are brands ready to make their in-house designers, stars?

01/04/2007 07:09:00 AM
Automotive companies don't often lift the curtains off their process and celebrate the individual who's responsible for one the most important facet of a car, its design. The serious car fanatics know Chris Bangle is the head of design at BMW, but you don't yet see him in their ads.

Although Mr. Cullam has been with Jaguar since 1999, it appears they want to make him a star. He's an important guy in the auto biz, Motor Trend just named him the 18th most powerful person in the business.

An interview with him is part of a Jaguar advertorial spread in this month's Wired Magazine.

He's featured in this promotional video on the XK Coupe.



He was profiled in the New York Times last October.

Jaguar's move to push Cullam is an interesting one, because it's rare to see in-house designers step into the spotlight.

Outside of the automotive sector, we've seen Target celebrate and highlight its alliances with external designers, but at design-driven Apple, lead-designer Jonathan Ive is kept under wraps and rarely makes public appearances.

However, could the curtain about to be removed and designers step-up to the spotlight as design becomes a more important component of brand DNA and corporations look for new ways to humanize their brands?

They had better move fast, because across the Atlantic in the UK, it looks as if the backlash against designers has already begun.

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