When the brand forgets the story, only the product remains

Christmas has always been the privileged stage for storytelling. We still remember John Lewis’s epic narratives, or Sainsbury’s’s subtlety when it transformed the memory of the Great War into a shared tale. Today, however, it seems brands have lost the plot.

The campaigns of 2025 show us a different landscape: commercials that pursue aesthetics, mascots that return like tired rituals, “vibes” that replace narrative. Waitrose remains an exception, with a love story that restores warmth and structure. But the rest? Fragments to shake out, not stories to remember.

The question is simple: what remains of a brand when it forgets the power of storytelling? Without stories, the product becomes anonymous merchandise. Without plot, the community is unrecognizable.

Storytelling isn’t decoration: it’s substance, it’s trust, it’s shared memory. And if brands truly want to speak to the future, they must return to storytelling. A glossy aesthetic isn’t enough: we need a narrative that gives meaning, that creates connections, that stands the test of time.