What Strong Brands Can Learn from Cult Director Christopher Nolan

His latest adaptation, ‘The Odyssey’, is breaking all records. Nolan could have taken the easy route. The Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, the monster Scylla – all of these could now be created on a computer, pixel by pixel, without the vagaries of the weather or the effects of jet lag.

Instead, Nolan filmed the blockbuster across several countries. He had giant sets built and sent his cast and crew out into real wind and rain. And the stuntwomen playing the Sirens on the rocks had to endure the cold.

People can sense what is fake

There is more behind the logistical tour de force of ‘The Odyssey’ than directorial vanity. Over thousands of years, humans have learnt to recognise deception – long before cinema and advertising existed. We can sense the difference between something that merely creates an illusion and something that is genuinely real.

Of course, Nolan uses tricks too, as any good storyteller does. But his illusions operate on several levels. It is like the difference between an original Van Gogh, with its thick, almost sculptural layers of paint, and nothing more than a glossy reproduction.

Nolan also takes an economic risk with his productions. But can authentic storytelling and branding deliver the same value for a business? Wouldn't it be cheaper to automate much of it using AI?

What really gets under our skin?

Nolan, however, does not ask what is cheaper, but what has the greatest impact. Anything that feels too superficial simply fails to leave a lasting impression.

We are convinced that strong brands need depth if they are to make a lasting impression. They need to be as authentic as possible. In other words, even outside the world of cinema, when communicating brands, products and ideas, we could all learn a thing or two from Christopher Nolan.

Or, to put it in the spirit of ‘The Odyssey’: taking shortcuts is not always the best way to reach your destination.