Branded Review: Road To Hell Film Reviews Podcast Episode 005

Set in post-Cold War Moscow, Branded portrays the arrival and dominance of capitalism in the former Soviet Union. We follow a high-ranking marketing executive, Misha, as he rises to the top of his cutthroat field, only to be suddenly and traumatically interrupted by a spiritual awakening. Endowed with the ability to actually see brands – odd, alien-like entities which attach themselves like parasites to unsuspecting consumers – Misha uses his marketing prowess to wage war against harmful and unhealthy brands.

Misha’s end goal is obscure. Has his spiritualism led him to forsake all capitalism and commercialism? Has he become some sort of neo-communist? Or, has he come to see that some brands are better than others and that a market can only be safe when there is a marketer-prophet such as himself around to clean house? The film is riddled with political and occult symbolism – which itself raises questions about the subconscious, primitive, and archetypal “branding” – while the plot itself sparks interesting and important questions about how influential advertising and marketing really are. Just how malleable are human beings, really? How much – or how little – control do we have over our decisions?

Writers/Directors
Jamie Bradshaw & Aleksandr Dulerayn

Starring
- Ed Stoppard as “Misha”
- Leelee Sobieski as “Abby”
- Jeffrey Tambor as “Bob”
- Max von Sydow as “The Guru”
- Mariya Ignatova as “Master of Ceremony”

Branded Review Resources & Extra Media
- Branded (2012)
- “Marketing Effectiveness – How to Measure Your Marketing Success”
- The Story of Nowhere Podcast #7: “The Constitution of the Invisible Government”

Want to learn more about the Utopian Project throughout history or have an interest in esoterica & the classics? Check out Danny's work @ Story Of Nowhere or the Story Of Nowhere Library.

Need help connecting with your audience for your business or creative endeavor? Check out Nicky P @ Iron Age Marketing or Nicky P Copywriter.