Iconic British car brand Jaguar is taking a bold leap with a radical rebranding. Their entire brand identity, from logo and baseline to positioning and even their products, has undergone a complete transformation. With the new slogan ‘Copy Nothing’ Jaguar wants to break away from the traditional and focus on a younger, urban, and design-conscious audience. But why now? And how big is this challenge?
For years, Jaguar had little to say. While the car market became increasingly innovative, the brand leaned too heavily on heritage and prestige. With plummeting sales figures, a change of course became inevitable. And standing still is moving backward, especially in a world where other brands, such as Tesla and Porsche, are capturing all the attention.
Jaguar held onto their tradition for (too) long and didn’t seem to fully consider the changing needs of their target audience. The result: they were too far removed from their customers. Such a drastic 180° switch might have been less necessary if they had listened sooner. Now, Jaguar had to completely reinvent itself to remain relevant.
The new baseline ‘Copy Nothing’ perfectly summarizes the repositioning. With the creative direction exuberant modernism Jaguar challenges the conventions of the automotive industry and focuses on a young, urban, and design-conscious audience. Everything has been reinvented: from a futuristic logo to electric vehicles in striking colors with names like ‘London Blue’ and ‘Miami Pink’.
Jaguar’s rebranding also marks a technological transformation: by the end of 2025, the brand will offer exclusively electric vehicles. With this, they say goodbye to their iconic internal combustion engines and focus entirely on an emission-free future. This strategy positions Jaguar in the growing EV market, where they aim to compete with luxury brands like Tesla, Porsche, and Bentley.
What Jaguar is doing is groundbreaking. The introduction of a new visual style, in which their tradition is abandoned, caused quite a stir. The criticism of Jaguar’s choices is far from mild. From questions about the new target audience to doubts about their credibility in a hyper-competitive EV market, the internet is bursting with discussions. Yet Jaguar seems determined: they are betting on a luxury electric vision of the future, a bold step driven by a brand-new strategy.
But it’s a gamble. Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer of Jaguar, says it himself: ‘We have no ambition to be loved by everyone.’ A bold statement, but how do you ensure you win new customers without completely losing your old ones?
Jaguar’s controversial commercial, full of color and diversity, already set the internet on fire. Critics like Elon Musk and Nigel Farage reacted fiercely, but that also ensured global visibility. Love it or hate it, Jaguar is back on the map.
This rebranding shows that it’s not just about a visual change, but about a profound cultural transformation. The brand demonstrates that you don’t have to please everyone, as long as your message resonates with the target audience you want to reach. ‘We want to take as many of our existing fans with us as possible, but we also need to appeal to a new audience‘, says managing director Rawdon Glover.
At Expliciet, we believe in strategy with guts, but also in a strong connection with the target audience. A rebranding? That doesn’t start with a logo, but with a deep understanding of who your customers are and who you want to become as a company. Jaguar took a big leap; the coming years will show if it lands softly.
We certainly have respect for this transformation. Rebranding halfway never works. Positioning is not a half-hearted job. Positioning is about making choices and following them 200% throughout the organization.
Whether you’re a fan or not, Jaguar dares to make a choice. A good positioning should almost make you feel afraid. Because if everyone likes your positioning, then at the same time, no one finds it outstanding.
Do you also have questions about your brand positioning and are you looking for the right partner to optimally translate your business or product story for your target audience? Contact us for an introductory meeting, and we’ll be happy to invite you over.