Money Heist: A Masterclass in Modern Brand Creation

From a local Spanish production with failing ratings, to a global phenomenon on Netflix. But ‘Money Heist’ is much more than that. A modern-day cultural classic, a symbol of freedom to millions, and a deeply iconic brand. How did they do it?

When I first watched the Money Heist, it took me a little while to warm up, but I confess I’m in love with this show. And now that I’ve seen the last of the episodes produced so far (please Netflix, give us more!), I feel like a close family member has left.

I’m sad.

My partner and I were watching it with English voice overs and sub-titles (the actors speak Spanish, naturally), so we had the added bonus of the slightly disconnected — but hilarious — translation hiccups. In one line, a character delivers the classic line: “don’t bust my balls!” The sub-title read:

“Don’t break my ovaries”.

Too funny. But whilst the translation dynamic was fun, we were ultimately seduced by the epic story telling (which only gets better and better and better through the seasons), and the colorful, contrasting characters.