Jaguar's Controversial New Branding Explained

While a company deciding to rebrand itself is not necessarily unique, the exact way that a company might decide to create its new brand can have a LOT of variety. From logos to entire name changes, well-known brands undergoing significant branding changes can not only create confusion, but sometimes even the anger of their fans. This brings us to renowned British carmaker, Jaguar, who recently announced a rebrand that has already made waves.

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In mid-November 2024, the Jaguar brand announced it would be undergoing a total rebrand. This announcement included the wiping of all past social media content from the brand's pages, as well as a thirty second video clip of fashion models with no cars in sight. This initial preview led to immediate backlash online from consumers confused about the lack of actual vehicle content for a vehicle brand. The brand, however, seemed unfazed by the online reaction, with Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson Joseph Stauble telling Forbes, "Our brand relaunch for Jaguar is a bold and imaginative reinvention and as expected it has attracted attention and debate."

The brand also unveiled a new logo as part of the rebrand announcement, which features a more simplistic font than its previous iteration, as well as an updated Jaguar leap logo. The company also stated it would be providing more specific details regarding its rebrand and upcoming vehicle releases during Miami Art Week, which began the first week of December.

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Why Jaguar's rebrand is controversial

The core of the controversy surrounding Jaguar's rebrand is more complicated than the lack of cars in the preview video. Specifically, many conservative social media users specifically attacked the diverse models that were featured in Jaguar's preview video, with many accusing the Jaguar brand of going "woke" with its rebrand. Some even compared Jaguar's rebrand decision to the 2023 Bud Light controversy (when the brand faced boycotts for featuring a transgender influencer among its marketing partnerships). Notable British talking heads, including television hosts and even members of Parliament, have similarly attacked the brand's emphasis on diversity in the weeks since the rebrand preview video went live.

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It's also worth noting that Jaguar's brand pivot coincides with the major Jaguar's decision to become entirely all-electric by 2025. The company intends to offer three electric vehicle types: all-electric, plug-in electric hybrid, and mild hybrid models. The move to fully electric production is an ambitious decision, especially coming from such a storied luxury brand. The company previously announced it would stop production on all of its existing models (with the exception of the F-Pace SUV), further setting the stage for the brand to reposition itself out of its current luxury car brand identity and into a high-end luxury EV brand. In this way, Jaguar's big rebranding leap is perfectly in line with the significant product shift occurring within the company. It's no surprise then that Jaguar stated it was "not afraid to polarize."

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What else to know about Jaguar

While moving into the electric vehicle realm is not unheard of for a car brand today, it's worth noting the specific reasons why Jaguar decided to do so. Namely, when the company announced the discontinuation of five of its six existing models, Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell cited that they had "close to zero profitability." In fact, Jaguar sold less than 67,000 cars around the world in 2023, and has just 122 dealerships left in the U.S. However, the brand's decision to move away from expensive luxury cars that aren't selling to even more expensive ultra-luxury electric cars is an untested, if bold, choice.

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That boldness, however, appears to be an integral part of Jaguar's company reboot. As Jaguar's managing director, Rawdon Glober, explained in the brand's rebrand press release, "To bring back such a globally renowned brand we had to be fearless." Despite the widespread social media pushback, the brand has stuck true to its rebrand goals and has even pushed back against social media users who have complained about the brand's changes. It remains to be seen how the new Jaguar brand will ultimately be received. Glober went on, "Jaguar was always at its best when challenging convention. That ethos is seen in our new brand identity today and will be further revealed over the coming months. This is a complete reset. Jaguar is transformed to reclaim its originality and inspire a new generation. I am excited for the world to finally see Jaguar."

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