If your brand were a famous person, who would it be? When building a brand, nailing down its personality can feel like trying to describe an intangible essence. You might think you know how your brand should feel, sound, and act - but putting it into words is challenging. That's why one of the most effective tools in our brand-building process is a simple, creative question: "If your brand were a famous person, who would it be?"
Using a familiar point of reference, like a well-known person, helps bring a brand’s abstract qualities to life. A famous person, with their distinctive traits, achievements, and public persona, is an archetype that people can instantly connect with. By selecting a personality that reflects their aspirations, values, and unique traits, brand stakeholders reveal layers about their brand's personality in ways that more straightforward, or generic descriptors often miss.
Every brand personality requires unique strategies to connect with audiences. Defining a brand as ‘warm and approachable’ versus ‘bold and disruptive’ will direct every interaction, from customer service scripts to social media voice. Choosing a famous figure, with their blend of personality, style, and emotional resonance, helps shape these critical interactions and makes the intangible tangible for stakeholders across departments.
Fostering Internal Alignment
If leaders or employees within a company describe their brand using the same famous person (or people with similar traits), it signals alignment on core values, aspirations and how the brand ‘shows up’. In contrast, if the choices are very diverse, it may reveal that the brand is projecting multiple, potentially conflicting personalities. This can be an invaluable diagnostic tool, showing where further work is needed to align everyone on the brand’s direction. The exercise opens up space for leaders and teams to voice ideas, compare perspectives and refine their shared understanding.
Translating Personality into Strategy
Defining a brand personality with ‘famous figures’ can also shape brand strategy. If a brand identifies with a confident, yet inclusive figure, it might focus on communicating assurance and reliability while remaining welcoming. These characteristics could shape a brand’s messaging, visuals, and overall tone in ways that resonate with their target audience on a deeper level. For example, a brand drawing from personalities like Dame Judi Dench or Sir Richard Branson will carry unique strategic implications for how they engage with their audience, prioritise innovation, or convey empathy and authority.
Here are a few ways we translate these insights into brand strategy:
Once a brand personality is identified, it informs the language and style of communication. A “celebrity chef” persona would sound different from an “influential artist” in its language—think dynamic, accessible language versus refined and introspective tone.
Drawing from a famous personality influences the design. If the brand mirrors a modern pop icon, its visuals will be bold and vibrant. If it leans towards a classic figure like Audrey Hepburn, expect refined, minimalist aesthetics.
Understanding a brand’s personality directs how it engages with its audience. A brand inspired by a community leader may focus on storytelling that’s community-centred and purpose-driven, while one akin to an entrepreneur might highlight innovation and forward-thinking ideas.
1. Explore the Nuances
Encourage stakeholders to consider a famous figure's traits in depth—think beyond surface-level fame and explore their style, tone, values and public reception. (Note: ‘famous figure’ means a notable or well-known person - not necessarily a celebrity). An extension to this idea is to ask leaders who most aligns with the brand NOW and the desired FUTURE brand. This can clarify the brand transformation required.
2. Discuss and Align
Compare choices across teams and discuss any discrepancies. Multiple perspectives can reveal areas where brand perception may differ, highlighting aspects that need more clarity. After a discussion, where people have shared their rationales for their choices, conduct a poll to identify the top 1-2 personas.
3. Document and Revisit
Document the brand personality in your brand guidelines to reference in future decisions and revisit it periodically. Brands evolve, and a famous persona chosen years ago may no longer feel aligned, (especially if that famous persona has been caught in some scandal!!) Keep in mind, it’s more important to identify the traits that will help your brand cut-through and be memorable, not the actual ‘famous persona’ themselves. They are just a helpful device to bring alignment to the character traits that matter most to your brand.
Using the question, “If your brand were a famous person, who would it be?” opens up creative avenues for defining a brand personality. By making the abstract tangible, fostering internal alignment, and guiding strategic decisions, this exercise helps transform brand-building from a conceptual process into a relatable, actionable journey.
We are Ryan Reynolds
When considering the personality traits that align most closely with our brand, we chose Ryan Reynolds as an ideal representation. Reynolds embodies a blend of cheeky wit and unexpected humour, creating a magnetic coolness that draws people in while remaining approachable and family-oriented. He’s known for bending the rules in clever, playful ways, reflecting a talent for breaking conventions to stand out—qualities we strive to bring to our work. Beyond his undeniable charisma, Reynolds exudes intelligence and business savvy, managing multiple ventures with a ‘work smart’ ethos that perfectly captures our strategic mindset. His philosophy-driven projects and commitment to charitable causes showcase a community-minded spirit, and he’s famously able to capture hearts while delivering high-quality work. This blend of confidence, talent, and relatability is exactly what we aim to infuse into our brand identity, crafting experiences that are not only impactful but also deeply resonant and memorable.
