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Jaguar’s boss defends its ‘bold’ rebranding after backlash over new corporate logo and promotional video that doesn’t feature cars, message lost in ‘fire of intolerance’ online said.
Jaguar Land Rover, the British luxury carmaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, posted a 30-second clip on announced a new company logo that does not include the large letters “”. cat.
Jaguar’s campaign has garnered more than 160 million views on social media, with some car enthusiasts furious that the 90-year-old brand has “woke up” and “cast aside tradition”. It also drew the ire of activists, influencers, and others.
Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover said in an interview with the Financial Times that the intended message had been lost in the “fire of intolerance” on social media, calling the promotional video “a wake-up call”. He denied that it was intended as a statement.
“If you play like everyone else, you’ll just get buried. So you shouldn’t be like a car brand,” Glover said.
“We need to act differently because we need to reestablish the brand at a completely different price point. We wanted to break away from traditional automotive stereotypes.”
Glover said that while the overall reception of the new campaign was “very positive,” he was disappointed by the “level of vile hatred and intolerance” in the comments about the people featured in the video.
The teaser was supposed to be the start of a major promotional campaign to revive the struggling Jaguar brand, which plans to go all-electric by next year. But ahead of the unveiling of the new electric GT model at next month’s Miami Art Week, the promotion unexpectedly stumbled.
This is part of a broader rebranding that includes replacing the Reaper with a double J logo on the front of the car, although the big cat still appears in a new ‘strikethrough’ look elsewhere on the car.
Some advertising executives expressed shock that a storied company would make such a drastic change. “You can destroy a brand that has taken a lifetime to build in 30 seconds,” said a senior advertising executive who worked on the Jaguar brand.
“Strong brands reinvent themselves, but always stay true to the core of their DNA. Especially for luxury brands, authenticity is key and this doesn’t pass the test.”
James Lumsden, executive creative director at branding and design agency Corey Porter Bell, said: It’s been in the brand’s DNA for generations. ”
Company X billionaire Elon Musk, who often uses his high-profile profile to weigh in on culture war issues, shared the ad with his 205 million followers and said, “Cars don’t sell. Are you there?” he asked.
Jaguar is the latest company to face consumer backlash over its decision to move away from established brand traditions to reach new, younger audiences.
Bud Light’s sales plummeted last year after the company used transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a social media promotion. Owner Anheuser-Busch, whose beer is considered a stalwart of America’s working-class drinkers, was later forced to change its marketing strategy amid calls to boycott the beer.
Apple’s iPad ad, which depicts musical instruments, cameras and artwork being crushed by a giant hydraulic press, also sparked consumer outrage over the level of destruction. Apple issued an unusual apology and canceled TV airtime for the ad.
Advertisement industry executives say Jaguar’s new branding already feels outdated, and is in contrast to recent industry efforts that focus on promoting sales using established brand principles, or that are perceived as woke or valuable. He pointed out the shift from a campaign that
Auto industry leaders also said the rebrand was a big gamble. JLR’s new luxury electric model to be launched next year will cost more than £100,000, more than double the price of its existing product.
With the transition to electric cars complete, the company has stopped selling new cars in the UK and ended most production of its iconic petrol models.
JLR executives say the company wants to target younger, more affluent customers and reposition itself as a pure luxury brand rather than a traditional car brand.
“This is not a depiction of how we think of our future customers,” Glover said. “We don’t necessarily want to leave all our customers behind. But we need to attract a new customer base.”
