31 Fictional Characters Who’d Make Great Advertising Strategists
What makes a great advertising strategist? Speaking to experts across the industry, it’s a combination of logic, curiosity, leadership, social skills, bravery, and a hint of mischief.
When it comes to finding these traits within the fictional world, it seems both heroes and villains come into play. Here, strategists from Ogilvy Chicago, Droga5 ANZ (part of Accenture Song), DAC, Fold7, TBWA\London, Happiness Saigon, Drummond Central, Talented, Wonder (part of the Amplify collective), Droga5 São Paulo, Impero, Wpromote, BUCK, TBWA\Helsinki and Atomic London share their fictional characters of choice with LBB’s Sunna Coleman.
Joe Goldberg - ‘You’
Eliza Brown, senior strategist, Ogilvy Chicago
Joe Goldberg is what happens when someone with serious strategy talent takes a dangerously wrong turn. The guy’s sharp, strategic, and freakishly good at understanding people but instead of using those skills to crush it in the ad world, he went full stalker-turned-murderer.
Let’s picture Joe in an alternate universe where he’s not hiding bodies but building brands. His ability to dissect people’s desires and motivations could have fuelled award-winning campaigns instead of criminal investigations. His research skills (creepy as they are) would make him a pro at audience analysis. He wouldn’t just stop at surface-level consumer demographics; he’d uncover their childhood fears and which Taylor Swift song makes them cry, and more importantly, why.
And let’s talk about Joe’s poetic inner monologues, which are basically TED Talks on storytelling. He has this unnerving talent for making even terrible ideas sound logical, and he could rally a team around a creative vision like no one else. A skill many strategists would kill for (pun intended). Pair that with his adaptability under pressure, and you’ve got someone who could pivot mid-pitch or salvage last-minute client demands without breaking a sweat.
If Joe had channeled all that obsessive energy into brainstorming sessions instead of… well, murder, he could’ve been unstoppable. His ability to take deep insights and turn them into behaviour-changing ideas is what every strategist dreams of. Joe didn’t need to be a killer. He could’ve been the kind of strategist who slays pitches, not people.
Disclaimer: This response is satire and doesn’t condone stalking, murder, or glamorising violence. While Joe Goldberg’s obsessive tendencies might make for a good fictional strategist, in reality, strategists stick to ethical research.
Wilson - ‘Cast Away’
Milla McPhee, chief strategy officer, Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song
Yes, the ball. For a few reasons.
First, Wilson’s last job was in sports. Strategists have diverse past lives too. I’ve known ex-DJs, lawyers, sommeliers, and journalists. No one studies to be in strategy. We too were swept here by the tide.
Second, Wilson is very emotionally attuned, for a ball. That’s our job: listening, empathising, translating. Bad planners add complexity. Great ones are ‘stupid smart’. They understand and represent every person at the table. And explain things so your mum would get it.
Also, Wilson is both useless and critical. Could Hanks have survived without him? Probably. But the movie wouldn’t have been any good. Similarly, you could delete the strategy department, and an agency would still technically function. But things wouldn’t work as well.
Then Wilson gets left behind. We too don’t have main character energy. We know we’re not the rockstars on stage at the end of it all. Like Wilson, we are there to help the heroes on their journey.
But Wilson is iconic. Great strategists are too. They leave a mark on the work. Clients rely on them. They are great company with the best stories. And they’re missed when they merrily drift on to their next most interesting shore.
Tyrion Lannister - ‘Game of Thrones’
Nasser Sahlool, SVP of client services, DAC
Why Tyrion? Because he reads rooms (and kingdoms) faster than you can say, “I drink, and I know things.” His abilities are perfect for navigating fragmented sub-cultures, micro-influencers and niche tribes.
Tyrion would excel at coalition-building between media, creative, analytics and social teams in a rapidly shifting environment challenged by newly emerged AI dragons – today’s integrated reality.
The lesson for strategists is that empathy and curiosity unlock nuanced segmentation: respecting and impressing sub-cultures rather than painting them with one brush.
