Good and Bad PR: Can Jaguar Bounce Back? Juhi-Anil Kapoor's bouncy tune inspires Silicon Valley and Mahindra's naughty BE 6e Campaign

Hot Wheels, bumpy roads and a blueprint for healthier living round up our weekly dose of Good and Bad PR. We're also busy compiling the 2024 Best and Worst Honors list, so send us your opinions on the best possibilities brands opened up or the worst consequences they suffered in the last 12 months.

Good PR: Jaguar future car plans gets some redemption

Sorry to inform some of you, but those knives you were sharpening all week will now be consigned to the kitchen. After getting battered by (almost everyone) last week after theirdrastic brand transformation, the iconic brand made a comeback (of sorts) yesterday.

At the Miami Art Week, chief creative officer Gerry McGovern said, "Getting attention in today's world is not easy; we're delighted to have your attention." The type 00 cars won't go into production; we won't even get these futuristic-themed cars until early 2026. But they got our attention, aren't copying anything, and have firmly established that Jaguar has 'chosen' a new audience.

They withstood the haters, took it on the chin, and maybe the road to redemption begins now. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to think that Apple might have gone down a similar route on the rumored Apple Car- would the mass hysteria be as loud then?

Bad PR: Mahindra Electric (and Indigo Airlines)

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. (parent company of Indigo Airlines) hauled Mahindra Electric to court over the alleged infringement of the '6E' trademark. Mahindra Electric recently revealed its well-received electric vehicle - BE 6e.

Indigo claims the 6E trademark is integral to their brand ethos (fair point since they have been using it for the last 18 years), while Mahindra argues that their usage is for a one-off naming convention. Mahindra Electric indicated they've engaged in talks to resolve the matter 'amicably'. 

Which begs the question, when you had such an apparent reference to an established brand, why not knock politely and find an amicable answer before you splash the cash on a mega launch. People were also quick to call out the new vehicle as the desi Tesla CyberTruck. All in stark contrast to Jaguar's Copy Nothing philosophy.

Good PR: Blueprint by Bryan Johnson

You have all heard of the #DontDie maverick, Bryan Johnson, and his Blueprint protocol. A bold open-source project, in which he has enlisted himself as a human guinea pig, might just help us live longer, healthier lives. Bryan and his social media team orchestrated one of the most refreshingly funny campaigns to promote his ongoing India visit. 

Poonam Pandey, Virat Kohli, and Anil Kapoor memes were weaponized brilliantly. He collaborated with the right influencers, paid the Ambanis a visit and even found time to rub our horrible AQI in our ermm.. noses. 

Bryan's off-the-cuff marketing and insane belief in his mission create a compelling argument for people to join his mission. I mean, who carries their own food to India so they don't have to face a single cheat day? Only the guy who wants to live another 200 years.

Shoeb is the chief innovation officer at Ideosphere Consulting. He loves helping brands and business leaders articulate their value better. If you want to point out examples of good and bad PR message him on LinkedIn