He's got a brand-new car - is it Jaguar?

It seems that Edson Evers wasn’t the only company to get a makeover recently. In the middle of November, Jaguar unveiled its new brand identity, and the Internet is furious.

As the iconic British brand Jaguar struggled to keep up with the sales of its parent company JLR, with some reporting that in 2023, 75% of JLR’s orders were from Range Rover and its variants, in came a drastic change. Unfortunately, the brand’s dramatic makeover wasn’t received with high praise.

Gone is the iconic Jaguar leaper that adorns so many of its cars, replaced simply by the word ‘Jaguar’ in a new font. Alongside the new main logo sits a monogram badge housing the letters ‘J’ and ‘R’, and a redesigned Jaguar leaper.

It’s modern, it’s fresh, it’s luxury, right? Wrong, apparently.

‘This will go down as one of the worst marketing decisions in history’

… was a comment left on Jaguar’s new ad. The teaser campaign, which dropped at the same time as the rebrand, was shared on the brand’s social media sites, after it erased its archive to signify the start of the ‘new Jaguar’.

This rebrand marks the brand’s move to an all-EV line-up, after announcing earlier this year that the all-electric I-Pace, as well as the hybrid E-Pace and F-Pace would cease production at the end of 2024.

The campaign features a lift in the middle of a colourful nowhere, opening to reveal a handful of people dressed brightly while swishing their dresses, spinning with paintbrushes and posing with a hammer. The words “create exuberant”, “live vivid”, “delete ordinary”, “break molds” and “copy nothing” flash up on screen. Head over to YouTube to take a look.

Is it random? Yes, I suppose. Is it effective? Well…

The rebrand, Jaguar claims, recaptures the ethos of the brand’s founder Sir William Lyons, who believed that ‘a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing’. These words are echoed in the campaign video, a nod to the new Jaguar being built around ‘Exuberant Modernism’.

“This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience. We are creating Jaguar for the future, restoring its status as a brand that enriches the lives of our clients and the Jaguar community.” Professor Gerry McGovern OBE – Chief Creative Officer

But, perhaps most importantly, there was no car featured in the campaign. Not even a sniff. If you’d have told me this ad was for Boohoo, I’d have believed you. But what the campaign did do is capture everyone’s attention.

Why all the outrage?

That, I cannot answer. Perhaps it’s because people don’t like change, perhaps it’s because Jaguar is a brand best associated with affluent over 50s with cash to spare. But declining sales say that, unfortunately, their target audience aren’t working for them anymore. Something needed to change, so that’s what Jaguar has done.

However, the younger audience it’s targeting don’t necessarily have a spare 100 grand to drop on an EV, and no amount of forgoing Starbucks and lunches from the local café will help us out.

From a personal perspective, I was disappointed that no car, or even a hint of a car, was featured in the teaser. But it was just that – a teaser. Something bigger was coming, we just had to wait until 2nd December to find out what that was.

And find out we did…

The new era Jaguar

As expected, at Miami Art Week on 2nd December, Jaguar unveiled its concept car, a ‘Miami Pink’ EV dubbed the Type 00. And while yes, it does have notes of a Rolls Royce Spectre, it’s a bold move for the brand who claim the Type 00 is “an example of Jaguar at its best.” The production-ready version of the Type 00, an electric four-door GT, is expected to be revealed in 2025 and will be built in the UK.

Yet again, after the launch, the Internet is wildly up in arms about the “woke car”. But personally, I like it. I think it’s bold of Jaguar to make a move like this as the world begins to get used to the idea of an all-electric future. And while some are against it, others, like Jaguar, embrace it.

The Type 00 is bold, fun and exciting, and I truly hope it shakes up the EV world in the way Jaguar intends it to. I also just hope the brand manages to find a way to bring the price point down to something more attainable for its new intended audience.

Bringing attention to the automotive industry

One thing the Jaguar rebrand excelled at was bringing attention to the automotive industry, and getting people talking about the brand again. Typically, the automotive world features in the news when jobs are lost, manufacturing plants are closing, or sales are plummeting.

But, from the Daily Mail to The Independent, Elon Musk to various politicians worldwide, people are finally talking about the industry. And, as a lover of anything with wheels and an engine who has worked in the industry pre-agency life, I’m glad to see its rebrand has got people talking, both good and bad. As former F1 driver and commentator Martin Brundle said on X, “I have no idea what this is all about, but it’s genius. Everyone is talking about Jaguar in a moment of time when they’re not actually making cars.” – and I think he hit the nail right on the head.

Final thoughts

At the risk of sounding totally wishy-washy, I both love and feel nothing for the Jaguar rebrand. I think it’s a bold move, and while I’m not particularly a fan of the teaser campaign, its mysterious video and social media postings have made me both curious and excited to see what comes next for the legendary British brand.

However, to capture an audience nearly half the age of your existing crowd, it’s not just about the branding and the advertising. It’s mostly about the price point, and as reports suggest its new all-electric line will cost north of ￡100,000, I think Jaguar might be barking up the wrong tree.

If you’re looking to rebrand, get in touch with our team today to find out how we can help.