Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about and reflecting on brands being bold, and some of the recent, polarizing branding and advertising efforts from the car industry that have flooded my feeds with a cacophony of commentary.
Firstly, let’s acknowledge that we live in a post-Cybertruck world — what we know about car brands; what feels familiar about the industry; and where the lines between branding, culture and identity feel blurrier than ever. Brands aren’t just selling products. They’re stirring conversations, eliciting reactions and reflecting deeper societal divides. Case in point: the recent efforts by Jaguar and Volvo.
Looking for the Value
This isn’t a commentary on the success or failure of Jaguar’s divisive rebrand or that heartstring-tugging Volvo ad. It’s not an opportunity to throw around polarizing terms like woke or pro-life for the sake of getting any and all engagement. Instead, it’s a reflection on how brands, in making bold advertising moves, will sometimes end up at the center of a discourse that encapsulates the landscape around culture and identity. And whether there is inherent value within that.
Jaguar’s rebrand is, to put it mildly, a bold leap into a forward-looking, aspirational identity. It’s a sharp pivot that has provoked strong reactions across the board, mirroring the kind of divide we often see in today’s political and cultural debates in the lengthy comments sections of all your favorite platforms. Meanwhile, Volvo’s campaign takes a quieter, story-driven approach, speaking directly to values like trust and safety. Its conveyance of that message stokes nostalgia in its production, doing so with a cinematic style – albeit with a modern sense of delivery: for instance, I first watched the nearly 4-minute video in vertical format on LinkedIn.
The Power of Generating an Emotional Response
What both efforts do with great effect, though, is elicit a visceral emotional response. And, perhaps, is that the point? Analytics, audience demographics, media tactics and target personas were undoubtedly part of the equation. Maybe the discourse we see — the accolades, the critiques, the arguments, the memes — is exactly what they expected. And perhaps therein lies the value. Sure, impressions, posts, re-posts, likes and hot takes abound, but in the midst of it all are audience members being moved. People — who are emotional and, at times, unpredictable creatures — are transitioning from passive observers into brand evangelists. And with brand evangelists, is it about playing a quantitative numbers game, or is it more of an intangible feelings thing?
There’s an obvious lesson here about ensuring you’re targeting your brand’s message appropriately at a specific audience whose habits and interests you understand — meeting them where they are with a message that feels made for them. But speaking more broadly, I believe there is so much power in connecting with that audience in a genuine emotional way. Gettin’ people in the feels. Forging deeper connections that last over time, through product releases, updated services and even the occasional jarring rebrand. And in that realm, things are less quantifiable.
Vital Ingredients
These efforts remind us that in today’s world, breaking the mold is as much about sparking conversation, stoking feelings and moving people as it is about defining your position and meticulously crafting a message for a target persona. Whether through bold reinvention or staying true to timeless values, Jaguar and Volvo show there is no single path to navigate toward achieving success — but the need to embrace the journey with confidence is vital.
Certainly, time will tell us whether Jaguar’s seemingly great leap away from heritage will pay off. But in the meantime, I applaud the brand for pushing boundaries and taking chances in full view of us all.
What do you think? Are these campaigns signs of a broader shift in branding or reflections of our current cultural moment? Do they represent the smart way of going about achieving deeper levels of brand affinity or the first steps toward a demise of their own making?