Lunch Is Served: Breaking Down The Virality Of The GAP x KATSEYE Ad
The agency behind that viral GAP x KATSEYE ad. Plus: Kara Brothers, former Starface President on why she stepped down, and what's next.
Oli Walsh, along with his team at Invisible Dynamics and the team at GAP, are credited with creating that GAP x KATSEYE ad we just can’t get out of our heads — the one that made you feel something: pure joy.
In a sea of sameness, that’s the point.
Let’s be honest: we’re living in an era of mass reference. Everyone has access to the same Pinterest boards, TikTok trends, font packs, and moodboards. What was once insider language is now being memed and mimicked at warp speed.
So how do you create something original and something that cuts through?
Oli Walsh, founder and CEO of brand transformation consultancy Invisible Dynamics, has a simple but powerful answer: “In an AI-saturated world, human taste and touch are a luxury,” he explains. “Newness is rare, but the magic often lies in how you combine the familiar.”
That’s what makes a brand unforgettable.
And at a time when AI is flooding the zone and every brand is chasing “cool,” Oli’s POV feels like a cultural reset.
I also interviewed Oli for Forbes, to discuss the 6 reasons the GAP x KATSEYE ad struck a chord.
Here, in our Lunch at Barneys conversation, we go deeper into Oli’s brand-building formula and why chasing cool should never be the goal.
LAB: What do you say to brands who come to you saying, “We want to go viral”?
Oli: We say: let’s talk a bit more about that. Of course it makes sense, you want virality. But what you really want is to be commercially successful.
At Invisible Dynamics, we use a formula that’s core to everything we do:
Harness Culture + Creativity + Commerce = To Drive Relevance + Revenue.
So when a brand says they want to “go viral,” what they really mean is they want relevance. And what they actually want is revenue.
That’s where we come in.
LAB: What’s your personal take on the role of taste in branding?
Oli: Taste is everything. But it’s misunderstood.
Newness is rare. True originality is almost impossible. But what feels fresh is when you combine the familiar in a way that’s unexpected, or emotionally resonant.
That’s where taste lives. In the edit. In how you remix.
The best things feel both new and familiar. That’s the sweet spot.
LAB: Ooouff, I felt this in my bones! Especially today… Taste isn’t aesthetic alone. It’s about alignment and storytelling. It’s showing people what they didn’t know they needed.
You’ve said, “Virality isn’t a hack. It’s a byproduct of a healthy brand ecosystem.” What does that mean to you?
Oli: It means exactly that. Virality is not a hack. Once we understand where you are and where you want to be, we build a roadmap and execute.
LAB: So what’s your first step with a client?
Oli: We ask the foundational questions:
What does your brand stand for?
Do people want you to succeed?
Are you clear internally about your identity?
Are you showing up with distinct, ownable brand codes?
Oli: We ask the foundational questions:
What does your brand stand for?
Do people want you to succeed?
Are you clear internally about your identity?
Are you showing up with distinct, ownable brand codes?
Once that’s clear, we look at the product:
Is it amazing?
Can we improve product-market fit?
Can we sharpen quality, reduce lead time, improve price point?
How is your merchandising assortment?
Then we look at how the product is presented:
Does the presentation elevate perception?
Then we go to distribution:
Is your e-comm frictionless?
Is your service strong?
What about stores: Do they ladder up to your story?
Only then do we talk about marketing.
LAB: Do you feel like culture is craving joy and optimism again?
Oli: 100%. Any successful brand communication has to tap into the emotional energy of culture: what people are feeling right now.
I always think about Mike White and the White Lotus. He’s so attuned to the cultural mood.
Season 1 was about Money.
Season 2 was about Sex.
Season 3 was about Death, Spirituality and Anxiety.
He reflects the big emotions we’re all carrying. And that’s what brands need to do. It’s emotional attunement.
LAB: What’s a “yes” moment that shaped your journey?
Oli: For me, it’s more of a “yes” mindset. It’s not one moment: it’s curiosity, humility, collaboration. That mindset was nurtured in childhood and shaped in adulthood. Fatherhood, especially: it helps you see the world with fresh eyes, be more open, more present.
LAB: Who would your dream lunch date be?
Oli: Well, the easy answer to who I’m having lunch with is JJ, my wife (the brilliant founder of innovative skincare brand, Formula Fig). She’s for sure the most inspiring person in my life.
That’s the essence of Lunch at Barneys: where every campaign is a case study, and every “yes” is a door to something deeper.
Notes on a Napkin
Chic takeaways, scribbled with bite.
1. Virality isn’t the goal — clarity is.
Stop chasing noise. Focus on clarity, alignment and delivering a brand experience people want to talk about. Virality is the byproduct of getting the foundation right.
2. Taste is your superpower.
In an AI-saturated world, human taste and touch are the ultimate luxury. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel: just combine the familiar in a way that feels fresh, intentional and emotional.
