The Brand Lab – Issue 1

The Rebrand Starts Here

September 4, 2025

Oana Leonte

Oana Leonte is the Founder & CEO of Unmtchd. She is based in Germany and shapes the unmtchd. brand, editorial and business strategy and is the host of The Unmtchd. Podcast. Oana spent 20 years working to build some of the most loved global brands in entertainment, fashion, and sports. Previously, Oana was a Marketing Director at PUMA.

 

Welcome to the very first issue of The Brand Lab.

I created this space because I believe brands aren’t built in boardrooms anymore. They’re built in the messy middle — in experiments, in pivots, in the courage to try things out before they’re perfect.

And yet, most of us still treat branding like a final exam. One logo. One campaign. One shot to prove ourselves.

That’s outdated thinking.

In a world of AI, shifting attention spans, and cultural curveballs, the brands that will stand out are the ones that treat branding like a living, breathing lab.

Because here’s the truth:

  • Logos can be copied.
  • Campaigns can be outspent.
  • Tactics can be replicated.

But what can’t be replicated? Your IP. Your ecosystem. Your unmatched story.

That’s what this newsletter is about: → breaking branding down into experiments you can actually run. → showing you how to turn your ideas into intellectual property. → giving you strategies that don’t just win attention, but build equity.

Each edition, I’ll bring you insights, playbooks, and cultural experiments you can apply straight to your brand. And we’ll do it without the fluff, the jargon, or the recycled marketing clichés you’ve read a thousand times.

Because if you’re here, I know you don’t just want another newsletter. You want a place where brand builders think differently. You want your lab.

This is IT.

🎥 Want to dive deeper? Here’s a clip from my latest video where I unpack why every strong brand needs Human IP — the people behind the logo who embody its values and carry its story into culture. Think Apple with its collaborators, Nike with its athletes.

👉 Watch the full video on YouTube

The rebrand starts here.