Story, Purpose and Authenticity

Over the past 30+ years, I've had the honor of working with a lot of talented people around design and narrative, through products, services, brands and experiences. The"storytelling" aspect of the work has become the latest buzzword darling in the marketing world, and for the most part, I guess things could be worse. The fact is, I've learned that an item without a story is just an item; an item with a story becomes an idea. The best marketers are in the ideas business. But when the word "authenticity" enters the mix of shaping and telling those stories, somehow the plot gets muddy. And when the basis of a story misunderstands purpose, it gets even muddier.

I've seen a lot of "reintroductions" of icons lately, especially in the automotive industry. For now, let's consider the new Land Rover Defender and Ford Bronco. Without a doubt, these two icons deserve their well-earned emotional connection to its owners. When they were first produced, each were first and foremost purpose-driven concepts, and it showed. The purest expression of simple utility shone through, because they did what they were designed to do, and as a result, its faithful owners defined their story. You can't manufacture that; it happens organically. That is the truest basis of the genuine and authentic article. They did what they were designed to do, and it did it extremely well. Fair enough.

On face value, the new editions try to do the same thing, but have missed the mark. Call me cynical, but each appears to be a manufactured item with a story attached that is completely disconnected with what made the originals such icons in the first place. They are stylized forms of another story at best; cynical trades on equity at worst. This is a case where Ford and Land Rover have simply borrowed the equity of the original for another purpose.

With the Bronco, the headline "The Legend Returns" is kind of an oxymoron. Call me crazy, but no matter how nice the styling is, this new Bronco doesn't look anything like the legend. It looks like a product of a focus-group process. I keep wondering when and if the questions "What really made the Bronco the Bronco?" or: "What was it that built such fierce loyalty to its own brand?" were ever asked. Don't get me wrong. I love the OG Ford Bronco. I just wish I could actually recognize it in the new one beyond the round headlights and square(ish) windshield. It's as though Ford is suffering from a complete lack of understanding of the original emotional connection to the Bronco.

That brings us to the Defender, another venerable icon. The swerve in this story is another total departure from any recognizable aesthetic connection to its predecessor. If you really examine its original design and ownership response, you might consider the recent royal coverage of Prince Phillip's TD 130. It wasn't styled for sales. It was built for purpose, wonky quarter panels and all, and the Prince loved it enough that he willed to be brought to rest in it. To be fair, the Defender of that vintage was also built within the manufacturing constraints of the time, but maybe that's the whole point. It was what it was, and it worked beautifully by design. I guess I'm just left wondering; What would have been so wrong with LR being as aesthetically faithful to the original while incorporating as much new performance technology as possible? Maybe it's just me, but wouldn't that have been a lot more fun? More authentic?

At its core, "authenticity" is born of something that is consistently true to its genuine purpose...its essence revealed. It means "being" that way, unfettered by outside influence over time. In reality, that "way of being" for its owners is what created the emotional connection in the first place, not the other way around. Sure, these two icons are items with stories attached, but are they the "real" story as they claim? It would be an entirely different narrative if Ford and Land Rover led with "A lifetime of experience and learning from the Bronco and Defender directly informs this new concept." As custodians, that narrative would have protected their icons, as opposed to exploiting them as marketers. The new Bronco and Defender are actually the "BINO" (Bronco In Name Only) and "DINO" (Defender In Name Only). Am I being picky? Sure, but look...I love a great story. Who doesn't? In this case, Ford and Land Rover have missed an awesome opportunity to understand the original narrative, which is about the owners and that deep emotional connection to iconic purpose. They looked past the authentic story, the genuine article. You just can't make that up.