When Brand Tension Goes Right (And Wrong)

According to Fast Company, Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder recently analyzed the most high-profile marketing campaigns of 2025 during a live interview at the Masters of Scale Summit. She specifically broke down branding lessons from Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle jeans commercial and Cracker Barrel’s rebrand efforts. Treseder emphasized that successful marketing must create “healthy tension” that drives both brand awareness and actual business acquisition. The discussion focused on distinguishing between productive controversy that moves brands forward versus tension that leads to customer alienation.

The fine line between buzz and backlash

Here’s the thing about marketing tension – it’s not just about getting people talking. According to Treseder, healthy tension actually drives business results beyond mere awareness. But toxic tension? That’s when the conversation turns against you and instead of acquiring customers, you end up alienating them.

Think about it – we’ve all seen campaigns that generated massive buzz but ultimately hurt the brand. The Sydney Sweeney jeans ad apparently sparked all kinds of controversy about “jeans versus genes,” which sounds like exactly the kind of cultural conversation marketers dream of. But was it moving the needle in the right direction or just creating noise?

When to stick with it and when to walk back

The Cracker Barrel example is particularly interesting because rebrands often walk this tightrope. Companies pour millions into new identities only to face immediate backlash. So when do you double down versus when do you admit defeat?

Treseder’s framework suggests looking at the business impact. Is the tension driving acquisition and moving the brand forward? Or is it creating resistance that could damage long-term loyalty? Basically, if your rebrand is getting attention but losing customers, that’s probably not the “healthy” kind of tension.

The courage to create conversation

What strikes me is how much courage this approach requires from marketing leaders. Playing it safe means your work probably won’t stand out. But pushing boundaries means you might cross the line from healthy to toxic tension.

And let’s be real – in today’s attention economy, playing it safe is often the riskiest move of all. The brands that truly break through are usually the ones willing to create some friction. They understand that great work can’t be universally loved – it has to challenge people enough to get them talking, but not so much that they stop buying.

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