Front Man - ‘Squid Game’
Mike Waters, strategy director, Fold7
OK, look – strategists probably shouldn’t be encouraging people to risk their lives for the proceeds of giant plexiglass piggy banks. But I think Front Man has all the makings of a top tier strategic mind.
Firstly, he knows the importance of strong distinctive brand assets. With his iconic shiny mask, snappily dressed security personnel and off-beat Korean nursery rhyme audio signature, this guy is across the Byron Sharp playbook. But more importantly, he gets people. On a theoretical and an emotional level.
He knows how to motivate them, nudge them, and communicate on their level. He understands psychology, loss aversion, and the sunk cost fallacy – to a quite frightening degree.
He’s running focus groups and analysing data on a psychotic scale. But he’s also willing to go beyond the theory and really wear the hat, and fetching green tracksuit, of the target audience.
Because, boring as it is, that’s still the number one thing strategists need to do: understand their audience. Intimately. In a way ChatGPT can’t. That’s why the Front Man is all about getting in among it. Spending time with his audience one-on-one. He's as comfortable hobnobbing with bloodthirsty billionaires as he is with indebted game players. He doesn't mind getting his hands bloody.
It’s what we should all be doing more of, in the last few days before society erupts into a ‘Squid Game’-style open bloodbath.
Moana - ‘Moana’
Jesper Norgaard, strategy director, TBWA\London
When looking to the world of fiction to recruit a strategist, my list of candidates is long and diverse – it includes a gold-plated robot, a Belgian detective and a quirky wizard. But there’s one name that stands out: Moana.
She’s a wanderer, a dreamer and a pursuer of truth, always looking beyond the horizon towards a better world. I admire how she isn’t afraid of challenging tradition and the status quo, which strikes me as a useful trait in a time where change is needed.
Moana is also a brave leader who leads from the front. She’s willing to be the first one to travel beyond the reef into dangerous, uncharted waters, giving others the confidence to follow. A key skill in a world where the strategist is often on the front lines.
But no matter where she goes or what she does, Moana always stays true to her heritage – she never forgets where she came from. Yet another trait a modern strategist should have, both in terms of our own profession, but also when we help clients chart the path into their future.
And I suppose being pals with a shape-shifting demigod might have its benefits too.
Suneo Honekawa - ‘Doraemon’
Tu-Ngan Pham, strategic planner, Happiness Saigon
Yes, that Suneo. He might come off as the flashy sidekick, but across the series, he’s actually the one constantly behind the plans, tactics, and social maneuvering, contributing in every win of the group. In many ways, he’s already playing the strategist role, just in a schoolyard setting.
Suneo is hyper-socially aware. He understands status, influence, perception, and most importantly, how to engineer them. He knows how to play to people’s desires, insecurities, and aspirations. That’s basically a strategist in the making.
His creativity shows in how he orchestrates social situations to his advantage. He’s always planning the next gathering, vacation, or scheme to impress Jaian and exclude Nobita. Is it always nice? No. But it’s strategic. He knows what to show, to whom, when, and how. He’s also logical in his planning: when he needs Doraemon’s gadgets, he doesn’t waste them, he negotiates access, leverages favours, and times his moves. Behind the arrogance, there’s a structured thinker.
Suneo is a collaborator as long as he’s in the inner circle. He doesn’t need to lead, but he needs to be close to the spotlight. He thrives in teams where there’s room to shine; and where he can use his social radar to steer group thinking without necessarily being the loudest. He’d be the type to pitch a sharp insight casually in a brainstorm and let others run with it, while subtly taking credit in the hallway after.
Audi would be a perfect fit for Suneo. Audi’s ethos mirrors exactly what Suneo is drawn to: futuristic innovation, sleek design, and being a step ahead of everyone else. He’d instinctively know how to position tech not just as utility, but as a symbol of progress, taste, and subtle superiority. He wouldn’t just strategise a car launch; he’d make it feel like owning the future.
Velma Dinkley - ‘Scooby Doo’
Bisi Ajala, junior planner, Drummond Central
Freddie might take the lead when the Scooby gang are out solving mysteries, but Velma’s brainy qualities and compassion position her as brand strategist material. With her interest in various unusual subjects, Velma embodies the strategist’s curiosity and research skills.
