just in messaging, but in meaningful action, investing in communities, supporting causes, and addressing issues that resonate with audiences. Brands have the potential to inspire, challenge, and ignite cultural shifts that leave lasting legacies.
Ari Halper, Global ECD & Head of Creative Excellence at R/GA, recalled a lecture by Oliviero Toscani, the photographer behind Benetton’s provocative campaigns. Toscani told the New York Times: “We are a little bit in advance of everyone, not by what we say, but by using advertising as communication,” addressing social, political, and environmental issues. “I have found out that advertising is the richest and most powerful medium existing today, so I feel responsible to do more than to say, ‘Our sweater is pretty.’”10
In a rapidly evolving world, brands must actively drive progress. Profit alone is no longer enough; the most effective brands recognize their responsibility to contribute positively to society.
When I asked Ben Miles, Chief Design Officer, APAC, R/GA, how advertising and branding could drive positive change, his response perfectly captured this theme:
“The key is differentiating between a nice idea and actual impact. Brands and advertisers driving long-term change really contribute to moving the dial positively. Design is a tool that bridges gaps, that creates inclusivity, that creates space for people. That has to be intentional.”
This article is adapted from Branding as a Cultural Force: Purpose, Responsibility, and Resonance published by Columbia Business School Publishing. Copyright © 2025 Robin Landa. Used by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Robin Landa, a distinguished professor at Kean University, is a globally recognized expert in branding, design, advertising, and creativity. She has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the Carnegie Foundation’s “Great Teachers of Our Time.” Her commentary has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc. She is the author of more than twenty-five books, including most recently Shareworthy: Advertising That Creates Powerful Connections Through Storytelling (Columbia, 2024, with Greg Braun).
