The Concept: Applause & Faux Pas Issue #000018
2024—phew, we almost did it. The Paris Olympics, the BarbEnheimer Oscars, the 2024 election, a pygmy hippo, Glicked...so many moments, so little time.
We've compiled some of our favorite hits and misses from the year—reinventions, unexpected breakthroughs, pop culture darlings, and downfalls.
What was your favorite moment of the year? We'd love to know.
👍 The Chiefs (Taylor's Version)
With the season's only loss delivered by the scrappy Buffalo Bills, Kansas City is sitting pretty at a 12-1 record, after taking home the Lombardi Trophy back in February. The Super Bowl-winning team even seems to have the refs as fans (sorry Oakland).
On the receiving end of both Mahomes and "Karma," Travis Kelce's appearances stretch far beyond the line of scrimmage.
From the stage of Taylor Swift's Eras tour to under headphones for his New Heights podcast to guest starring roles on the small screen—Kelce is melding sports, pop culture, and undeniable charm into a personal brand that's impossible to ignore.
👍 TikTok
Is it going away? Probamaybe. Until then, the video streaming giant has had a big year. Not for content—for search.
According to an Adobe report, 40% of Americans use TikTok as a search engine, with one in 10 Gen Zers relying on it more than Google.
👎 Ohio
Ohio had a tough '24. The Buckeye State came to define cringeworthy situations for Gen Alpha. And as we've all learned, rizz matters.
Just when the middle school moniker skibidied off, Springfield Ohio became the setting for Haitian house cat dinner theatre, a tall tale told as a nationwide bedtime story during a presidential debate.
"They're eating the dogs, they're eating the cats." Oh, Ohio.
👍 Martha (& Snoop)
A friendship that's generated marketing gold.
The unlikely duo has shown that chemistry sells, igniting an already charming Paris Olympics with their viral equestrian-themed getups and witty banter.
In addition to a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, this fall saw the 2024 release of Martha's Netflix documentary, a deep dive into the OG influencer's decade-spanning career and its ups and downs, proving that reinvention is not only possible, it's a good thing.
👍 Holding Space for Wicked
The gravity defying musical celebrated 21 years on Broadway and the Feature Film dropped a house on the November Box Office with $300 Million in ticket sales, domestically.
The press tour produced memeworthy moments as Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande shined a spotlight on the story, paid homage to witches who came before them, and cried...a lot. The green-meets-pink production branding was 'popular' with theatre geeks and designers alike.
'Look to the western sky' for Act II in 2025.
👎 Timberlake
Justin made last December's 2023 brand rogues gallery for all the wrong reasons, and the bad decisions continue. We long for the days of BeeGees sendups with Jimmy Fallon, but instead we're watching the one-time pop prince scowl his way through court proceedings in Sag Harbor. "This is going to ruin the tour..." would become a ubiquitous zinger to describe any minor inconvenience.
What brand wins here? Uber, probably.
👍 BRAT Summer
Before lime green became synonymous with belting witches, it was British singer Charli XCX's Brat artwork, however under-designed, that lit up screens all summer long.
Charli took the concept well beyond music, into a lifestyle brand, supported by TikTok dances, trend-defining memes, and a messy, carefree take on the summer.
Designers everywhere grit their teeth at a lossy, Arial Narrow defining success in the cultural zeitgeist.
🤔 JAGUAR Roars
To close out our—largely positive, but still judgmental—look back at 2024 Branding Applause and Faux Pas, we can't ignore Jaguar. The automobile brand launched a new look late in the year (November 19th) that immediately started tongues wagging.
Did they make a mistake, or, is the design representation of luxury changing in real time?
While we wait for Jaguar to roll out more creative, two easy-but-important takeaways for any brand reinvention:
1. Thousands of dollars undoubtedly went into the research, strategy, and testing of a branding gear change like Jaguar's. Many of the opinions shared online are from creatives who, probably, were not in the room for any of those discussions. Just keyboard design warriors with an opinion, or an axe to grind.
👉 Everyone has an opinion—look at it as engagement.
2. In a busy 4th quarter, the new Jaguar look was water cooler talk for weeks.
👉 If your brand is the one being discussed, you win.
– TRAMPOLINE DESIGN • 12/11/2024