In today’s world, she’d be flying from culture-based articles to scrolling through TikTok to piece together information. Velma is always on top of solving mysteries. She pieces clues together, uncovering aspects people would typically overlook. This quality reflects the strategist’s ability to connect the dots, even in unexpected places. And hey, she may be the most skeptical of the group, but that just means our girl can challenge assumptions, find the human (and their motivations) behind the ‘ghost’ and uncover the truth. In the strategist’s world, we can’t leave assumptions unmasked. So best believe Velma would be an effectiveness champion, giving us papers on ghost-busting and pushing for evidence-based decisions.
Dr. Gregory House - ‘House’
Ruhin Chatterjee, strategy, Talented
Without any hesitation, my pick would be Dr. Gregory House. A genius diagnostician who would analyse and envision brands like no one else could, and would certainly build work that cuts deep.
In my eyes, a strategist will only be as great as the problems they’re willing to walk great distances in search of, and House is addicted to discovering problems that no one else has the power to see. His calculated cynicism about human beings (captured iconically in ‘Everybody Lies’) would be a great asset while separating a consumer’s words from their true nature. He also trusts his intuition, but makes sure it’s fed well with knowledge and experiences, so it’s right more often than not.
His unconventional methods exemplify that while the outcomes of strategy are structured, the process to get there is anything but. There is clearly a lot of improvised research (cough cough sending his team to break into a patient’s house to look for pathogens cough cough), and disruptive experiments that go against the expected codes of his profession (because what else could we really call performing an autopsy on a living person), yet his treatment plans are simple and easily monitorable.
Regardless of category, he’d be my go-to whenever I had to build a challenger brand. I think he’d have great value when you’re trying to zag in a zig world, particularly in categories where the ways of the leader brand are vulnerable to scrutiny.
Team-wise, he’d most definitely be a leader, but he’d need his team like sparring partners to get the gold out of his brain, instead of letting them do their own thing. Good luck to his manager though, because that personality – a rich cocktail of unique charm, a sharp wit, uncontrollable narcissism and frequently-evident nihilism – is going to be quite the talking point during performance reviews.
Ozymandias - ‘Watchmen’
Jonathan Izzard, head of strategy, Wonder (part of the Amplify collective)
Now, speaking as a strategist, I’m not sure what it says about me that pretty much everyone on my list had either a bit of an evil streak about them or was a full-blown baddie. But you’ve gotta go with the flow, I guess.
As such, my vote goes to the Ozymandias from ‘Watchmen’. Widely described as the story’s ‘anti-villain’, whether you’re taking the 2009 movie or Alan Moore’s original graphic novel, Adrian Veidt - AKA Ozymandias - is a true, uncompromising evil genius.
Maybe it’s his people skills, keeping friends close and enemies closer. Maybe it’s his passionately dispassionate perspective on the bigger picture. Maybe it’s his capacity to make knife-edge decisions for the greater good. Or maybe it’s just because he's able to make everyone think that his was indeed the inevitable – and correct – solution.
Then again, it's possible it’s just because I can’t get past Matthew Goode’s dreadful haircut in the film.
Calculating? Certainly. A step ahead of the rest? You bet. He’s playing chess, while they’re playing checkers.
Nathan Fielder - ‘The Rehearsal’
Joaquim Trajano, group strategy director, Droga5 São Paulo
My newest mentor is Nathan Fielder, the controlling mind behind the series ‘The Rehearsal’. A show so obsessed with data that it taught me to embrace the beauty of the unforeseen.
In the series, Nathan Fielder tries to eliminate life's uncertainty by creating monumental simulations so that ordinary people can rehearse difficult moments. He is a god with access to HBO's studios and a (nearly) unlimited budget. And his constant struggle to control every variable has taught me so much about strategy.
This immersion in the series and the character led me to what I've nicknamed ‘Fielder's Dilemma’: the more you try to control a human interaction, the more artificial it becomes, and the further you stray from the genuine truth you were seeking.
