When Storytelling Has No Soul

We all love a little razzle-dazzle. A viral hook. A visual flex. A clever tagline. That’s the candy of storytelling — and hey, nothing wrong with candy. (Especially if it’s a long, chewy Twizzler or, yes, black licorice — hot take, I know.)

But here’s the problem: candy doesn’t fill you up.

Take the recent Cracker Barrel logo debacle. Hard to ignore, right? I’ve been resisting commentary, but when they took it all back, I couldn’t resit anymore. Another “refresh” that left people scratching their heads and asking: Who exactly are you supposed to be? The issue was never fonts or icons. The issue was substance. Or more accurately, the lack of it. The whole thing rang hollow.

And that’s the trap of storytelling today: too much surface, not enough depth.

Which brings me to Jurassic World: Rebirth. (Did you watch it? I love a good blockbuster — but this?) Big budget. Big dinos. Big nostalgia. And yet, halfway through, I was checking my phone. Not because the T-Rex wasn’t cool (it always is), but because the movie had all the ingredients… and none of the flavor. Nothing new. Shallow characters. Predictable plot. No real POV. Just noise dressed up as a roar.

That’s the same mistake Cracker Barrel made: mistaking volume for value. Believing that big, bold, and loud would be enough. But without meaning? It’s empty.

And here’s the truth: in a world where everyone’s shouting, volume isn’t what cuts through. Value is.

So if you want to matter? Go deeper. Don’t just grab attention — earn it. Use the sizzle to pull people in, then serve them something that sticks: a fresh idea, a real connection, a truth that makes them sit up straighter. A story tied to your actual identity.

Fluff might get the click. But depth gets remembered. (And design that forgets the soul of the brand? Always flops.)

Agree? Disagree? Tell me — I’m all ears.