A study in scarlet... I mean pink

““Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them in the form of a bright pink electric car.””

— Shakespeare, if he worked in marketing

It's been lighting up the internet like a massive pink woke fart. Jaguar’s rebrand: a sleek, freshly-polished leap into the future or a well-intentioned swan dive into a kiddie pool? The jury is still out. I can’t work out whether they have played a blinder or not. Their new all-electric concept car, the Type 00, is definitely not pasta flour. It’s not just a car; it’s a statement, a mood, a vivid magenta cry for attention that seems to yell, "We’ve got a killer playlist of songs you have never heard before and no time for beige!"

But here’s the thing. It’s pink. Not just, "Oh, it’s a subtle blush," but pink—like the kind of flamingo pink you’d see in Vegas-drenched in neon and glitter and possibly hosting midnight karaoke. Not that I’d know. This isn’t just a colour; it’s a commitment. Pink Panther pink. You half expect Peter Sellers to pop out from the driver's seat. It looks like the product of a Gerry Anderson fever dream. This is a car so audacious that it doesn’t just turn heads—it steals them, like the jewel thief in that original film.

The Type 00 made its debut at Miami Art Week, and honestly, it might as well have been holding a martini and a monocle. It’s not just a car; it’s the Pink Panther’s getaway vehicle—sleek, sexy, and slightly ridiculous. Jaguar isn’t just selling you a ride; they’re selling you the chance to be the kind of person who could wear sunglasses indoors unironically.

But let’s talk context. Why now? Well, Jaguar has been grappling with its own identity crisis. Once a symbol of British sophistication and reliability (ok, the sophistication part holds), the brand has spent the last few decades stuck somewhere between Downton Abbey and an unexciting episode of Top Gear. Now, with the Type 00, they’re screaming, "We’re done with nostalgia—let's make Bond villains jealous!"

Of course, as with all bold moves, there’s backlash. Some critics have called the rebrand “too woke,” which is apparently the catch-all term for "something I don't understand but am annoyed about." To those critics: you’re essentially mad at a car for not being boring enough. It’s a car. Not everything needs to be a beige Ford Mondeo.

From my IDEA framework (Inform, Develop, Enable, Animate), this bold move clearly screams Animate. It’s a visual feast—designed to provoke, spark joy, and perhaps make your nan clutch her pearls. It really becomes alive – hearts and minds have well and truly been captured. But...where’s the true story? Sure, the Pink Panther parallel is fun, but where’s the narrative that connects it to Jaguar’s DNA, apart from the fact that both felines like shiny things?

What Jaguar has done, intentionally or otherwise, is inject play into their brand—an often overlooked but crucial element in any creative endeavour. They’ve risked making a mess, and it’s brilliant. Imagine the boardroom meeting: "Let’s make the car pink." "Like...a subtle pink?" "No. PINK. Like bubblegum meets audacity." It’s like the designers all got lashed watching Barbie together.

But here’s the rub: the IDEA framework isn’t just about going bold; it’s about iterating. You can start loud, but if you want people to listen, you’ve got to refine the message. Right now, Jaguar’s pink car feels like a jewel thief in the middle of the heist—dazzling, but we’re not entirely sure how they plan to escape.

So, here’s the reflective takeaway: in a world of endless scrolling and relentless sameness, being bold is essential, but it’s only the first step. Jaguar has smashed the glass case, but now they need to decide what to do with the diamond. For your business, creative project, or slightly overwhelming life plan, take a page out of their pink playbook: experiment, iterate, and don’t be afraid to stand out. Just maybe have a better plan for sneaking out the back door.

In my work I think mapping is essential. It allows one to fly high above the concept to see where it is actually going. Where is Jaguar going? We shall find out whether they end up in that kiddie pool or not.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how your own bold ideas stack up, take our Presentation Pulse Scorecard Quiz. You might not end up with a pink getaway car, but you’ll definitely get some clarity on what needs refining.