From him, I learned three lessons:
1. Strategy Is Not the Final Script. Fielder's plan is always a ‘beta test’, made to be broken. Today, I see my strategies the same way. They are not the final script, but merely the first scene. Their function is not to be 100% right, but to help us discover what happens in the rest of the episode.
2. Embrace Plot Twists.The brilliance of ‘The Rehearsal’ lies in its ‘errors’: the unplanned reaction. The truth reveals itself in every ‘glitch’. For brands, this is gold. The insight isn't in the campaign that ran perfectly as planned, but in the one that was re-signified and transformed by the public. The unexpected is not noise; it is the signal.
3. Simulated Empathy Is an Abyss. Fielder attempts to build empathy through logic, scenarios, and actors. This is a powerful lesson for an industry that sometimes treats ‘purpose’ as just another line in the script. True connection is born not only from a well-designed persona, but from the courage to listen and react to what was not in the plan.
Today, when I get a brief, I no longer just ask, “what's the data?" but also, "what is the human conflict here?" Certainty has given way to curiosity.
The Planning Departments
The Scoobies - ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Jessica Peters, senior strategist, Impero
In a small agency, one strategist often wears many hats. Enter the Scooby Gang, a team that exemplifies the perfect mix of brains, heart, and action.
Willow is your research powerhouse. A self-proclaimed computer geek and witch with a talent for unearthing hidden knowledge. She uses her magic to turn complex data and ancient texts into powerful insights (or spells) that propel the team forward.
Xander is the voice of curiosity. He’s not the expert, and that’s exactly why he’s invaluable. He’s the interrogator of the group, asking the ‘stupid’ questions to uncover odd but revealing truths. He also isn’t afraid to challenge those around him and question their logic when it matters most.
Buffy? She’s the creative planner – the one who builds a plan-of-attack and gets the work out in the world, partnering with specialists (Giles, Angel, Spike) when she needs extra creativity, brains or muscle to slay the competition.
Together, they remind us: great strategy isn’t one skill – it’s a squad. Brains, bravery, and a stake-sharp brief – what more could a strategist need?
Calvin and Hobbes - ‘Calvin and Hobbes’
Darren D'Altorio, SVP of paid media, Wpromote
I’m going with Calvin and Hobbes. Why? Because they embody the kind of complementary brilliance that makes the best advertising strategies land. Great strategy is rooted in collaboration, and Calvin and Hobbes bring the perfect mix of imagination and logic, mischief and meaning, ambition and grounded perspective.
They blend wit and whimsy with childlike wonder and a sharp sense of existential objectivity. They are juvenile in the best way, unafraid to ask questions others avoid, yet deeply serious when it comes to exploring what really matters. Always curious, always observing, always learning.
In a world that often tries to separate brand and performance, Calvin and Hobbes would instinctively find the intersection. They would build strategies that are just as impactful as they are inventive. They would challenge assumptions, protect bold ideas, and hold onto the kind of imagination that drives real connection.
They’ll make you laugh, then make you cry. Then make you laugh while you cry. That is the emotional arc of great advertising. What more could you ask for?
Sherlock Holmes - ‘Sherlock Holmes’, Tyrion Lannister - ‘Game of Thrones’, Moira Rose - ‘Schitt’s Creek’, Jean-Luc Picard - ‘Star Trek’
Marla Moore, head of strategy, BUCK
There are so many great characters who'd absolutely kill it in today's ad world, for a multitude of reasons. Sherlock Holmes springs to mind immediately, though I have a tough time believing he'd have the patience to stick with the sometimes contradictory and nuanced feedback inherent to our industry. It's not always elementary, I'm afraid. But there are plenty of fictional characters who understand the nuance in the noise; and the characters I'd be most keen to tackle my next RFP with would be Tyrion Lannister, Moira Rose, and the ever-steadfast captain, Jean-Luc Picard.
Tyrion's strategic mind and unparalleled wit enable him to read people and navigate politics in a way that would naturally lend itself to the ins and outs of swaying stakeholders. Not to mention, his unique perspective allows him to see things from a different angle than most. I'd trust him to slay any brand positioning, drink in hand.
