Jaguar's rebrand is a pump-and-dump; marketing genius Terence Reilly and the launch of FIGR ventures
Issue #35
Weekly Exhale
Getting out of your comfort zone is one thing. Getting out of your algorithmic bubble? Far harder. Jaguar continues to dominate the conversation with the unveiling of a concept car called “Zero Zero,” which sounds like it belongs in a Bond film or on a bottle of non-alcoholic beer. It’s a concept car with concept art. Nothing about this rebrand feels real yet. Production is halted, and there’s no word on whether any actual capital has been committed to making anything. Remember Amazon’s flying delivery drones? Still waiting.
Some speculate this is less about reinvention and more about a corporate exit strategy—selling Jaguar off at a premium based on the future value of what doesn’t yet exist. Established companies die before taking real risks, so this “pump and dump” approach is the only direction that makes sense. We live more and more in The Matrix.
In a world so obsessed with illusion-making, I was struck this week by something refreshingly real. During a podcast interview where most people pitch their career highlights, someone I know, Amani Simpson, simply said:
“First of all, I am a child of God. Then, I’m a husband, father, brother, friend, and mentor.”
Wow. A moment of clarity in all this noise. I’m not religious, but you don’t need to be to feel the truth in what he said next: “When you’re following your calling, everything just sings. It feels right—not that you’re winning all the time, but there’s peace.”
Here’s the kicker: Amani’s film, created on a shoestring budget, amassed over a million views in four days—just like Jaguar’s rebrand.
Sign me up for shares in the concept car pump and dump—I want in. But sign me up for a little of what Amani breathes, too. Because if we’re not careful, that algorithmic cable plugged into our brains might just leave us disconnected from what really matters.
Let’s rise together with every issue. ♡
Market Movements
UK house prices rise at fastest rate in 2 years | Financial Times
US exceptionalism seems difficult to dislodge for now | CNBC
What's happening to interest rates? | BBC
Brand Beat
Jaguar's new car looks like a sand model | The Times
Sketchers "AI slop" ad draws ire | Fast Company
Stanley Cups are cool. Can Terence Reilly do the same with HeyDude? | Wall Street Journal
Brands as libraries for interaction, education and community | Protein
How brands are navigating Gen Alpha | Marketing Brew
How corporations are systematically destroying marketing | Emma Clayton
Dove releases body care line with viral cookie shop Crumbl | First For Women
BrewDog is betting on lager. It's jarring, but it makes sense. | The Grocer
M&S given green light to demolish Oxford Street Store | The Guardian
Bluesky now has 24 million users. How Jay Graber is preventing "en-shit-tification" | Wired
Disney+ is adding ESPN to its front page | Forbes
The carnivore is back. Are vegan brands out? | Vogue
Why fashion isn't making climate progress and what needs to change | Business of Fashion
More transparency is needed for health and wellness brands | Digiday
System1 ad of the week is Boots Mrs Claus | System1
Other ads of the week go to Powerade and Liquid Death | The Drum
How OpenAI's marketing ambitions could play out | AdAge
How Moana 2, Wicked and Gladiator II fueled biggest box office takings on record | Variety
That emotional new Volvo ad isn't 'pro-family'. It's just advertising. | Fast Company
Can B2B brands beat the blanding blues and get ahead in 2025? | The Drum
Starting Up
Brunch with Babylon Health founder post failure | Sifted
UK startups punch above their weight, and its being noticed worldwide | CityAM
Mondelez sees a future in cultured cocoa startup | Bloomberg
Eighteen PayFit employees who went on to become founders | Sifted
Tech Tidbits
Bitcoin hits $100,000 milestone | New York Times
European Federation of Journalists agree to stop posting on X | The London Economic
As Musk's xAI lands $6bn to fuel AI ambitions | TechCrunch
AI eats the world. Definitive presentation on where AI is and is going. | Benedict Evans
Driverless cars, Waymo, are coming to Miami | Fortune
Venture Vibes
Aviva agrees £3.6bn deal to buy Direct Line | The Guardian
Female-founded FIGR ventures launch to back mission-driven consumer brands | Maddyness
What long-term investors can learn from romantic poet John Keats | The Big Think
Time4 is a new Daphni-backed fund dedicated to diverse French entrepreneurs | TechCrunch
Design Driven
Mocha Mousse is the Pantone colour of the year | Fast Company
Canva revolutionised graphic design. Can it survive the age of AI? | Wired
Homeware brand Tuma draws on earthy tones | It's Nice That
Hello, Happiness
Map reveals happiness scores across the UK | Daily Mail
The wellness trend is the new "Happy Hour" | Forbes
And here's the film, Amani | YouTube
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