Join us for the 10th Anniversary of Brainy Bar
The Science of Storytelling: Unlocking the Power of Narrative
Where do stories live? Brainy Bar events have always strived to blend findings from consumer neuroscience and behavioural science with actionable insights for the marketing, communications, and creative industries. This time, our spotlight is on the role that the science of storytelling plays in unlocking the power of brand narratives.
For human beings, stories are emotional and integral to memory processing – they form the fundamental building blocks of how we learn and remember. This is mainly why marketers and advertisers have always put special emphasis on stories. But should these narratives be part of brand strategy or rather a mere executional element in how brands communicate their emotional benefits? And can we only succeed by applying rules, linearity, and rigid structures – or can fragmented, unstructured communications also grab and hold our attention?
In this instalment of Brainy Bar, Dr Cristina de Balanzo will welcome Paul Feldwick, Dr Guido Orgs, and others. Join us as we unlock the power of narrative, exploring the fascinating interplay between structure and chaos in storytelling. Together, we’ll redefine what it means to tell a compelling story.
Key Details:
Date: 9 July 2025
Time: 6pm Arrival
Venue: Regent Street Cinema, London W1B 2HW (view on map)
Meet Our Speakers
Dr Cristina de Balanzo
Director, Walnut & The Human Understanding Lab
Founder of Brainy Bar and Director at Walnut, Cristina is passionate about brands and brains. Always curious about human beings, Cristina is still trying to understand English humour and cricket. She loves applying her expertise to get to grips with human motivation and decision-making.
Paul Feldwick
Author & Lecturer
Paul Feldwick joined the legendary London creative agency Boase Massimi Pollitt in 1974 where he became Head of Planning and, after their merger with DDB, a Worldwide Brand Planning Director. After leaving the agency in 2005 he has become respected as an advertising thought leader and has published two acclaimed books, The Anatomy of Humbug and Why Does the Pedlar Sing?
Dr Guido Orgs
Associate Professor, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience – UCL
Dr. Guido Orgs is an Associate Professor at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. His research focuses on the cognitive neuroscience of dance, movement’s impact on health, and mobile neuroimaging. He founded the MSc in Psychology of the Arts at Goldsmiths and leads the EU-funded NEUROLIVE project, a 5-year EU-funded interdisciplinary research project that aims to understand what makes live experiences special.
Tracey Neis
Senior Director, PepsiCo
Tracey Neis is Senior Director at PepsiCo, leading the UK Insights and Analytics team for the Foods business. A global consumer strategy leader with over 20 years of experience, she has driven growth for iconic brands including Walkers/Lay’s, Doritos, Pepsi, Quaker, and Gatorade. Tracey specialises in translating insights into impactful portfolio and brand strategies. She is a passionate, empowering leader who builds high-performing teams and embeds human-centric thinking to unlock business growth and brand relevance.
Will Hodge
Chief Strategy Officer, Droga 5
Will leads the strategic direction for the business and its clients including Arla, The British Army, Plusnet, Confused.com, Lidl and the Crown Commercial Service. Will is passionate about helping clients deliver growth by forging greater relevance with their consumers. He has built a pioneering human insight team that takes a deep, holistic approach to understanding people as a springboard for creativity.
Charlotte Nairne-Clark
Head of Brand Campaigns, Aviva
Charlotte leads brand strategy and campaigns at Aviva, where she’s spent 20+ years shaping how the brand shows up for millions of customers. From big-name sponsorships to insight-driven marketing strategies, she’s passionate about creating work that connects and delivers real impact.
What’s on the Agenda?
18.00: Networking drinks & canapés
19.00: Speaker presentations
- “What is the Science of Storytelling?” – Dr Cristina de Balanzo
- “Who Framed Sunny Jim? The Power of Stories in Advertising” – Paul Feldwick
- “The Neuroscience of Liveness” – Dr Guido Orgs
- Exclusive panel featuring PepsiCo, Aviva, and Droga5
20.30: Questions & answers
20.45: More networking
Brainy Bar Archive
Brainy Bar: Sharing the Secrets of Storytelling
At the 10th anniversary edition of Walnut and the Human Understanding Lab’s Brainy Bar, a line-up of expert storytellers took to the stage to give their two cents on a topic that continues to fascinate (and in some cases elude) both the research and the marketing industry. Read on to see how we unpicked this crucial concept.
Brainy Bar: Uncovering the Science of Storytelling
At the 10th anniversary edition of Walnut and the Human Understanding Lab’s Brainy Bar, a line-up of expert storytellers took to the stage to give their two cents on a topic that continues to fascinate (and in some cases elude) both the research and the marketing industry. Read on to see how we unpicked this crucial concept.
Nature vs Nurture: Not That Simple
In 2022, we turned the lens of neuroscience onto the age-old debate about gender differences. Led by Professor Gina Rippon, we challenged traditional views of how boys, girls, men, and women are intrinsically different.
The Science of Attention
In 2023, we tackled the ever-relevant question of attention in today’s media landscape. What does attention really mean, and how can we measure it effectively?
The Science of Emotion
Emotions are at the core of memory, decision-making, and how we navigate the world. In this session, we explored the science of emotion and its crucial role in both the strategy and creative processes.