How Plato and Kylie Jenner are Shaping Modern Marketing (And Have More in Common Than You Might Think)

The world of marketing, especially today, is inspiring, intriguing, and curious. It fuels our imagination and often feels like an ever-evolving playground of fresh ideas and viral trends.

We like to believe that all this magic and creativity is due to our new and shiny tools and our modern way of thinking. But what if we tell you that even the most daring marketing strategies have been around for thousands of years?

Before Instagram influencers and Super Bowl commercials, there were scrolls, symposiums, and ancient philosophers laying the groundwork for how we communicate, persuade, and sell ideas.

We’re a curious bunch at LinkBuilder, so we’ve set out to discover how the celebrities of the ancient world still impact our lives today.

We’ve discovered that Kylie Jenner and Plato practice similar philosophies and that Taylor Swift and the Amazon team seem to have read the same books on strategic thinking.

Did we pique your curiosity? Join us in this exciting journey through time (and marketing)!

Long before ring lights, brand managers, and FaceTune, there was Plato — sitting under the Athenian sun, pondering the essence of reality.

At the heart of his philosophy sits the Theory of Forms, a belief that everything we experience in the physical world is just a shadow of its true, perfect form. According to Plato, the “ideal” exists beyond our senses: there’s an ideal chair, an ideal justice, the perfect beauty, even — dare we say — an ideal selfie.

He believed that pursuing this ideal (what he called the Forms) was central to human growth and understanding.

Fast-forward a couple of thousand years, and Plato’s idea of the ideal is everywhere. This is why a good commercial doesn’t focus exclusively on the product and its features. Instead, it sells an idealized version of yourself or your life because you use said product or service.

Let’s analyze two of the most powerful brand names in the world: Kylie Jenner and Apple.

Kylie Jenner

At only 22 years old, Kylie Jenner was the proud owner of Kylie Cosmetics, a brand that hit the $1 billion mark in less than 4 years. This is an impressive feat by anyone’s book!

Everybody knows the Kardashians use their fame and visibility to promote their businesses, but it takes more to achieve this level of success. In Kylie’s case, it’s about selling an idealized version of beauty, luxury, and self-expression.

The carefully curated social media persona, the perfectly polished aesthetic, the aspirational lifestyle — it’s all very Platonic.

Her persona as a self-made entrepreneur and beauty mogul projects an image of effortless success, personal empowerment, and airbrushed perfection. She offers an ideal that many young and adult women aspire to.

In other words, Kylie isn’t selling cosmetics. She’s selling the Platonic ideal of being Kylie.

Apple

In a similar fashion, Apple doesn’t just sell phones; it sells minimalism, innovation, and sleek perfection, wrapped in brushed aluminum and immaculate white space.

Since its early “Think Different” days, Apple has positioned itself as a lifestyle brand rooted in elegance, simplicity, and forward-thinking design. This is what gets people to line up for hours when a new model is released.

To the Platonic mind, Apple’s products come dangerously close to perfection. The company’s minimalistic ads, sleek packaging, and temple-like retail stores all reinforce this notion of an unattainable-but-desirable ideal. It’s not about what the iPhone does — it’s about what owning one says.

As Plato’s star pupil, Aristotle was much more grounded. He was interested not in what could be, but in what actually works.

In his seminal work Rhetoric, Aristotle broke down the art of persuasion into three main ingredients:

1. Ethos (credibility)

2. Pathos (emotional appeal)

3. Logos (logic and reasoning)

Together, they form an ancient marketing playbook that still makes sense today. Aristotle’s ancient rhetoric is wildly successful in modern times because trust, emotional connections, and clear reasoning are the main elements that capture potential clients’ attention and loyalty in a crowded market.

You can find Aristotle’s inspiration almost anywhere, from public personas such as Oprah to well-known brands, like Nike.

Oprah Winfrey

Few public figures embody Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle quite like Oprah Winfrey. She embodies ethos, while her brand is built on an emotional connection (pathos) with viewers, combined with storytelling that’s deeply human and logically compelling (logos).

Oprah built her credibility through her work as a television personality, media mogul, and philanthropist. Her authenticity, vulnerability, and unwavering commitment to helping others have built a foundation of trust.

Even today, her natural storytelling skills and her emotional range are unmatched. This ability to connect emotionally with just anyone is at the core of her brand. Lastly, she always makes sure to have a reason for her actions and recommendations.

Her endorsements come with testimonials, real-world results, and a track record of success that makes the logical case hard to ignore. This is why her book club is appreciated by readers from all around the world.

Nike

At first glance, you might think this brand sells high-quality athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories. This is true. However, the high quality of their products is not the only reason Nike’s global revenue was about 51.36 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

Nike’s marketing is another example of a masterful use of Aristotle’s rhetorical rules.

Starting with ethos, Nike builds trust and authority by aligning itself with elite athletes and global icons, like Serena Williams or LeBron James. When top performers choose Nike, it sends a clear message: this brand is legit.

Next is pathos — the brand’s “Just Do It” attitude taps into universal themes of struggle, resilience, and triumph. Whether you’re running your first mile or chasing Olympic gold, Nike makes you feel like greatness is within reach.

