Max Joseph (US)
"The Evolution of Branded Storytelling: From Control to Collabs"
Max Joseph In Conversation with Kris Hoet.
Summary
Over the past two decades, the world of branded storytelling has undergone a seismic transformation from the era of agency-controlled television spots to a radically decentralized landscape led by creators, platforms, and audiences themselves. In this candid and forward-looking session, filmmaker and digital creator Max Joseph explores that evolution through the arc of his own journey — from directing commercials and feature films in the traditional system to becoming one of YouTube’s most distinctive storyteller-creators.
Max will be joined in conversation with Kris Hoet, one of Belgium’s most respected voices in innovation, creativity, and brand transformation. Spanning agencies, technology, and brand-side leadership, Kris brings a unique perspective on how marketing has evolved and where it will go from here. Together, Max and Kris will unpack both the creative and strategic shifts that have reshaped the industry and map out what’s coming next.
Biography
Max Joseph is an award-winning filmmaker whose work bridges cinema, advertising, and internet culture. He first broke through collaborating with Casey Neistat on Nike’s Make It Count and the Cannes Lion–winning Follow the Frog for Rainforest Alliance, setting a new bar for viral brand storytelling. His acclaimed video essays BOOKSTORES, DICKS, HAPPINESS, and A Brief History of John Baldessari have screened at Sundance, Telluride, and SXSW, earning hundreds of millions of views and inspiring a generation of digital creators.
Joseph’s sensibility for the online world extended to television as co-host of MTV’s Catfish for more than seven years, a series that became a cultural touchstone for the digital age. He later directed the feature film We Are Your Friends starring Zac Efron and HBO Max’s 15 Minutes of Shame, produced with Monica Lewinsky, which explores cancel culture and public shaming. Taken together, his career traces the evolution of the internet era capturing how stories spread, how they shape identity, and how they define the zeitgeist.