What about the Jaguar Turning Point Court controversy?

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The writer is a senior marketing instructor at King’s Business School in London.

Over the course of 90 years of history, the Jaguar has repeatedly reinvented it. However, since its launch in 10 years, British automakers have been forced to take on the radical transformation that caused a sharp division.

The company, which originally manufactured motorcycle side cars, launched its first car in 1935. The success at racetracks in the 1950s and the introduction of the legendary E-Type in 1961 attracted customers, including the British government and the royal family.

But while the brand’s fame has grown, quality concerns mean that some customers have considered buying two cars. One is for driving and one for spare parts. None of the four Jaguar owners in the last half century have managed to turn it financially.

Continuous models such as the XF and F have praised the connections to British, aristocracy, adventure, and traditional gender roles and speed. But for many years, business continued to accumulate losses.

“Project Roar” was the latest answer. The overhaul plan, which began after several years of creation in 2024, has committed Jaguar, part of the large Jaguar Land Rover Group owned by India’s Tata Motors, to the future of all electricity from 2026.

So far, the only venture so far, the SUV I-Pace model is now on sale. Jaguar’s top management focuses on Type 00 concept cars, which are over 100,000 vehicles ranging from up to 478 miles. It features a new brand logo with minimal monogram instead of the iconic cat, and received mixed reviews when it was announced at Miami Art Week in December 2024.

Jaguar’s Chief Creative Officer Jerry McGovern argues that the brand doesn’t need to be loved by everyone. He sees the new model as collectible, like some art and architecture, which can attract a mix of criticism and enthusiasm, as it is designed with what he calls “fearless creativity.”

Perhaps the ability to divide opinions is itself a powerful marketing tool.

The company estimates that around 30,000 new cars (half of the recent past) will need to be sold per year to break evenly. Plans to sell cars by invitation only through pop-up stores in luxury urban districts may attract a new set of young, wealthy, international customers looking to add to their existing car collections. Jaguar may be looking for early adopters who will embrace fundamentally new products, such as the Apple Watch and Tesla Cybertruck.

However, a length of 5.1 meters can make it difficult to sell in most of the UK and continental Europe. And critics see Jaguar as a late follower of the electric vehicle business, and its Type 00 design is merely an extension of its previous approach. In any case, some view the weakening of emissions targets as poses a threat to the ongoing momentum in electric vehicle sales.

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Meanwhile, the campaigns surrounding car launches have divided opinions among brand executives and car enthusiasts. A 30-second ad released in November – ahead of the Type 00 announcement in Miami, there were no cars, causing a heated social media debate. It features abstract phrases such as fashion models, Moonscape, “Frenzy”, “Live Vivid”, “Broken Mold”, “No Copy”.

Critics challenged the campaign and denounced the rebranding as a key gamble. While drawing over 160 million views, the campaign did not resonate with many brand executives. Many brand executives have expressed distrust that Jaguar is abandoning his lifelong legacy to build a new image of tampering with core branded DNA. Angry car enthusiasts have accused the campaign of “waking up” and alienating unnecessarily loyal customers.

Jaguar’s CEO defended the in-house production ads as “bold.” And while the design is polarized, observers seem to agree that it is unique. Pragmatists acknowledge the topics produced. The point is that, Jaguar’s managing director, Lock Grover, made Jaguar “socially relevant.” Perhaps Savory spreads Marmite’s famous slogan “Love It or Hait It” – its ability to split opinions is a powerful marketing tool in itself.