Jaguar Contemplating Possible Rebranding of Its Rebrand Initiative

Jaguar Contemplating Possible Rebranding of Its Rebrand Initiative

Hey there! Let's revisit the infamous marketing mishap, shall we? Remember when Jaguar pulled an unexpected stunt, ditching their iconic logo for a minimalist design, and showcasing androgynous models instead of cars in their commercials? Juggling pop art elements, they created quite a storm, but not a single vehicle in sight!

Oh boy, a new report from The Telegraph suggests they might've learned their lesson. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is contemplating a re-rebrand and searching for a new advertising agency to work their magic.

Now, if you have no clue what I'm rambling about, it's easy to understand why. If it weren't for the whole we-make-luxury-cars thing, you could easily mistake the ad for promoting perfume, a phone, or maybe even cloud computing software.

They're free to experiment with their image, but if you went into that commercial expecting to see a Jaguar, you'd be excused for being utterly baffled.

The reported change comes after a wave of criticism for JLR's rebrand, which saw them exchange their classic cat emblem for a combination of J and L letters. The backlash continued with the unveiling of the Type 00 – their first new concept car design post-rebrand.

I get that they wanted to shake things up, which is the essence of a concept design, but their target audience – folks who adore traditional Jaguars – would definitely not be on board.

With the new branding only made public last year, people might still adapt to it. But frankly, I wouldn't hold my breath. JLR, in a move to reassess their advertising, is currently reviewing global creative agency accounts, including the one currently managed by Accenture Song and the in-house agency Spark44. The review is set to close by mid-2026[3][4][5].

In their defense, Jaguar affirms that the rebranding was part of a strategic initiative to gain worldwide attention[3]. But the consensus among many remains that it wasn't the right approach. SIGN UP for our platform to keep up with the latest buzz in the automotive industry. Stay informed, stay entertained. Your daily dose of automotive news, served with an attitude.

1. Perhaps the new Jaguar attempt to regain their lost audience will be more successful given their consideration of a re-rebrand and the search for a new advertising agency, focusing on showcasing cars in their commercials instead of androgynous models, like in the past, and presenting a lifestyle that aligns with home-and-garden, cars, car-maintenance, and electric-vehicles.
2. Given the backlash received by Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) minimalist logo and androgynous model-centric commercials, their reported intention to reassess their advertising and rebranding approach might provide a better representation of their brand, which is synonymous with luxury cars, rather than being mistaken for the promotion of products such as perfumes, phones, or cloud computing software.
3. With the ongoing review of global creative agency accounts, including the ones currently managed by Accenture Song and in-house agency Spark44, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has an opportunity to incorporate theirtarget audience's preference for traditional Jaguars into their new advertising campaigns, effectively combining pop art elements, home-and-garden, cars, car-maintenance, and the growing electric-vehicles segment in their marketing strategy.

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