After spending the night tossing and turning over Jaguar’s new branding campaign, I did what any frustrated car lover would do: I dove into the online discussions. What I found didn’t ease my frustration, but it did make me feel less alone. People across automotive forums and social media are echoing my thoughts—this rebrand has left us confused, and in some cases, downright angry.
Here is Part One of My Brand Therapy Discussion on the Jaguar Rebrand.
Lulu Chengervey from Rostra PR called the campaign “disastrous,” and I can’t help but agree. She nailed it when she said Jaguar should focus on showcasing innovation and engineering. Instead, the campaign feels more like a trendy lifestyle ad for a “vegan smoothie company” (as one commenter put it) than a celebration of one of the most iconic car brands in history. Even more frustrating is Gerry McGovern’s defense of the rebrand, claiming it’s meant to “recapture the essence of Jaguar.” Recapture it for whom? Because as a long-time Jaguar fan, this campaign feels less like a revival and more like a betrayal.
The Jaguar Brand That Ran Away
What’s clear is that Jaguar is running away from its legacy. Maybe they feel they need to, given that their EV lineup hasn’t captured the hearts of their traditional audience. I get the sense that they’re trying to bulldoze the past, hoping to build something entirely new. But as several commentators pointed out, the new audience they’re chasing—young, trend-conscious, diversity-forward—isn’t the one that’s buying $100,000 electric luxury cars. One Redditor put it perfectly: this campaign feels like something out of The Devil Wears Prada, where if you don’t “get it,” you’re considered unworthy. But does that exclusivity align with Jaguar’s supposed goal of inclusivity and modernization? I’m confused.
And maybe that’s exactly what Jaguar wants—to polarize, to provoke discussion. If the measure of success is attention, then sure, this campaign is “bold.” But bold doesn’t always mean smart. Bold doesn’t sell cars. As another user pointed out, Jaguar’s global sales have plummeted, and only 10-15% of their current owners are expected to stick with the brand. Bold doesn’t matter if your audience leaves.
Gremlins, Legacy, and Running from the Past
For decades, Jaguars were known for their quirks—particularly the infamous electrical problems that enthusiasts and mechanics affectionately (or not so affectionately) referred to as “gremlins.” It was almost a rite of passage in the automotive world to own a Jaguar with a few “personality traits.” Sure, it was frustrating at times, but those quirks became part of the car’s charm, a testament to the brand’s unapologetic focus on design, performance, and luxury over perfection.
Now, with this rebrand, it feels like Jaguar is saying: “Old Jaguar? I don’t even know her.” By distancing itself so dramatically from its heritage, Jaguar seems determined to erase its past entirely, shedding not only the “gremlins” but also the legacy of what made the brand iconic. It’s as if the new Jaguar is running at full speed, eating its own legacy like a predator devouring its prey on the African savannah—a visceral, dramatic act that leaves nothing behind.
But here’s the thing: for all their flaws, those classic Jaguars had soul. They had character. They represented a boldness and a craftsmanship that people were willing to overlook the occasional gremlin for. This rebrand, however, feels soulless in comparison, a sterile attempt to reinvent the brand by turning away from everything that once made it aspirational. It’s hard not to wonder if Jaguar is abandoning its past simply because it’s easier to forget it than to build upon it. In doing so, they risk losing not just the “gremlins” but the loyalty of those who loved the brand despite—or even because of—them.
Willing to See How the Jaguar Brand Plays Out
What keeps me awake is the question of whether this is all intentional. Did Jaguar’s leadership knowingly abandon their legacy in the hope of building a new one, or did they just lose the plot? Either way, I can’t shake the feeling that this campaign isn’t about cars at all. It’s about manufacturing a brand identity so disconnected from Jaguar’s history that they may as well have started from scratch. Maybe they should have.
I’ve loved Jaguar for years because it was aspirational in all the right ways—timeless, refined, powerful. This campaign feels like it’s aspiring to something shallow and fleeting. So, no, reading the discourse didn’t make me feel better. But at least I know I’m not the only one who thinks Jaguar has lost its way.
Filling the Void: Reimagining Jaguar’s Brand Assets
Jaguar’s rebrand launch left us with little to grasp onto—just a handful of peculiar video frame captures that feel more like abstract art experiments than a coherent identity. With promises of “more to come,” it’s hard not to wonder if even Jaguar is unsure of where they’re heading. So, in the spirit of constructive critique, I’ve taken a stab at creating some brand assets that actually connect to the essence of Jaguar—or at least what it used to be.
