As this year’s sun-baked summer turns into a distant memory I collected some thoughts on the different grand narratives around summer in media and branding in an attempt to reveal the darkest secrets of the sunny months of the year. After analysing a series of iconic portrayals of summer in pop culture, I identified two main oppositional narrative structures. On one hand, we have the “transformative / coming of age” summer where the protagonist experiences a meaningful internal change. And on the other hand, we have the “melancholic / escapist” summer where the protagonist enjoys an idealised, but static, time off. After I present examples of the two different summer narratives, I will then reflect on ways that brands can use them in their campaigns and product designs.