Branding in 2024: The Landscape
Building a robust brand identity is no small feat.
It requires a delicate balance of various elements that come together in different contexts—everything from striking packaging and a versatile logo to authentic copy and engaging visuals.
With this complexity, it’s no surprise that brands occasionally misstep.
In 2024, several well-known names made particularly glaring errors that caught our attention.
Major Brands Facing Backlash
At Fast Company, we have our eyes peeled for successful branding strategies as well as those that miss the mark.
Here, we explore the five most significant branding blunders of the year.
Jaguar’s Bold but Controversial Rebranding
In November, Jaguar, the storied sports car manufacturer with a legacy spanning 90 years, announced an ambitious pivot towards luxury electric vehicles.
This drastic shift came after a concerning decline in global sales, plummeting from 179,000 cars in 2017 to a mere 43,000 by 2023.
In an effort to drum up excitement for this transition, Jaguar released vibrant, space-themed concept videos, yet failed to showcase any actual electric models, leaving consumers in suspense.
The public’s initial response was a mix of amusement and skepticism, particularly regarding the peculiar promotional clips.
As the novelty wore off, criticism emerged on platforms like LinkedIn, with experts pointing out the move’s questionable direction.
Some traditional media outlets even framed Jaguar’s rebranding as indicative of broader societal trends, dubbing it a sign of “woke” culture.
Whether or not this early backlash will impact Jaguar’s finances—given that their new electric models won’t debut until 2025—remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that the controversy has sparked renewed interest in the brand.
Lunchly’s Moldy Meal Kit Missteps
In September, YouTube stars Logan Paul, KSI, and MrBeast launched Lunchly, a meal kit brand meant to serve as a healthier alternative to Lunchables.
However, what initially seemed like an exciting venture quickly turned sour when influencers began finding mold in their mini pizza ingredients.
Even before the mold incident, Lunchly’s branding left much to be desired.
The choice of clunky fonts, lackluster product photography, and overly promotional packaging concentrated on the YouTubers’ other ventures gave it the vibe of a hurried school project.
Following the contamination uproar, backlash intensified, further complicating MrBeast’s year, which had already been filled with controversies.
Creative Failures and Misfires
Mattel’s Accidental Marketing Misfire
For Mattel’s PR team, November 11 was a day to forget.
News broke that a link on the back of Barbie boxes directed consumers not to the official promotional page for the film “Wicked,” but rather to a parody porn site.
Mattel acted swiftly, issuing apologies, pulling the tainted toys from shelves, and reintroducing dolls in correctly packaged boxes.
However, the damage was done; a class-action lawsuit soon followed, filed by a parent who claimed her daughter experienced “emotional distress” after stumbling upon the inappropriate content.
Clearly, fixing this blunder will require more than just a quick fix.
Bumble’s PR Blunder
Bumble, the popular dating app, faced backlash in May when it attempted to turn user complaints about dating apps into a parody campaign.
The tagline insinuated that “a vow of celibacy” wasn’t a reasonable solution, which struck many as tone-deaf, especially in the context of advocating for women’s sexual empowerment.
The swift backlash led Bumble to swiftly delete the campaign’s materials and issue an apology.
However, the incident was still labeled “The Great Bumble Fumble,” highlighting the disconnect between the brand’s intentions and how their audience received the message.
Toys “R” Us: A Branding Disaster
Leading our list of branding failings for the year is the infamous Toys “R” Us, which tried to regain attention in ways that left many unsettled.
During the Cannes Lions Festival in June, the brand premiered a film crafted with OpenAI’s Sora platform.
While the intent was to convey a narrative, the final product fell short, presenting awkward storytelling and unsettling imagery—especially featuring their mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe.
This cringe-worthy attempt illustrated the limitations of artificial intelligence in creating effective advertisements and echoed the essential role that human marketers play in branding.
These noteworthy missteps serve as a reminder that even long-established brands can falter in their efforts to connect with consumers, often leading to significant repercussions for their public image.
Source: Fastcompany