The Manifesto Expert Behind Apple, Meta & Nike’s Greatest Brand Writing Secrets | Lonnie Elliot

The Manifesto Expert Behind Apple, Meta & Nike’s Greatest Brand Writing Secrets | Lonnie Elliot

From Breaking and Entering Advertising Podcast by Breaking and Entering Media

May 13, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

Lonnie Elliot discusses the key elements of effective brand manifestos and storytelling.

What separates memorable brands from forgettable ones? According to brand writer and manifesto expert Lonnie Elliot, it starts with belief. In this episode of Breaking and Entering Advertising, Geno Schellenberger sits down with the former Apple and Meta writer to break down the true anatomy of great manifestos, from Think Different to Nike’s Dream Crazier. Lonnie explains the structures behind powerful brand storytelling, why tension and point of view matter, how startups often get branding wrong, and why AI still can’t replicate the specificity of elite human copywriting. For copywriters, strategists, founders, and marketers, this is a masterclass in writing words that move people. More from Breaking and Entering Media:💼 Follow on LinkedIn⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/breaking-entering-podcast/⁠📖 Read our Publications⁠ https://www.breaking-entering.com/blog⁠💬 Join our Unlocked GroupMe⁠ https://groupme.com/join_group/102437585/xg5Z5tei⁠✉️ Subscribe to The Vault⁠ https://breakingandenteringadv.substack.com/⁠📹 Subscribe to our :60 Advertising News Videos⁠ https://breakingandentering.beehiiv.com/⁠🏆 Check out the Crowbar Awards to break into advertising⁠…

People in this episode

Host: Geno Schellenberger

Guest: Lonnie Elliot

Topics covered

  • brand writing
  • manifestos
  • storytelling
  • copywriting
  • branding
  • AI in advertising

Keywords

  • branding
  • manifesto
  • copywriting
  • storytelling
  • Apple
  • Nike
  • Meta

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apple, Meta, Nike

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