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Jaguar Boss Has No Plans to U-Turn; Trump Order Cracks Down on Pharma Ads; Cracker Barrel Stops Remodeling
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Good morning. Today, why Jaguar can stick with its controversial rebrand in the era of marketing take-backs; the Trump administration aims to undo the 1997 policy that sparked the boom in prescription drug commercials; and Cracker Barrel decides to keep its tchotchkes and clutter along with the Old Timer.
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Rawdon Glover, the managing director of Jaguar, has become the de facto defender of the carmaker’s rebrand since it was announced late last year. Photo: Jaguar Land Rover
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Jaguar is bucking the trend of marketers reversing themselves under criticism, Katie Deighton writes for CMO Today.
Jaguar’s hot pink rebranding video drew the ire of auto traditionalists, critiques by some marketing-industry executives and social-media fire from President Trump. “Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad,” Trump said last month.
The answer is not many people, according to Jaguar—and that’s the point.
Unlike Cracker Barrel or Bud Light, the company is attempting to move into a more exclusive market where, executives say, the opinions of the vast majority don’t really matter. Jaguar expects only 15% of its current customers to buy its cars once its rebrand is complete.
“We needed to take risks, we needed to be fearless, and in doing so, we recognized that the design might polarize,” said Rawdon Glover, Jaguar’s mild-mannered managing director. “That’s absolutely OK. It doesn’t need to be for everybody.”
Read much more here.
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Content from our sponsor: Deloitte
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Luxury Brands Tap AI to Unlock Growth
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To stay competitive, luxury brands are adopting AI across the value chain, from trend forecasting and inventory optimization to hyper-personalization and virtual assistants. Read More
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‘We’re going to be tough on this,’ FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said about pharmaceutical advertising. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press
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President Trump signed an executive order targeting pharmaceutical ads, Liz Essley Whyte and Natalie Andrews report.
The Food and Drug Administration said it is sending thousands of enforcement letters in conjunction with the order, targeting drugmakers, influencers and telehealth brands—up from one in 2023 and none last year.
More dramatically still, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to close what the administration calls a loophole for drug ads on TV.
The FDA since 1997 has allowed drugmakers to list only major side effects in TV commercials while publishing fuller information elsewhere. That set off an ad boom that now totals billions of dollars every year.
Drug marketers on TV previously had to disclose seemingly endless possible side effects, or else avoid mentioning what a drug is for in the first place.
Flashback: CMO Today’s Megan Graham wrote in January about what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s dislike for drug commercials could mean for the ad industry. [WSJ]
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Fans of Cracker Barrel have been lamenting its recent glow up that decluttered the space and let in more light. Photo: Rachel Love
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Jaguar may be holding the line on its rebrand so far, but Cracker Barrel is taking its recent take-back even further, Joseph De Avila and Heather Haddon report.
The chain, which last month said it would keep its “Old Timer” logo after all, is now calling off remodeling plans that called for decluttering and removing much of the homespun decor that adorned its restaurants.
Longtime fans of Cracker Barrel’s old-timey country charm had spent weeks lamenting the glow-up.
“The vintage Americana you love will always be here—the rocking chairs on the porch, our fireplaces and peg games, unique treasures in our gift shop and antiques pulled straight from our warehouse in Lebanon, Tennessee,” Cracker Barrel said in an announcement titled “We hear you.”
The company tested the remodeled restaurants at just four of its 660 locations, it said.
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The iPhone Air is a precursor to a foldable iPhone, which the company is expected to produce as soon as next year and will require a thinner profile. Photo: Poppy Lynch for WSJ
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Apple unveiled a thinner “iPhone Air” model, its first new smartphone in years, a device it hopes will excite customers after struggling to roll out new AI features. [WSJ]
Ford is rolling out a brand overhaul two years in the making, themed “Ready, Set, Ford” and kicking off with a new ad campaign. [Adweek]
Robinhood is starting a social-media network that will let users share their trades, follow other investors and track the market moves of public figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Nancy Pelosi. [WSJ]
Omnicom Group’s Goodby Silverstein & Partners named former longtime Droga5 executive Sarah Thompson to be its first CEO and partner. [Ad Age]
The blockbuster opening for “The Conjuring: Last Rites” over the weekend demonstrates that horror is Hollywood’s safest bet right now. [Fast Company]
Subway is reintroducing its Fresh Fit Menu, this time tailored for the protein craze. [Restaurant Business]
Did a $4,800 American Airlines seat deliver the dream for Journal travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson? [WSJ]
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