The Art of the Brand

The Death of Empathy: Why Good Intentions Are Killing Great Brands

Empathy used to be a brand’s greatest strength, now it’s becoming its biggest weakness. From Lululemon’s confused NFL partnership to Victoria’s Secret’s failed comeback, this episode unpacks how good intentions and “inclusive” branding have created a new kind of brand crisis. Camille and Philip break down suicidal empathy, the rise of ghost brands, and why the line between authenticity and performance has never been thinner.💻 Social Media MasterclassMy foundational training will help you stop guessing and start building content that converts.👉 https://camille-moore.com/ 👥 Monthly Brand CohortMonthly, I launch small group learning where I work with you over 6 weeks to develop your brand and approach to socials. Great for small business owners and people wanting to launch a personal brand. 👉 https://camille-moore.com/links/ 🤝 1:1 Brand Strategy IntensivesFor founders ready to go deep and build a category-leading brand. I work 1:1 with a handful of brands as their Fractional CBO.👉 http://bit.ly/4krhxgO 🏢 Hire My AgencySerious brand? Serious goals? Work with my team at Third Eye Insights. If they had a great campaign, they probably hired us.👉 https://thirdeyeinsights.ca/ 📬 Subscribe to Branding With Benefits (My Substack)Free weekly branding insights for people who want blunt strategy, not fluff.👉 https://substack.com/@camilleemoore 🎙️ Podcast Available On:Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Everywhere You Stream📱 Follow Camille MooreInstagram: @camillemooreTikTok: @camille.moore_ LinkedIn: Camille Moore🌐 Website: camille-moore.com🎨 Follow The Art of the BrandInstagram: @theartofthebrand✅ 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄: This video and my YouTube channel contain dialogue, music, and images that are property of "👉The Art Of The Brand👈" You are authorized to share the video link and channel and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to my YouTube Channel is provided.Chapters00:00 — Cold open & Jays post-mortem (who lost vs. who won) 02:19 — Baseball-to-branding: execution errors and brand self-defeat 04:55 — World Series ads in Canada: why the work felt mid 05:56 — When RFP checklists beat merit (and what that does to creative) 06:23 — Housekeeping: Japan/Korea trip, book update, planner, new iPhones 08:04 — Apple’s messaging miss: massive camera leap, weak pitch to creators 09:44 — Smart camera use cases: dual-side filming, auto-framing, on-the-go news 10:58 — Color psychology: the “orange era” effect 11:39 — Olivia Colman/Burberry, haters, and useful backlash 14:20 — Taylor Swift detour & paywalled dance dare 15:14 — Main topic kickoff: Is Snapchat worth it in 2025? 16:37 — Arbitrage 101: where attention is cheap vs. expensive 19:14 — CPM reality check: YouTube vs. Snapchat vs. TikTok 20:51 — Discover’s clickbait problem vs. “go where the eyeballs are” 23:33 — Strategy = resource allocation: when not to be everywhere 26:08 — Who should test Snapchat (and why NA adoption still lags) 27:57 — Teams, scale, and the GaryVee caveat for small operators 33:00 — Empathy vs. execution: the “suicidal empathy” trap for brands 36:33 — Performative vs. authentic values (land acknowledgements, etc.) 43:15 — Lululemon × NFL: swag drop, missed innovation, target confusion 48:18 — Ghost brands explained (Sears, Kodak, Playboy) + political analogy 54:29 — Vogue’s “boyfriends aren’t cool”: privacy, performance, and founders 1:03:08 — Power without validation: what to share (and what not to) 1:04:25 — Gender-gap politics, moderation via dialogue, tribal echo chambers 1:06:39 — Unrealistic partner filters & the digital distortion effect 1:08:16 — Wrap-up and what’s next

