Why resistance to change is adland's blind spot

The backlash to Jaguar’s rebrand raised a critical question: why does advertising talk up progress yet so often pull back from it?

As Kayleigh Jenkins, Group Business Development Director at krow Group, argues in Advertising Week, agencies urge clients to embrace risk and reinvent themselves. Yet when a brand does, we’re often first in line to criticise.

Think of the responses to design shifts at Pepsi, Airbnb or X (formerly Twitter). Instead of sparking dialogue about strategy, too many critiques veer into knee-jerk dismissal. The result? A chilling effect on bold ideas and a culture where young creatives learn to play it safe.

If the ad industry prides itself on innovation and diversity of thought, the real challenge is how we respond to change, not just how we create it. Progress depends on curiosity and constructive debate, not hostility.

Read the full story in Advertising Week