The recent Jaguar rebrand has sparked considerable debate, and like many, I reserved judgment until seeing the physical representation of this new direction. Having now seen the concept car associated with the Jaguar 2024 vision, my initial reservations remain.
Decoding the Jaguar 2024 Rebrand Narrative
Let’s quickly recap the Jaguar 2024 rebrand rollout. It began on November 19th with a 30-second “Copy Nothing” video. This featured a visually striking, almost dreamlike, futuristic setting populated by uniquely dressed individuals, accompanied by lowercase, verb-adjective phrases like “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” and “delete ordinary.”
The video concluded by unveiling a new Jaguar wordmark. This logo utilizes a spaced-out, rounded, sans-serif font, blending upper and lowercase letters and notably omitting the iconic leaping jaguar – at least in direct conjunction with the name. Alongside this visual shift, Jaguar announced an “exuberant” new color scheme, a reimagined leaping jaguar emblem, and a symmetrical JR monogram, all signaling a bold departure for the brand.
The Jaguar 2024 rebrand immediately ignited strong reactions. Some hailed it as “absolute genius” while others deemed it the “worst brand move of 2024”. Many initial responses overlooked Jaguar’s declining sales figures and the strategic rationale behind the overhaul: to target a “younger and wealthier” demographic, described as “more connected and more urban,” with a strategy focused on “selling fewer cars at higher prices.”
Adding fuel to the fire, the new concept car was unveiled on December 2nd. This vehicle appears to be a tangible embodiment of the 30-second video – vibrant, futuristic, and prominently displaying the new, spaced-out wordmark. The concept car seems to solidify the direction indicated by the initial video and updated visual identity.
Is the Jaguar 2024 Rebrand Just a “Trailer”?
My initial assessment of the Jaguar 2024 rebrand is cautiously negative. The elements released so far – the video, logo, and associated visuals – are underwhelming and don’t inspire confidence for the complete rebrand or future brand management. However, it’s crucial not to jump to definitive conclusions prematurely.
Brian Collins, a branding expert at COLLINS, aptly described judging the rebrand based on what we’ve seen as “like thinking a trailer is a movie.” The concept car, explicitly labeled a “Design Vision Concept” by Jaguar, further reinforces this idea of a preview.
I concur with Collins. It’s prudent to reserve final judgment on the Jaguar 2024 rebrand until we see the fully realized product line. Equating the November announcements to a critical misstep, or conversely, to a brand resurgence like Burberry’s in the early 2000s, is premature. We need to see the complete picture.
The Jaguar 2024 “Trailer” is Disappointing
However, as a professional in branding and automotive repair, there’s no reason to withhold judgment on the “trailer” itself – the launch video, logo, and initial design elements of the Jaguar 2024 rebrand. And in my view, this preview is significantly flawed. To echo marketing expert Mark Ritson’s sentiment, this may be “the most stupid marketing thing I’d seen … [it] seems overblown, curiously disconnected from automotive customers and almost entirely filled with bollocks.” The concept car reveal is unlikely to change this assessment.
While judging this initial glimpse is more subjective and less crucial than evaluating the final product, the quality of the initial work is undeniably important. A truly exceptional final product could potentially overshadow a weak visual identity and launch campaign. However, the current execution is simply not compelling. Even if the aesthetic resonates with Jaguar’s target demographic – and I acknowledge I may not be the intended audience – it fails to deliver on its own premise. The “copy nothing” tagline, borrowed from Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons, rings hollow when the execution appears to borrow heavily from established trends.
The verb-adjective headlines are strikingly similar to Apple’s iconic 1997 “Think Different” campaign and countless imitations since. The typography is far from innovative, drawing comparisons to the logos of Motorola, Dyson, and others. The symmetrical JR monogram heavily mimics luxury fashion branding tropes popularized by Chanel, Gucci, and numerous other high-end brands. As Yanko Design noted, “it’s somewhat ironic that Jaguar brings up … [“copy nothing”] when the logo instantly appears generic or ‘seen before.’ … by boldly eschewing the branding styles of automotive companies … [the wordmark] falls into the trap of feeling familiar.” The Jaguar 2024 rebrand, in its initial presentation, lacks originality.
Viral Attention Doesn’t Equal Branding Success for Jaguar 2024
Another common defense of the Jaguar 2024 rebrand is that its viral nature, regardless of sentiment, is inherently brilliant. A Forbes contributor argued, “the point is that everyone is now looking at Jaguar.” This echoes defenses of Elon Musk’s Twitter rebranding to X – the idea that grabbing attention, even negatively, is the primary objective. However, the Twitter/X rebrand, after considerable time, still appears misguided and arguably damaging.
This “ends justify the means” approach to branding is flawed. Generating attention, positive or negative, doesn’t automatically translate to brand success. Negative attention can be detrimental. It’s possible for the Jaguar 2024 rebrand to have damaged the brand’s perception while still achieving some level of market success in the future. Hopefully, Jaguar will make more effective strategic decisions moving forward to truly revitalize the brand. For now, like many, I’m adopting a wait-and-see approach regarding the ultimate impact of the Jaguar 2024 rebrand.
Rob Meyerson, a brand consultant and author, provides expert insights on brand strategy and identity.