The Rise of Streaming, the Fall of Luxury, and What Comes Next

This week on Art of the Brand, Camille and Phillip break down the most interesting brand moments of the week—from Burberry’s stunning return to form to Skims’ controversial viral drops. They unpack why Kim Kardashian’s strategy works (but might backfire), how Burberry’s content pillars are a masterclass in heritage branding, and why Gap and Montcler are winning by making ads that don’t feel like ads. They also dive into Hailey Bieber’s post-acquisition slump, MrBeast’s $100M lawsuit, and Justin Bieber’s streaming warehouse experiment. From baseball sponsorship fails to the psychology of taking creative risks, this episode is a reminder that in 2025, playing it safe is the most dangerous move a brand can make. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – The Louvre Heist Ad: Risk vs. Reward. 04:45 – The 15-Minute Window of Fame 08:00 – Founder Fear & The Paralysis of Perfection 10:30 – Authenticity Beats Polish 13:00 – Martha Stewart, Disagreeability & The Myth of Likability 15:00 – The Dark Side of Excellence 17:00 – Finding Your Edge 22:00 – Skims’ Viral Formula 26:00 – The Power (and Cost) of Shock Marketing. 29:00 – Relevance vs. Resonance. 33:00 – Burberry’s Comeback 35:00 – Heritage, Politeness & Storytelling How Burberry rebuilt desire by owning its British identity unapologetically. 38:00 – Content Pillars Done Right 40:00 – The Ads That Don’t Feel Like Ads. 44:00 – Risk, Relatability & the End of Safe Marketing 46:00 – The Movement Agency How fashion’s runway coaches are now teaching founders to look natural on camera. 48:00 – The New Standard: Video Mastery 53:00 – Ego vs. Effectiveness. 57:00 – The Road to Rhode’s Decline 01:02:00 – MrBeast’s $100 Million Mistake 01:08:00 – The Rise of Equity-Based Influencer Deals 01:12:00 – Justin Bieber’s Streaming Warehouse 01:18:00 – Baseball, Branding & The Hidden Opportunity 01:31:00 – TD’s Branding Fail on the Blue Jays Jersey 01:36:00 – The Best & Worst Baseball Logos 01:42:00 – When Virtue Signaling Destroys Loyalty 01:47:00 – Shohei Ohtani & The Power of Global Branding 01:50:00 – Final Thoughts

The Ordinary LIED

This week on Art of the Brand, Camille and Phillip unpack one of the most dynamic episodes yet. From Victoria’s Secret’s unapologetic return to form to The Ordinary’s “anti-industry” campaign (that’s actually owned by Estée Lauder), they explore the tension between authenticity and performance in modern branding. They also debate Tiffany’s $1,500 paperclip, the rise of “anti-brand” beauty culture, why Amex is the world’s best branding lesson, and how founders can stop obsessing over followers and start building brands that actually grow.Expect strong opinions, data-backed strategy, and a reminder that average isn’t aspirational.

Why Lululemon Is Failing and What Trump Gets Right

This week on Art of the Brand, Camille and Phillip unpack why Lululemon’s stock is down 57%, what Dior’s logo change really signals for fashion, and how AI is reshaping (and limiting) creativity. From Chip Wilson’s brutal honesty to Trump’s micro-script mastery, they connect the dots between brands that win by taking risks and those that die trying to please everyone. Expect contrarian takes on luxury, AI, influencers, and why even OnlyFans creators understand brand psychology better than billion-dollar companies. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to Art of the Brand The most controversial, unfiltered branding podcast in the world.01:00 – Lululemon’s Collapse Why founder Chip Wilson took out a full-page ad to call out his own company.04:00 – The Death of Innovation How bureaucrats, bean counters, and “feel good” marketing destroyed a legacy brand.10:00 – What Founders Can Learn from Chip Wilson The importance of risk, focus, and making products that actually mean something.16:00 – Rory Sutherland & The AI Problem Why agencies replacing creatives with AI is a dangerous illusion.20:00 – AI vs. Human Creativity Camille’s take on why AI can’t hook audiences—and how founders should actually use it.24:00 – The Hairdresser Lesson What most entrepreneurs get wrong about content and why it’s not about you.30:00 – The Truth About Virality Why follower counts don’t matter and how micro wins compound into massive results.38:00 – Dior’s Logo Change Why luxury fashion is moving away from logos—and what it means for brand scarcity.45:00 – Chanel’s $4,000 Shirt & Calculated Risk How controversy fuels earned media and why brands need more danger, not less.47:00 – CNN & Trump’s Branding Strategy Camille breaks down her CNN interview and what Trump teaches us about attention.53:00 – The Power of Micro Scripts How “Sleepy Joe” and “Crooked Hillary” prove simplicity wins in the attention economy.57:00 – OnlyFans & Reverse Psychology in Branding What Bonnie Blue understands about awareness and why brands should study her.01:02:00 – The Death of Moral Branding Why most marketers want to be right instead of successful—and how that kills growth.01:10:00 – Skims’ Viral Drops Are hairy thongs genius marketing or lazy shock tactics?01:16:00 – Brand Coherence & The Porsche vs. Volvo Test How to know if your brand actually stands for something.01:20:00 – Final Challenge: Don’t Be Boring Why being safe is the fastest way to die in today’s market.

I Lost My TikTok: The Truth About Platform Dependency

This week on Art of the Brand, Camille and Phillip unpack the biggest shifts shaping media, luxury, and marketing today. From losing a 4-year TikTok account overnight to Cartier’s first Love Bracelet redesign in 56 years, they explore what happens when platforms, products, and people lose their edge. They break down Kris Jenner’s $500K facelift as a masterclass in exclusivity, Jimmy Fallon’s failed branding show, ChatGPT’s surprisingly human ad, and Prada’s acquisition of Versace, revealing how consolidation is killing consumer choice.Expect sharp insights on attention, algorithm risk, and why true brand power still comes from taste and trust.