A few weeks ago, I watched a movie called Hancock, starring Will Smith. It tells the story of a superhero named Hancock (played by Smith) who behaves nothing like the superheroes we typically imagine. In fact, he’s more of a reckless troublemaker drunken, destructive, and antisocial even though he possesses powers comparable to Superman.
That is, until he meets Ray Embrey, a public relations consultant who's just had his CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) proposal rejected by the board of a pharmaceutical company. Ray decides to help Hancock reshape his image to turn him into the kind of superhero people can actually admire.
The movie doesn’t end there, but for now, let’s stop at this point, because what I want to explore is how Hancock offers a simple and clever metaphor for understanding brand and branding, using the character of Hancock as the focal object.
Let’s think of Hancock as a product or service. Public perception of him (in this case, the city’s population) is overwhelmingly negative, which impacts his overall brand image. To fix this, a series of integrated efforts must be made to reshape Hancock’s image so that he becomes more acceptable, maybe even loved—by the public.
It’s important to remember that Hancock is human. He has traits, character, and a distinct personality whether he realizes it or not. All of these elements that are seen, felt, defined, or expressed through him will ultimately shape how others perceive him. That’s the mission of branding in this case. And this mission is something that Ray Embrey, the PR consultant, commits to throughout the film.
Here are some key points I’ve gathered about branding from the film:
A Brand Must Be Strong and Clear
From the very beginning, the film emphasizes strength, which is also the core of any superhero identity. Likewise, a brand needs to be strong. Let’s focus on the point where Hancock goes to jail. That’s where his rebranding journey begins: finding his core identity, understanding what he should and shouldn't do, what’s necessary or not (his own 5W+1H), identifying his SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), and so on. All of this reinforces the idea that a brand must be strong and well-defined. It must be strategically planned—just like the brand-building process Hancock undergoes in jail.
A Brand Must Be Focused and Singular
Remember the conflict when Hancock meets his wife? The film explains that they can’t be together because their powers diminish when they're close, making them vulnerable to enemies. The takeaway here? A brand must be singular and focused. It must have one clear, unique proposition. Multiple versions of the same thing will dilute the brand and damage its strength. Strong brands are always under threat. A well-known brand doesn’t guarantee a comfortable position. In fact, the bigger the brand, the more aggressively competitors will come after it. So it must be protected and maintained constantly.
A Brand is All About Perception
A brand exists in the minds of people. When Hancock is in prison, the city’s crime rate spikes, and the police struggle to manage. This moment becomes the perfect opportunity to reposition Hancock’s brand. When he finally takes heroic action—defeating a gang of bank robbers and saving hostages—public perception flips almost instantly.
Yes, he still causes collateral damage during the rescue, but now people see that he's trying to help. Perception matters: people tend to remember the small bad things more than the countless good ones. “Old, drunk Hancock” was also a brand, but not a desirable one. It existed, but it didn’t sell.
A Brand Must Be Communicated
In the film, Ray gives Hancock a costume while he’s in prison. The costume symbolizes brand attributes and communication, it’s a part of visual identity. Branding requires communication across many channels: PR, publicity, media coverage, and especially visual identity. Hancock’s press conference and media appearances also play a role in shaping how the public views him. That’s branding in action.
A Brand Is Not (Just) a Logo
Hancock doesn’t have a logo on his chest, but if the branding is strong, people will still remember him. That said, logos are still important. Almost every superhero has a recognizable symbol, commonly placed on the chest, which connects visually to their visual identity. That’s what a logo does. It’s a symbol that must be instantly recognizable and strongly associated with its subject. Think of the big “S” and Superman, the black bat and Batman, or the “Swoosh” and Nike. You won’t mistake them for Reebok or Adidas. But brand identity is a whole much more, it's a logo, it's a tonality, it's a character, it's a personality, it's an attitude, it's a visual, it's a non-visual, it's everything of those combined into one, that is a brand.
Other takeaways from Hancock about branding:
- Maintaining a brand is hard. It involves many people, many disciplines. It needs commitment, and it takes time.
- Build it, position it well, and maintain it consistently.
- If done right, people won’t just follow the brand, they’ll defend it. They become brand advocates, volunteers of the “brand defense army.”
Let Hancock be a reminder: branding is more than image—it's about identity, perception, communication, and persistence.