Whilst travelling into the office during the end of 2024, a series of vibrant pink and green posters continually caught my eye. Whether these out-of-home ads were promoting Wicked or the new Squid Game series, both served as a colourful reminder of a larger problem in the creative sphere. As a society we are increasingly fed a series of prequels, sequels and adaptations.

From Inside Out 2 to Paddington 3, from Kung Fu Panda 4 to Mufasa, the entertainment industry has been shaped by audiences already knowing who the main characters are before they’ve even been introduced.

So, what’s the problem?

Some would argue that, actually, there is no problem. After all, these adaptations are making the industry big money. Inside Out 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, just six weeks after its release in June. Meanwhile, Wicked broke a whopping sixteen box office records with its November release.

Established IP is valuable and beloved for many reasons. Cinematic audiences love what they know. They find familiarity, comfort, and joy in the easter eggs that these sequels and prequels can offer.

But while consumers might be happy to revisit their favourite cinematic universes time and time again, we brand marketers can rarely rely on the same level of fandom to achieve results. We recently saw John Lewis step away from its well-worn Christmas ad format with a three-part ad series that focused not on a sympathetic, merchandisable creature, but on the power of brick-and-mortar shops, and physical products.

While Hollywood finds its feet by making the most of established IP, Adland needs to take the opposite approach. What is old is out. What is new, creative and beautifully original will not only inspire customers, but it will also allow a new generation of creatives to sing. Let’s regain the confidence to emerge from the shadows of classics and well-trodden pathways to take risks and trust in our own stories.

A bolder year

In 2025, we should set ourselves the target to create new stories, empower new voices, and be bolder. Jaguar’s new rebrand, controversial as it is, can be seen as a harbinger of this movement.

Across the industry, there is a desire to see brands become bolder. With backdrops of bright pinks, reds and yellows paired with a request for audiences to ‘delete ordinary’, Jaguar’s new ad campaign declared that we ‘Copy Nothing’ - looking past the muted tones of today and aiming for brighter, more vivid ideas.

That doesn't mean that we can’t also take inspiration from the world around us. Jaguar’s new logo, more rounded and cleaner than before, clearly emulates the minimalist aesthetic culture of today. It appeals to younger consumers, leaning on minimalism to evoke simplicity and ‘new beginnings’, whilst signalling its intention towards all-electric vehicles. It’s new, but it’s simple. And it should inspire all creatives to clear their mind of what has been, and to build afresh.

So we basically have a bit of a chicken and egg scenario on our hands. Creatives face a resistance from their peers. New takes and original stories are often answered with backlash and harsh critique, as Jaguar’s rebrand showed. This demotivates investors and brands in prioritising new creative directions. And so, the cycle continues.

If we are to embrace originality again, we ideally need to make it an industry-wide movement.

The need for new

While existing IP may dominate in Hollywood, they, too, could learn from this approach.  It’s easy to be seduced by merchandise sales and the promise of pre-existing fanbases, but those film houses that take a swing with original works like Get Out or LongLegs have the chance to be ground-breaking. It’s why A24 holds the cultural cachet it does.

Whether they’re in a cinema, in their living room, or scrolling on their phone, audiences will always value new content. They still want to be surprised, to be shocked and engaged. Isn’t this what creativity is all about - entertaining, inspiring, and starting new conversations? There will always be tropes and long-loved mascots, but the brands that break the mould are rarely forgotten.

While we’re in the season of new beginnings and fresh starts it’s the perfect time to break away from norms, to look for inspiration in the world around us, and trust our own stories. Don’t worry about what everyone else thinks. As said by Gerry McGovern, ‘controversy has always surrounded British creativity when it’s been at its best.’