André Levy is the Chairman of Protégé International Group and Lodestar Licensing, and one of the rare operators who has lived every chapter of modern commerce: expelled from Egypt, rebuilt in the UK, forged his career across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, opened markets by hand, survived corporate politics, and then created global brands—ROUTE 66® and The Wild Geese—rooted in story, truth, memory, and identity.

Aggaeus

How to Build Brands People Believe In: From ROUTE 66® to The Wild Geese with André Levy

0:00

-1:13:18

How to Build Brands People Believe In: From ROUTE 66® to The Wild Geese with André Levy

Haggai Klorman Eraqi

Nov 25, 2025

🎙 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

André Levy is the Chairman of Protégé International Group and Lodestar Licensing, and one of the rare operators who has lived every chapter of modern commerce: expelled from Egypt, rebuilt in the UK, forged his career across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, opened markets by hand, survived corporate politics, and then created global brands—ROUTE 66® and The Wild Geese—rooted in story, truth, memory, and identity.

This conversation is a masterclass for any founder, creator, or brand builder who wants to understand how products become myths—and why consumers attach meaning to things long before they ever read the label.

Haggai and André travel through:

• How to build trust in markets where trust is currency

• Why ROUTE 66® felt “real” even before it launched

• The Wild Geese: the Irish diaspora, pride, heritage, and identity woven into a bottle

• The secret: a brand must feel true—before it feels new

• How André turned cultural insight into €200M in annual revenue

• Why corporates fail at innovation—and why entrepreneurs win

• The only real test of a brand: does it spark a story in the buyer’s mind?

If you care about storytelling, consumer psychology, emerging markets, spirits, branding, licensing, or the entrepreneurial psyche—you will love this one.