3. Your brand doesn’t need a hot take.
Not every brand has the license to play in every cultural moment. The most powerful move? Stay true to your story. Be consistent and authentic, not performative or try-hard.
4. Press won’t save you, but product might.
If your product, price point and positioning aren’t right, no amount of media love will keep you alive.
5. Audit before you amplify.
Before you launch the campaign, post the video, or pitch the press: ask the hard questions. Does your brand deserve attention right now? Does your customer care? Why now? It's not just about branding or product fit: it's about whether people are actually rooting for you.
6. Joy is harder than controversy.
Controversy is easy to manufacture, but joy requires taste, restraint and knowing how to properly read the room. The brands that lead with optimism will win.
7. Culture + Creativity + Commerce = Relevance + Revenue.
This is the formula to remember.
Last week, Kara Brothers announced she was stepping down as President of Starface after nearly 5 monumental years. Her next move? Doubling down on Say It Out Loud: a content platform, where she’s creating the world she wants to live in via podcasts, live talk shows and more.
Some people I interview for Forbes really leave an impression on me: Kara Brothers is one of them. When we spoke last summer ahead of Starface’s Star Balm launch, she struck me as someone who walks the talk, leads with transparency, and makes an impact wherever she goes. As we head deeper into Q4 2025, let this be your reminder: you, too, can create the world you want to live in.
LAB: You called your time at Starface the “f*cking coolest job” and the best 4.5 years of your career. What made you realize it was the right moment to close that chapter?
Kara: It really was the best job and where I felt the most stretched and inspired. I got to solve problems every day that I never knew I was capable of solving. That level of challenge and creativity totally changed me. I evolved through the work I did on myself, with my team, and for the business. I live for this type of growth.
But as the business got bigger something was starting to shift for me. Slowly I realized that the problems I was solving weren’t lighting me up or scaring me in the same way.
With anything really great - a good relationship, a killer career, a beautiful home - it’s hard to separate that feeling of gratitude and comfort with the hard questions like: is this helping me grow in the ways that matter to the person I am today?
This feeling wasn’t dramatic. It was a quiet knowing that this beautiful chapter was coming to a close. It was so hard though, I had to explore this feeling with myself, my coaches, and my founders.
At the same time, other passions and ideas and ways of living were brewing inside me that I couldn't ignore.
LAB: What gave you the courage to act on the signal or the intuitive ping?
Kara: I’ve been practicing living with as much integrity as possible. One of my values is “growth over comfort.” I tell my kids, fortune favors the bold. Love that quote.
I’ve been in really incredible positions and have known deep down that it was time for a change but stayed anyway. On the opposite end, every time I listened and acted, my life leveled up.
The more you start to listen to these signals, and most importantly act on them, the more confident you get. And then the world starts responding to your courage and provides you with what you’re looking for.
It’s a wild thing. This doesn’t mean it wasn’t a hard decision! I cried so much.
LAB: I’ve always believed that no career path is truly linear: each stop or checkpoint shapes us in ways we might not see until later. What are your thoughts on this? And what would you tell someone who’s still in the thick of it, trying to figure out “their purpose”?
Kara: I agree 1000%! I love that you said that. Understandably, lots of people are asking me, “What’s next? What’s next?” The expectation is probably that I’ll go get a bigger job at a bigger company, but I’m just not interested in that right now. There is no big reveal.
I feel like society pushes people into a relationship, then a marriage, then one kid, then another kid. It’s like… chill.
Anyway. Life and careers are a big experiment to me. You learn, you grow, you explore, you fail.
LAB: You mentioned you’ll reflect more on your Substack, Say It Out Loud. What inspired you to share your journey in that format?
Kara: I’m expressing myself more and more, both online and in-person. I haven’t felt this open and free in almost a decade and I’m experimenting and having fun with it.
Writing helps me process all the contradictory ideas in my head, while talking to a camera allows me to be random and silly and spontaneous. I’ll probably experiment with both YouTube and Substack. Content will start to roll out this fall.
LAB: What’s one truth you’ve learned about timing, momentum, and letting go?
Kara: There is no perfect time for anything so I try to resist the natural thinking of “when this happens, I will...” and just move at a rhythm that feels more faithful. I’m still working on this one.
Letting go always makes space for something new to enter the chat. And momentum is funny. There can be a slow and steady build. But sometimes it’s quiet for a long time, and then suddenly, everything happens at once.
LAB: A mantra you’re carrying into this next season?
Kara: I trust who I am becoming.
LAB: Tell us more about Say It Out Loud!
Kara: Say It Out Loud is about bringing new ways of thinking to the surface. Showcasing our nuances as individuals and as societies. And it’s also about having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously. You can expect interviews, talk shows, in person events, community hangs, contradictory thoughts, and fun times.
I’m creating a world that seems ideal for me: one where people say what they mean, are able to hold contradictions, and are imaginative enough to dream up new ways of living. It’s a super fun new beginning for me.
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