Thinking about rebranding in 2025? Read this first.

I’m sorry to break it to you, but if you think a rebrand is your saving grace, I’ve got news for you.

In the wild west of modern marketing, a shiny new logo or tagline is like slapping a fresh coat of paint on a crumbling house.

I mean yeah, it will look good for a hot second. But it won’t hold up when the winds of cultural change start blowing.

The hard truth? Rebrands are no longer enough to keep big brands on top. Consumers demand more than just cute packaging and a basic logo—they want big ideas that mean something.

Rebranding should be a tool, not the whole damn strategy.

Back in the day, a bold rebrand could really shake the table. Now? It’s barely worth a TikTok scroll unless you’re bringing something deeper to the party. The issue is simple: today’s audiences are over it.

A whopping 66% of consumers actively avoid ads that feel out of touch or fake.

Tropicana’s 2009 redesign flop is the ultimate cautionary tale—a modernised carton that tanked $20 million in sales. It’s a stark reminder that without substance, 'style' is useless.

Other brands, like Pokémon and LEGO, have famously thrived by staying true to their core identity.

Instead of overhauling themselves into oblivion, they’ve collaborated with cultural giants and expanded their offering in a way that feels authentic to the brand.

The lesson? If you’re relying on a rebrand alone, you’re already losing.

Today’s consumer landscape is shaped by climate anxiety, burnout, and a collective disdain for anything fake af.

Millennials and Gen Z have a combined spending power that's projected to be over $20 trillion by 2030. 

And brands can only win their loyalty with transparency, authenticity, and social impact—not gimmicks.

Just look at Heinz’s saucy collabs over the last two years. Instead of relying on a hollow rebrand, Heinz tapped into cultural humour, embracing its quirky identity with memes, TikToks, and that chaotic label refresh.

They went far beyond new packaging, giving consumers a reason to love the brand all over again.

Big brands don’t need to reinvent the wheel—they need to make the wheel bigger and shinier.

(No, this was not written by a magpie.)

What I mean is relevancy today means reconnecting with the basics: know your audience, stay memorable, and provoke action.

It’s truly that simple.

But the way you execute? That’s where things need a glow-up.

Case in point: Mattel’s Barbie movie. Instead of a bland ad campaign, they turned the film into a pink-splattered cultural movement, with everything from Airbnb collabs to viral fashion trends.

The result? Nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office and a revamped reputation for a decades-old doll.

That’s what boldness looks like. Even in the perfect shade of pink.

To have Big Idea Energy, you have to move at the speed of culture.

Brands must embrace risk while staying authentic. But like, actually authentic. (If you don’t know how, read this.)

It’s about testing, failing, and trying again—and fast. Social media offers the perfect sandbox for this, with TikTok reigning supreme as the ultimate playground.

We all know Duolingo is the gold standard here. By leaning into unhinged, mascot-driven content, they’ve created a social media empire that drives real-world results. It’s weird. It’s bold. And it’s working.

What’s the takeaway here?

Relevancy > rebranding: Consumers see through shallow facelifts. Give them substance.

Know what they care about: Climate change, social justice, mental health—speak to what matters.

Leverage your legacy: Big brands have scale—use it to amplify bold ideas.

Test fearlessly: Social platforms are for experimentation. Take risks without losing sight of your identity.

Rebrands are fine. Bold ideas are better.

To win in today’s market, you need more than a facelift—you need a full-on cultural revival. So ditch the outdated playbook and start thinking bigger. Your brand’s future depends on it.

-Sophie, Writer