Then there’s logos. Nike backs its emotional appeal with hard data: innovative materials, performance-enhancing designs, and cutting-edge technology. This way, Nike gives consumers logical reasons to believe that the product matches the promise.

Who would’ve thought that an ancient military general would inspire marketing strategies in the 21st century? Sun Tzu is famous for his strategic thinking and for his book, The Art of War, which is an ancient guide to victory without unnecessary conflict.

His teachings talk about knowing your terrain, understanding your opponent, and outmaneuvering them with precision and foresight. This type of thinking is extremely common in today’s marketing, where you must know your audience to persuade them to take the actions you want.

According to Sun Tzu, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.” This is a rule many successful names apply to reach the top and stay there for as long as possible.

Let’s look at two names everyone on Earth knows: Taylor Swift and Amazon.

Taylor Swift

In the first quarter of 2025, Taylor Swift net worth was 1.6 billion U.S. dollars, which made her the wealthiest female musician in the world. While she is an extremely talented artist, you don’t get to this position only by pure grit.

You have to be a master strategist. Taylor Swift and her marketing team must’ve read The Art of War because each move she makes seems to be calculated to get the best outcomes.

She knows her audience, monitors the industry chessboard, and never moves without purpose. From surprise album drops to the re-recordings of her masters, she controls the narrative of her story.

Sun Tzu said, “All warfare is based on deception.” Taylor doesn’t deceive, but she does keep her next move hidden until the timing is just right.

Amazon

Amazon managed to turn marketing strategy into a science. With aggressive market analysis, logistics superiority, and an uncanny ability to adapt, the brand excels at anticipating the market’s needs.

Sun Tzu would’ve loved Amazon’s battlefield discipline: know your enemy, control the terrain, and strike before they even know there’s a war. From launching Amazon Prime to dominate customer loyalty, to quietly building AWS into the backbone of the internet, every move is calculated to stay several steps ahead.

Through relentless optimization, aggressive pricing, and expansion into logistics and entertainment, Amazon turned market analysis into market dominance.

The Stoics — Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca — were all about grit, clarity, and staying true to your values despite the chaos unfolding around you. Stoicism teaches responding with reason over impulse and maintaining integrity in the face of pressure, failure, or distraction.

Compare it to today’s short attention spans and impulse buying, and you could say Stoicism is the anti-influencer philosophy.

So why are we even talking about it?

If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that some brands and even some of the most admired public figures follow the Stoic path. The first ones that come to mind are Beyoncé and Patagonia.

Surprised? Let’s see why.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé is yet another powerful female artist who is in control of her narrative. She does this with remarkable restraint and poise.

She has faced intense public scrutiny, personal challenges, and the pressures of superstardom, yet she meets each storm with unshakable composure. When life throws lemons, she doesn’t just make lemonade — she drops a visual album and redefines the music industry.

Her discipline is legendary. From the surprise release of Lemonade to the meticulously choreographed Homecoming performance, Beyoncé always acts with intention. She releases work only when it meets her high standards, reflecting self-control and focus that Stoics would applaud.

In true Stoic fashion, Beyoncé doesn’t just respond to adversity — she transforms it into art with purpose and clarity. She stays grounded, leads with values, and lets her work speak louder than the noise.

Patagonia

If Stoicism were a brand, it’d probably come with a worn-in fleece and a lifetime guarantee. In true Stoic fashion, Patagonia operates with ethical clarity, choosing sustainability and environmental stewardship even when it means sacrificing short-term profits.

Their decision-making reflects Stoic self-discipline: no gimmicks, no flash, just a steady commitment to doing what’s right for the planet.

From transparent supply chains to bold environmental activism (like suing the U.S. government over protected land rollbacks), Patagonia lives its philosophy, regardless of market pressure. Their "Vote the Assholes Out" campaign targeted climate change-denying politicians and made noise when other brands preferred to stay quiet.

Patagonia Action Works connects individuals with grassroots environmental organizations, and in 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard transferred company ownership to a trust, ensuring profits support environmental causes.

In a marketplace of noise, Patagonia stands firmly rooted in its environmental and ethical mission, even when it means rejecting mainstream market norms. In a world addicted to reaction, this brand plays the long game — quietly Stoic, defiantly focused.

At first glance, the worlds of ancient philosophers and modern marketers couldn’t seem more different. But scratch the surface, and you’ll see that Plato’s ideals, Aristotle’s persuasive power, Sun Tzu’s strategies, and the Stoics’ ethics are alive and thriving in today’s branding playbook.

Whether building a business, shaping a personal brand, or deciding how to show up online, these timeless ideas offer extremely valuable insight. Plato’s aspirational identity, Aristotle’s persuasion trifecta, Sun Tzu’s strategies, and the values of Stoicism are all filled with lessons that can help guide our goals.

If you’re looking to grow — whether that means scaling your brand, refining your voice, or simply getting better at telling your story — there’s no better time to start than now.

Embrace the wisdom of the past. Build something unforgettable today!