Luxury car marque Jaguar recently put out a new video to kickstart its rebrand; one isn’t about luxury or cars. The short video features colorfully dressed models and vague text like ‘create exuberant’, ‘live vivid’, and ‘delete ordinary’. The rebranding that followed has become the subject of worldwide disapproval. So where did the Jaguar rebranding go wrong? Is there still hope for the Big Cat? Let’s get into it.
For starters, the Jaguar old logo has been changed to a new one. This move itself has sparked criticism since the Jaguar old logo has been immensely popular due to its elegance and timelessness. To add fuel to the fire, Jaguar has also decided to stop using the ‘leaping Jaguar’ hood emblem on its new cars, marking the end to a tradition that is decades old.
The first ‘Jaguar’ brand car was built in 1935, but it wasn’t until ‘45 that the company would introduce the iconic ‘leaping cat’ emblem. The ‘leaping Jaguar’ or leaping cat is perhaps the most iconic symbol of the British marque. It was later largely replaced by the ‘roaring Jaguar’ due to the rampant theft of hood ornaments and European Union safety regulations.
The Jaguar rebranding introduces a new circular symbol in place of the roaring Jaguar, a new leaping Jaguar emblem, and a new Jaguar logo to replace the Jaguar old logo.
So what’s new with the Jaguar rebrand? Gone is the old Jaguar logo in favor of a new font and typecase. Instead of the all-caps ‘JAGUAR’ the logo now says ‘jaGUar’. A CNN report claims that this is meant to make the more posh British pronunciation of the brand name (‘Jag-you-are’) more common than the commonly used American one (Jag-wahr).
The leaping cat has been ‘reimagined’ and instead of an actual metallic hood ornament, will now be shown as negative space between horizontal lines. Jaguar wants to position itself as an ultra-luxurious EV carmaker that is forward thinking and pushes boundaries.
So what was wrong with the Jaguar car logo before? Well, nothing at all. It is actually considered quite iconic. The reason behind changing it was intentional: to rid Jaguar of its image of ‘traditional luxury’ and make it more synonymous with the future through electric mobility. This isn’t just a logo change; it’s an actual rebrand and shift in Jaguar’s market positioning.
One of the first things everyone noticed in the aforementioned new Jaguar rebranding video is the distinct lack of cars. Add that on top of everything that’s happening: colorful clothing, a diverse cast of models, and uninspired new-age imagery, and it gets even more confusing. No one could guess what Jaguar sells from this video. Highlighting this sentiment was a tweet from Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter) that asked the question on everyone’s mind, “Do you sell cars?”
The video’s title is ‘Copy Nothing’, yet the visuals are far from original. While the majority of Jaguar’s existing customers snided the brand for being ‘too woke’, it’s clear that even the woke left think this ad was a bad idea. It’s full of unimaginative and generic visuals, from swinging a hammer to ‘break molds’ to the over-the-top colours and sci-fi undertones. This could easily pass as an advertisement for a cosmetics or perfume brand, but it’s not, and that’s what’s creating a dissonance for fans of the British marque.
Note that this video isn’t an official advertisement. It’s merely setting the mood for the Jaguar rebranding, which may explain why there aren’t any cars in it. It’s bizarre but not unheard of for brands to release videos that don’t show off a new launch, just to create more social media hype. What bothers people is that this new image of modernity and exuberance goes directly against its long-standing legacy and polished brand image.
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Why Rebrand Now? Jaguar’s Market Positioning and New Era
“To bring back such a globally renowned brand, we had to be fearless. Jaguar was always at its best when challenging convention.” Rawdon Glover, Managing Director, Jaguar
Like we’ve mentioned before, Jaguar has been struggling for a while now. So why did they choose to ditch the Jaguar old logo and design language now?
In 2021, Jaguar announced that it will become an EV-only car manufacturer by 2025. It has already discontinued its entire car lineup (excluding the F-Pace). Adrian Mardell, the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, has said that the discontinued models had made “close to zero profitability.” Yikes. Jaguar will be ditching all their ICE models eventually in favor of a fully electric lineup.
While Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) have been owned by India’s Tata Motors since 2008, both brands are still designed and assembled in the UK. While Land Rover has been holding its own in the luxury SUV market, Jaguar’s full-size sedans and sportscars have been on the verge of decline.
Jaguar sold just 64,000 cars worldwide last year. For being a heritage brand associated with Le Mans, they’ve been struggling for a long time. Jaguar had an iconic image, but it’s clear that the company needed something more. The Jaguar rebranding precedes the company’s switch from a sportscar and luxury automobile maker to a luxury EV-only manufacturer.
Let’s revisit the rebranding video for a second. Foremost in the Youtube comments is the sentiment that Jaguar is destroying the legacy of a 102-year-old brand. Unfortunately, Legacy doesn’t run businesses, and Heritage doesn’t pay employee salaries. As this blog puts it, though the new Jaguar rebrand might not have gotten the best reception, it could be exactly what the company needs.
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Jaguar New Car Model
Jaguar will halt sales for the entirety of 2025 as it works towards fully transitioning to electric mobility. The launch of the new Jaguar could make or break everything for the big cat. The first EV on Jaguar’s upcoming lineup will reportedly be a battery-powered, four-door Grand Tourer (GT).
This new sedan is rumoured to be the unofficial successor to the Jaguar XJ that was discontinued in 2019. According to the folks at Jaguar, it’s designed for 430 miles of range and will also be ‘the most powerful car Jaguar has ever built’. The car has already begun testing on public roads and will reportedly launch in 2026.
Well, we’re sure a stylish new Jaguar car will neutralize the negative sentiments from this somewhat disastrous rebrand.
Jaguar will also reveal a concept car, called the Design Vision Concept, on December 2024 at Miami Art Week. The buzz created by the Jaguar rebranding is sure to attract a lot of attention to this car reveal. Well, we’ll keep our eyes and ears peeled and keep you updated on the latest Jaguar car news!
