don't buy this jacket
They once ran an ad that read, "Don't Buy This Jacket."
It caught people off guard. A company asking its customers to pause before buying. Patagonia was standing in the truth of their story. A story about stewardship, about fixing what you have instead of buying what's new.
That moment became the heartbeat of their brand.
Patagonia has always moved with purpose. What began as a climber making his own tools became a company rooted in stewardship. Every decision since has echoed that same belief. Materials, messaging, manufacturing, activism. It's all connected by a single through line. The story breathes because the values breathe.
That's what happens when storytelling is lived instead of staged.
Story is what gives a brand dimension. It turns a transaction into a feeling. It makes people give a damn.
tell the truth in every direction
The brain follows story like water follows a riverbed. Every arc in a film, every shift in a song, every moment of connection bends along the same curve. Something starts. Something changes. Something returns different than it left. That curve is what gives your story breath. It's where people see their own lives reflected back.
Every brand has that curve. The way you grow, stumble, and find your rhythm again becomes the emotional spine of your work.
Storytelling in branding is the craft of letting that curve stay visible.
If your company speaks about sustainability, your materials should reflect that care. If you promise ethical sourcing, the way you treat your team should feel like part of the same story. If you build your brand on spirituality or presence, let those values live in your colors, your photography, your tone, your rhythm.
Tell the truth in every direction.
That alignment is what people feel.
olive oil and flutes
Your story isn't a marketing layer. It's the architecture of trust.
I think about this often as a musician. I play several handmade instruments, many of them being flutes. The flute maker's initials are etched or burned into the base, the leather wrapping uneven, a bit frayed. It hums with warmth. The tone shifts with the weather. When I play it, I feel the breath of the person who shaped it. I also have two 3D printed flutes. And I promise you, the effect is completely different. I wouldn't say it's because of the sound only, too. It's also because of the type of energy that's attached to it.
That kind of energy is what makes a brand feel alive.
Graza has that energy. The design team at Gander made olive oil feel joyful and human. The squeeze bottle, the tone, the playfulness. It all just feels really, really fun. It's different than all of the traditional oil packaging out there. And why shouldn't cooking products be fun? Cooking itself can be an absolute pleasure. Ghia, a non-alcoholic apéritif, carries a more elegant rhythm. The design, the color, the gorgeous glass bottle itself. Everything invites you to slow down and sit with admiration. Truly, slow down, take a minute and enjoy what you're holding. Appreciate the elegance and the craft. These brands tell stories without saying a word. The feeling speaks first.
taking a cue from filmmaking
A good story doesn't announce itself. It pulls you in close and makes you lean forward.
Think about how a film builds its world. The lighting sets a mood before anyone speaks. The pacing tells you how to feel. The music swells or pulls back, guiding your heart through each beat. Every choice is in service of the feeling. That's what your brand can do.
Your visuals are the cinematography. Your tone is the score. Your messaging is the dialogue. When they move together, people don't just see your brand. They feel it in their chest.
Show your customer in the frame. Let them see themselves in the world you're building. A great brand story doesn't talk at people. It opens a door and says, "You belong here too."
The world needs more of that.
same same but different
We're surrounded by automation. AI text, 3D precision, templates, replicas, regurgitated ideas and hot takes just to fit into an algorithm none of us truly get along with. The edges are smooth, the surfaces polished, and something human is missing. People are craving something with fingerprints on it. We all want to feel the story only you can tell.
That story already lives inside you. It comes from your experiences, your beliefs, your way of seeing the world. It grows through every decision you make. The fonts you choose, the materials you use, the way you speak to your customers.
When that story is told with honesty, your brand becomes something people can belong to.
I think about Patagonia's ad again. "Don't Buy This Jacket." It wasn't an outlandishly clever campaign. It was the truth of who they are, spoken plainly. That's the kind of story that sticks with ya. The kind that makes people stop and have an "oh shit, these guys are real" connection. That's what I mean by emotional resonance, and that a brand's storytelling can offer just that.
Your brand has that same potential. The curve is already there. The beginning, the challenge, the growth. You just have to let it show.
Some stories are carved by hand. Others are poured into overused molds. The ones that stay with us hold fingerprints. And as we move deeper into a world of AI and sameness, trust me on this one, we will all be craving a unique human touch.
So how will you tell your story? We're here as unique, beautiful beings, each one of us. Why not celebrate this authentic gift we all have?
Let's connect!
If you're building something and want your story to truly connect with people, I'd love to help you tell it.
