How Oatly Built a Brand Empire by Burning the Rulebook

Most corporations rely on a brand book to ensure consistency, turning marketing departments into police forces that sand down any sharp edges. Oatly operates differently. Creative director Michael Lee argues that once a brand codifies its voice into a manual, it loses the ability to surprise. Instead of following a checklist, the company’s internal agency, dubbed the Department of Mind Control, functions with total autonomy. Since 2012, when CEO Toni Petersson and chief creative officer John Schoolcraft dismantled the traditional marketing structure, creatives have set their own strategy, written their own briefs, and executed campaigns without the interference of sales or marketing directors.

This structure demands a high tolerance for risk. Without layers of approval to provide a safety net, the team must own the consequences of their provocations, whether that results in a viral campaign or a legal battle with the Swedish dairy lobby. Lee admits that defining what is "on brand" remains elusive, relying on an internal instinct rather than a style guide. As the company scales, maintaining this edge becomes increasingly difficult, as the pressure to protect existing market share often pushes businesses toward safer, more corporate-sounding messaging. To resist this drift, Oatly continues to prioritize a structure where the creative team is not just a service provider, but the primary architect of the business itself.