Brands are aiming to bring positivity, humor, joy, and optimism into their latest marketing campaigns. Check out some of the latest campaigns you need to see in our Marketing Must Reads and let us know if you think these brands achieved their mission.

Jaguar Launches Optimistic Yet Controversial Rebrand

Jaguar launched the re-brand heard around the world last week. The British luxury car brand revealed a new logo and brand identity with a promotional video featuring models in brightly colored outfits in a futuristic landscape, with the video’s caption encouraging consumers to “copy nothing” and “break molds.” It’s a vague message from a major legacy brand, and ultimately does little to connect the brand with their physical product: cars.

Despite their efforts to promote a positive message, Jaguar’s rebrand was met with intense criticism online. Commenters questioned why Jaguar didn’t include a single car in their video and why they would do away with their famous leaping jaguar icon. The rebrand also follows the logo trend of sans-serif wordmark, which some designers now consider overused and boring. Read more about the issues plaguing Jaguar’s controversial rebrand: https://apnews.com/article/jaguar-ad-branding-luxury-evs-8604c17fb387ac223ca912a2e3603446

Knorr Celebrates Holiday Cooking Fails

Knorr, a Unilever-owned food brand, is celebrating young consumers who try their hand at holiday cooking – even if they fail. Their new campaign “EffortisEverything showcases three “zillennials” and their failed recipes on social media and out-of-home channels. According to recent research from Edelman, the 18-35 age bracket is less concerned with perfection when it comes to food and finds comfort in seeing others’ kitchen blunders. This group is likely to be taking on a more central role in holiday cooking this year, which makes them an ideal audience for Knorr to target.

In addition to their #EffortisEverything messaging, Knorr is also giving away Kitchen Confidence Kits via Instagram. The kits contain kitchen gadgets, recipes, and tips, with packaging that features photos of real cooking fails. Find out more about Knorr’s strategy and zillennials’ cooking habits: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/knorr-targets-zillennials-holiday-cooking-fails/733117/

Adam Driver Reads 5-Star Amazon Reviews

To narrate their latest series of holiday ads, Amazon tapped actor Adam Driver, known for his deep voice and serious, Oscar-nominated roles. In the new spots, Driver sits on a Christmas-themed stage and reads aloud comical 5-star reviews of Amazon products. Featured products include a relationship-saving banana slicer, dutch oven-turned-urn, and seal plush.

According to Amazon executives, they’ve learned that their “some of our best writers are our customers,” and used their honest reviews to inspire their comedic holiday campaign. Driver added, “Nothing says the holidays like…telling what you really think.” Watch Amazon’s latest holiday ads: https://adage.com/creativity/work/amazon-gets-adam-driver-dramatically-act-out-sites-most-hilarious-5-star-reviews/2592631

The Success of Branded Advent Calendars

Branded Advent calendars have become a major marketing tool for brands over the last several years. Each holiday season, Advent calendars from retailers like Sephora and Target go viral on social media as influencers reveal the countdown of items contained inside. While the trend started among beauty and luxury good brands, this year it’s spread across industries. Consumers can enjoy the daily surprise of items from favorite businesses like Burger King or Fly by Jing, a chili sauce brand.

For brands, Advent calendars are a useful way to introduce consumers to a wider variety of their products and simply deliver joy from their brand during the holiday season. For consumers, the calendars represent a cost-effective way to try out new products and treat themselves to some small luxuries. Dive deeper into the strategy: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/advent-calendar-marketing-strategies-burger-king-fly-jing/2592386