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Written on the 6 September 2025 by Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist @ Jump theQ
Brand Risk-Taking & the Personal Brand of Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie didn’t rise to Hollywood’s A-list by playing it safe—she built a brand by taking sharply calculated risks, daring to move, produce, and lead when others played follow-the-leader. That’s why every branding professional should study her career as a masterclass in risk-fueled branding.
1. A Risk Taker from the Start
When Robbie auditioned for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), she didn’t settle for scripted directions—she slapped Leonardo DiCaprio instead of kissing him, purely on impulse. She feared she’d get arrested, but the risk paid off—Scorsese and DiCaprio were cracking up, and she landed the part. (New York Post)
Later, she decided to go nude in a seduction scene—against Scorsese’s original plan for her to wear a robe—because it felt authentic for her character. That bold choice deepened the character's impact. (People.com)
Margot’s brand isn’t built on playing it conventional—it’s built on owning truth.
2. Risk as Creative Currency: Building Her Own Empire
Understanding that true creative control lies behind the camera, Margot co-founded LuckyChap Entertainment in 2014 with friends and collaborators. This wasn't a vanity label—it became the engine for fetching bold female-driven stories, including I, Tonya, Promising Young Woman, Maid, Barbie, Birds of Prey, and Saltburn. As of 2024, LuckyChap projects have amassed 25 Academy Award and 18 BAFTA nominations.
She didn’t just act—she built the studio she needed. That’s high-stakes brand risk taking in motion.
Take Barbie (2023): Robbie pitched it to Warner Bros., likened its potential to Jurassic Park, and insisted it would break $1 billion. It did—pulling in an estimated $1.19 billion globally—and firmly established her as producer not just star.
3. Emotional Risk = Brand Depth
Playing Tonya Harding in I, Tonya wasn’t a glamorous choice. The physical training nearly wrecked her neck—she suffered a herniated disc, and still showed up to deliver a layered performance that earned her an Oscar nomination.
With Babylon (2022), she portrayed Nellie LaRoy—a self-destructive, unforgiving figure. Robbie shared how exhausting the role was—emotionally and physically—yet she embraced it. Critics and box-office hitched varied wildly—but she wasn’t there to play.
Even with Barbie, a globally adored icon, Robbie admitted battling crippling imposter syndrome—her meltdown before filming exposed her fear that she didn’t belong. But she tore through it.
4. Calculating Commercial Risk Outside Hollywood
Robbie didn’t stop at film—she expanded into spirits. Papa Salt Coastal Gin, born from a simple conversation about crappy gin—and her penchant for dropping vanilla rooibos teabags into a G&T—was her leap into consumer goods. It wasn’t “Margot’s gin”—it was “five best friends’ gin.” Her face isn’t even on the bottle. (The Times, Forbes)
She didn’t want to join a celebrity bandwagon. Yet she did, on her own terms—fully involved throughout, even while promoting Barbie. That’s pragmatic, risk-savvy brand expansion.
5. Managing the Perception Risks
Every bold move carries backlash—we’ve seen public fatigue over toy IP movies like Monopoly, which Robbie is producing. Social media slammed the idea as “unnecessary” and “ridiculous.” She’s betting on it anyway. (The Sun)
This is critical for any brand-taker: you will stir reactions—but that's part of owning a powerful personal brand.
The Robbie Persona: A Brand Built on Risk
Let’s distill how these elements create her personal brand archetype:
Authenticity & Boldness: The DiCaprio slap, the nude scene—they signal she’s not afraid to own choices.
Creative Authority: Creation of LuckyChap let her define what stories get told.
Emotional Grit: Harding, Nellie LaRoy, Barbie meltdown—she pushes into discomfort and frames it as strength.
Strategic Expansion: Papa Salt proved she can step outside Hollywood and still hold brand integrity.
Resilience to Criticism: Whether preserving integrity amid backlash or pushing ahead with an unpopular project, she shows it’s part of powerful brand building.
Lessons for Branding Professionals
If you want your to truly dominate in your industry —here’s your playbook, distilled from Robbie’s career:
Dare to Interpret
Let them improvise. Let them own. Let authenticity drive the narrative—like the slap.
Normalize Ownership
Don’t just show up—build. Like LuckyChap, create a vessel to control your brand’s destiny.
Lean Into Vulnerability
Roles that exhaust and expose build trust and realism.
Expand Gently, Honestly
Papa Salt is not clout-chasing—it’s passion-based brand expansion.
Expect and Defend Against Backlash
Bold moves will grate. Teach clients to weigh reaction, but lead with intent.
Final Word: The Risk-Aligned Icon
Margot Robbie is the poster child for risk-aligned personal branding. Her brand thrives because she’s willing to:
Undermine expectations (Wolf of Wall Street improvisation).
Take leadership (LuckyChap).
Embrace discomfort and grow from it (I, Tonya, Barbie).
Build beyond film with integrity (Papa Salt).
Accept that failure—or ridicule—is just another branding asset (Monopoly backlash).
Her brand isn’t perfect, but it’s potent—and that’s exactly the kind of strength you coach. Bold. Unapologetic. Intentional. Robbie doesn’t just build a brand—she builds a fortress.
Download the Kindle eBook on Brand Risk: Lessons from Celebrity Brands
Download the Kindle eBook - Brand Yourself like Margo Robbie
Download Jump the Q's Magazine all about Margo- Brand Yourself like Margo Robbie
Personal branding is the pre-requisite to success. Rachel Quilty, Brand Strategist, Jump the Q
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