The Jaguar Ad Edition.
Pitchforks away, ladies and gentlemen.
Hello there. If you’re ready for an ad-venture, one with tales of Jaguars, Wolves, Witches, and AI-Generated Polar Bears…wow what a sentence….then you’re in luck!
Welcome to the Ad Spot, a little newsletter that could. If you define “could” as grow to 2000 subscribers, which we did this week. Next stop, 2001, the year of the dot com bubble that (as we all know) solidified another 100 year run for Blockbuster Video.
Long may they reign!
I won’t bury the lede.
Watch this if you haven’t already.
I don’t know about you, but I get it.
I totally get it.
Jaguar’s new campaign is here, and it’s got almost everything: avant-garde vibes, androgynous models in futuristic outfits, a cryptic tagline ("Copy Nothing"), and…well, no actual cars. Unlike Lexus who is running this kind of ad for the 29th holiday season in a row. Which we can all relate to, I love opening my Lexus on Christmas morning!
The 30-second Jag spot dropped earlier this week, sparking more confusion than excitement. Not with me though. Once again, I’d like to re-state that I totally get it.
Lulu Cheng Meservey from Rostra PR called the campaign “disastrous.” Others questioned the wisdom of selling cars without showing cars. And let’s not even get started on the logo change—
Pause for quality control, that may have been the Jacksonville Jaguar’s logo update. Here’s the real one. Goodbye, iconic growler emblem; hello, monogram.
I dunno. For how worked up everyone is about this, I have to admit, it’s the most anyone’s talked about Jaguar in decades, so…there’s that? The social team shared a teaser X post highlighting an upcoming event in Miami. And I’ll tell you what, whether it’s the haters or the brand loyalists, I think some people might tune in on December 2.
That said, the teaser does kind of look like the back of my AC unit. Until then.
Speaking of ads people didn’t like.
Coca-Cola! Artificial Intelligence! AI Polar Bears! What the f*ck!?
Coca-Cola’s latest holiday ad, a remake of its iconic 1995 “Holidays Are Coming” spot, has sparked a frosty debate. Featuring AI-generated scenes of snowy streets, festive Coke trucks, and frolicking animals, the ad initially seemed like a cheerful nod to tradition with a modern twist. But the internet wasn’t buying it.
Critics have called out the campaign for feeling “soulless” and accused it of sidelining human creativity in favour of flashy tech. Even industry pros like Alex Hirsch chimed in, dubbing the effort “red with the blood of out-of-work artists.”
Ouch.
And then there are the technical hiccups—like non-spinning truck wheels and bizarre background details.
I dunno, man. I’m tired.
Palette cleanser.
Wicked is coming out soon. Here are three partnerships they did with Stanley, Crocs, and Starbucks.
Nothing wrong with those, right?
Except that they were made with AI by three witches with the prompt:
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Into the pot we witches throw;
Crocs, Stanley, and Starbucks that glow.
Just kidding, they’re made by humans and they’re cool with me. No blood was spilled in their making. Well done.
What else…
Ah yes, more wildlife.
Beats by Dre’s new ad, Ordinary is for everyone else, stars football phenom Erling Haaland embracing his wild side—literally. Created by Uncommon Creative Studio, the spot shows Haaland training in the Norwegian woods with Beats Solo 4 headphones and Fit Pro earbuds. Picture pull-ups on cliffs, jogging on logs, and meditating with wolves. It’s not woo-woo. It’s A-WOOOO WOOOOO. You know, like the sound wolves make.
Best for last.
Amazon tapped a serious actor to read some serious reviews.
Two-time Oscar nominee Adam Driver brings some epic Amazon reviews to life.
The first one below (a banana slicer review) has been getting the most attention from advertising professionals, but for me it’s all about the Seal Plush review.
Banana Slicer
Seal Plush
Alright, you made it to the end. Thanks for reading, Ad Spotters. If you want a shoutout in the newsletter or spot a great ad, just respond to this email or connect with me on X.
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