Post by Chris Joyce

Russell Crowe accidentally summed up half the brand work I see. Explaining why Gladiator II didn’t work, he pointed to something far less obvious. It wasn’t the scale, the action or the spectacle that made the first one work. It was the moral core and that the people making the sequel didn’t really get that. What really landed for me was him talking about the daily fights on set to protect that core. Pushing back on ideas that technically “worked”, but chipped away at what the character stood for. Every Creative Director will recognise this. Those arguments can be perceived as ego, but they’re really about belief in something bigger. In brand, strategy and campaign work, you see it all the time. People copy the surface-level stuff. Look, tone, style or format and then wonder why it doesn’t land. It’s because they’ve missed the bit underneath. The belief system. The internal logic. Something only experience or genius can unlock. The best work usually comes from uncomfortable conversations and someone being stubborn enough to protect the idea. I’m not trying to sound romantic, it’s just the job. Miss the moral core and you’re left with something that looks right but feels empty, and your audience won’t be entertained. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!)