Moira Rose is the queen of distinction, whether it's her unique approach to clothing or pronunciation. Observing her process for marketing legacy brands to a more modern audience sounds even better than binge-watching ‘Schitt's Creek’ again.
And last but certainly not least, no one knows how to ‘make it so’ more than Jean-Luc, and half of good direction and creative intuition today is knowing how to command a room. He places trust in the right people, goes with his (well-tested) gut, and has plenty of experience in the field researching myriad cultures. Plus he has a never-ending appetite for exploration – and that's likely the single-handed most important aspect of any successful strategist thriving today.
As a rule, our favorite fictional thinkers encounter obstacles and somehow find creative solutions to overcome them, refusing to back down, even against improbable odds. In our industry, sometimes an RFP comes in that seems insurmountable, whether through too-tight timelines or trying to position a brand in a space that simply doesn't make sense. But there is always another way of approaching a problem, and it's one of the primary reasons that I am such a fan of fiction literature and storytelling. Leave a little room for magic, and you'd be surprised what kinds of connections can be made.
Ted Lasso - ‘Ted Lasso’, Lisbeth Salander - ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, Samwise Gamgee - ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and Dana Scully - ‘The X Files’
Marco Mäkinen, SVP – strategy and new business, TBWA\Helsinki
The strategist is often cast as a lone genius – part Sherlock Holmes, part brooding philosopher – solving brand puzzles in quiet isolation. But in real life, strategy at an agency is anything but a solo act. It’s messy, collaborative, human. The most important skills are listening, empathy, and persuasion.
That’s why our dream strategy team would include Ted Lasso. He listens deeply, supports generously, and leads with heart. In an agency, he’d bring strategy shaped by kindness, curiosity, and humble wisdom.
But no great team is built on warmth alone. We'd pair Ted with Lisbeth Salander – the rebellious hacker from ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. She’d cut through noise and nonsense, seeing what others don’t. In data-heavy, ethically ambiguous terrain, she’d spot the cracks and expose hidden truths. She would be our BS detector and radical truth-teller.
We’d also need Samwise Gamgee – unshakably loyal and endlessly resilient. When the project feels doomed, when the pitch fails or the team is tired, Sam keeps going. He’s the quiet grit behind every breakthrough.
And finally, we’d bring in Dana Scully from ‘The X-Files’. Rational, relentless, and razor-sharp. She combines scientific rigor with emotional endurance. She tackles bureaucracy, digs into complexity, and never loses her edge.
Together, our diverse team wouldn’t just craft brilliant strategies – we’d rally creatives and clients alike, guiding and igniting work with the power to leave a mark on history.
Lisa Simpson - ‘The Simpsons’, Scrooge McDuck - ‘DuckTales’, Mushu - ‘Mulan’, Tiana Rogers - ‘The Princess and the Frog’, Velma Dinkley - ‘Scooby Doo’, Elsa - ‘Frozen’, Dexter - ‘Dexter’s Lab’, SpongeBob - ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’
Nicky Vita, head of strategy, Atomic London
I’ve tried to bring some fresh thinking (and a little joy) into strategic roles, imagining a planning department made entirely of fictional characters – each chosen for their unique strengths, quirks, and approach to solving problems. You’ll find a heavy dose of Disney/cartoon vibes (I’m a mum, work with me).
From Lisa Simpson, the ethically grounded planner who’ll always ask, “But is it right?”, to Scrooge McDuck, who won’t back a single idea unless it makes commercial sense, this team covers every angle.
Need someone to shake up the status quo? Call Mushu – the chaotic but brilliant disruption strategist. Want emotional insight rooted in real ambition? That’s Tiana. Searching for overlooked human truths? Velma is already halfway through the transcripts. Each character brings a strategic superpower: Elsa handles emotional depth and vulnerability; Dexter is all about testing, iteration, and ideas under the microscope. Even SpongeBob earns his seat – bringing energy, optimism, and an irrepressible sense of fun to every brief.
It’s not just a playful thought experiment – it’s a useful lens for unlocking different types of strategic thinking. These characters can be used to challenge assumptions, build team roles, or shake up a stale project. We all have a little of each of them in us. The question is: which strategist are you today?
