Once in a while, a company decides to rebrand itself. Sometimes those rebranding efforts work; other times they don’t (I see you, new Coke).
One company that has recently undergone a rebranding effort is Jaguar. With a history spanning just over a century, the luxury car manufacturer was famous for its sporty cars that were sleek, stylish, and quintessentially British.
Jaguar’s parent company, India’s Tata Motors, recently announced that Jaguar cars will be 100% electric by the 2026 model year, and with that came a rebrand.
Managing director Rawdon Glover said taking new cars off sale was "intentional" as it looked to create a barrier between the old models and the new Jaguar vehicles.
"We need to change people's perceptions of what Jaguar stands for," he said.
"And that's not a straightforward, easy thing to do. So having a fire break in between old and new is, actually, very helpful."
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) chief creative officer Gerry McGovern said Jaguar had "its roots in originality" and that its founder, Sir William Lyons, believed it "should be a copy of nothing."
McGovern also said that the “new Jaguar brand was ‘imaginative, bold, and artistic’ and ‘unique and fearless.’” That’s putting it mildly, judging from the first ad for the new Jaguar brand.
If you haven’t seen it, the first Jaguar ad under the new branding is — well, it’s something. The 30-second spot features no cars, no roads, no drivers. Instead, it looks like a mash-up of Fashion Week, Cirque du Soleil, and someone taking the brown acid.
Copy nothing. #Jaguar pic.twitter.com/BfVhc3l09B
— Jaguar (@Jaguar) November 19, 2024
It's hard to tell whether Jaguar is going for woke or if it’s trying to achieve some sort of quirky, iconoclastic image. Bald-headed chicks, dudes in skirts, and aging hipsters don’t exactly scream, “Buy our cars.” It’s all just weird.
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Let’s contrast Jaguar’s, umm, spectacle with a recent ad from another luxury car manufacturer, Volvo. For decades, Volvo cars have had a reputation for safety, and it’s one that the company has earned honestly. Older Volvo models often sacrificed looks for safety and practicality.
It reminds me of the scene from the 1990 comedy “Crazy People”:
"Be safe instead of sexy" as a tagline might have worked in real life. More recently, Volvo has been making its cars look better while still placing a premium on safety. A couple of months ago, the company released an ad for its EX90, an all-electric model.
It’s evocative, and it's everything that the Jaguar spot isn’t. For starters, it’s a longer ad, clocking in at nearly four minutes. Oscar-winning cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema directed the spot, which has a plot line that hooks you in from the start.
A man discovers that his girlfriend is expecting, and as she leaves to go shopping, he calls his mom to share the news. During the conversation, he contemplates marriage, discusses his gut feeling that the baby is a girl, and muses about what life has in store for the child.
All the while, the camera cuts between visions of the future, the man on the phone, the girlfriend shopping, and, of course, the car. The images come together in a surprising and effective way that reiterates what Volvo is all about.
This is the new advertisement for Volvo EX90!
— Tassos ©️ (@TAmprazis) November 21, 2024
Do you notice the difference with Jaguar?
3 minutes and 45 seconds advertisement promoting not only cars but also family
Enjoy watching guys!!! pic.twitter.com/6zplYIaKlQ
It's more than a commercial. It’s a mini-movie, and it sticks with you.
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Guillaume Huin, the senior marketing director for McDonald’s, posted on X that the ad “goes against every single rule you can think about as a social lead. Length. Format. Over-produced.” But he noted that “Every comment under the ad said it immediately put Volvo in their consideration set.” He also called the ad “really special” and “f**king fantastic.”
The message of family and safety resonates far more than the message of weirdos cavorting in outfits regular people wouldn’t be caught dead wearing. If you were in the market for a luxury car and you saw these two ads, which one would you buy?
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