Jaguar’s rebranding: Less vroom, more vibe?

Jaguar is undergoing a transformation that feels less like intelligent evolution and more like a late-night impulse decision after an alcoholic kombucha bender whilst bingeing on TED Talks with the words ‘disruptive design’ in the metatext. Gone are the deep growling engines, the walnut dashboards, and the understated British elegance that made the brand iconic. Instead, we’re now served a cocktail of pink backdrops, artsy slogans, and a logo that looks like it was generated by an avant-garde AI smoking something illegal.

So let’s unpack the good, the bad, and the baffling behind this bold rebrand.

First, why is Jaguar doing this?

To me, Jaguar’s rebranding screams, “We’re not having a mid-life crisis: you are.” Here’s what’s driving this peculiar glow-up:

• The shift to EVs: Jaguar has pledged to go all-electric by 2026, because apparently, the future is silent. They’re trading in their signature growling engines for something that hums politely - like a Gaggenau dishwasher. It’s a bold move for a brand whose customers used to buy Jags specifically to annoy their neighbours.
• Old customers are literally dying out: Jaguar wants to shed its image as the vehicle of choice for 45-year old men named Nigel who summer in the Cotswolds. They want to target a growth market of people who think “legacy” is something you delete from your browser history and refer to their playlists as “vibes.”
• Keeping up with the zeitgeist: Pink backgrounds, diverse models, and no cars in sight. It’s a pitch to audiences who don’t drive, don’t care about cars, but do care about a car brand’s stance on microplastics and conflict diamonds.

But seriously, who is Jaguar targeting?

1. Really rich Millennials and Gen Z: People who refer to their Roombas as “my little guy” and spend $15 on matcha almond milk lattes. They’re the audience that looks at Jaguar and says, “Finally, a car that matches my algorithmically-curated aesthetic.”
2. Tesla Cross-Shoppers: Jaguar’s EV is also aimed at people who stare at their Tesla and think, “Sure, it’s fast and efficient, but where’s the je ne sais quoi?” Because what they really want is an electric-powered aesthete with a minor in Tate Modern gallery tours.
3. Cultural Trendsetters: The influencers who can convince their followers that buying a ￡100,000 car is a form of self-care. These are the same people who made $500 designer Crocs a thing. Jaguar is betting they can make pink the new motoring status symbol, too.

Can you interpret what Jaguar is saying with the new branding?

Everyone’s pointed out that Jaguar’s new branding is heavy on vibes and light on, you know, cars. Here’s my take:

1. Art first, utility later: Not including cars in car ads is a choice. Jaguar is asking us to “imagine the car” which is like opening a restaurant that serves 'invisible cuisine' - intriguing but eventually, people are going to want to see what they’re paying for.?
2. Jaguar's in-house branding team loves Apple's ‘Think different’ but doesn't want to outright rip off Apple: The slogan “Copy Nothing” is definitely different, but it also sounds like something my bohemian cousin would tattoo on her left ankle (because it’s a declaration that her soul is an unrepeatable fractal of cosmic energy) after taking one philosophy class. Meanwhile, the rest of us are wondering, “Okay, but can I copy something if my Jaguar needs roadside assistance?”
3. Luxury for the vibe-conscious elite: Jaguar’s campaign highlights diversity, modernism, and sustainability, which is great - until you realize they’re also pitching a ￡100,000 electric car. It’s like throwing an eco-friendly gala where every guest arrives in a private jet.?

It's "courageous". But will it work??

Look, Jaguar’s rebranding is gutsy. But somehow, this instance kind of feels like watching your favourite uncle quit his job as a car mechanic to become a mindfulness coach for cats: admirable, but deeply confusing. Let’s take a moment to appreciate that the company spent actual, serious money to toss decades of iconic branding investment into a dumpster fire, in exchange for pink backdrops, androgynous models and a logo that looks like a typo.

Still, will it work? It can. But probably if Jaguar follows up by:

1. Showing us some cars, not an avant-garde mood board. Unless the company is pivoting to sell NFTs, we’d like to see what we’re actually buying.
2. Proving they still care about performance. Remember when the Jaguar XJ220 was the world’s fastest production car and could outpace the Ferrari F40? No? Then you’re a) much younger than I am and b) possibly a growth market for the rebranding.
3. Avoiding becoming the Gwyneth Paltrow of car brands (I still have PTSD flashbacks about the candles her company sold). I’m all for aligning myself with “exuberant modernism,” but at the end of the day, Jaguar is still selling a machine to get people from A to B - not a healing-crystal-infused soul chariot of individualistic self discovery.

In short, Jaguar is asking us to believe they’re no longer just about cars - they’re a state of mind. Whether that state is enlightenment or existential confusion remains to be seen.

#branding #fhotinthesoot #jaguarrebrand #wtf