LONDON (AP) — When Katja Vogt thinks of a Jaguar, she imagines a British-made car purring confidently along the Italian coast — a vision of familiarity that conveys “that dreamy, longing feeling we all love “.
She’s not sure what to think of Jaguar now, after the 89-year-old company announced a radical rebranding this week that featured radiant colors and androgynous people – but no cars. Jaguar, the company said, will now be called JaGUar. From 2026, only electric vehicles will be produced.
And say goodbye to British racing green, Cotswold blue and black. In the future, its colors will be pink, red and yellow, according to a video that has caused criticism on the Internet. His mission statement: “Create exuberance. Live alive. Usually delete. Breaking molds.”
“Charmed?” @Jaguar posted on social media. “Strange and unsettling” is more like that, wrote Vogt on Instagram.
“Especially now, when the world feels so dystopian,” wrote the Cyprus-based brand designer, “a heritage brand like Jaguar should convey a sense of security, stability and perhaps a touch of rebellion – the kind that shakes things up.” a good way, not in a way that is unsettling.”
Our brands, ourselves
Jaguar, a potent symbol of British tradition and elegance, was one of several iconic companies to announce significant rebrandings in recent weeks, upending a number of commercial – and, yes, cultural – milestones that many state-of-the-art brands emulate Judge people and work out their identities and recognize the world around them.
Campbell’s, the silky, 155-year-old American icon immortalized in pop culture decades ago by Andy Warhol, is ready for a up-to-date, silky name. Comcast’s corporate restructuring means there will soon be two television networks with “NBC” in their name – CNBC and MSNBC – that will no longer have a corporate connection to NBC News, a legacy US news channel.
One could even argue that with the election of former President Donald Trump this month and Republican majorities in the House and Senate in a divided nation, the United States is reshaping itself a bit. Unlike Trump’s first election in 2016, he won the popular vote in a so-called national referendum on American identity.
So are we the sum of our consumer choices – what we buy, where we travel and who we choose?
Certainly it is a question for those who have the privilege of being able to afford such decisions. But extensive research into the art and science of branding – from “brandr,” an Old Norse word for burning symbols into the hides of farm animals – suggests that these factors actually contribute to state-of-the-art sense of identity. Therefore, rebranding, particularly of heritage names, can be a deeply felt insult to consumers.
“It can feel like the brand is turning its back on everything it stood for — and that’s why it feels like it’s turning its back on us, the people who subscribe to that idea or ideology,” Ali said Marmaduke, Strategy Director at Amsterdam-based brand potential.
He said cultural tensions – polarization – are rising in 2024 over politics, wars in Russia and the Middle East, the environment, public health and more, creating what Marmaduke calls a “polycrisis”: the imagination , that multiple massive crises are converging and that feels scary and intricate.
“People are understandably unsettled by this,” he said. “So we’re looking for something to help us navigate this changing, threatening world we’re facing.”
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” hits home. So did President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” slogan, which was featured over his legislative plan. And Campbell’s soup itself — “Mmm Mmm Good” — isn’t going anywhere, CEO Mark Clouse said in a statement. The company’s up-to-date name, Campbell’s Co., will reflect “the full breadth of our portfolio,” which has long included brands such as Prego pasta sauce and Goldfish crackers.
If Jaguar isn’t a sleek movie star car, then what is?
None of the recent activities surrounding heritage brands have sparked as much backlash as Jaguar’s. It is a company that has been a pillar of conventional British identity since the Second World War.
The rebranding, which includes a up-to-date logo, is set to roll out on December 2nd during Miami Art Week, when the company will unveil a up-to-date electric GT model. Jaguar said in its press release that its approach is rooted in the philosophy of its founder, Sir William Lyons, “not to copy anything.”
What he calls “the new Jaguar” will overhaul everything from the font of his name to the positioning of his celebrated “jumper cat.” “Exuberant modernism” will “shape all aspects of the new Jaguar world,” says the press release. The approach will aim to sell fewer six-figure cars to a more diverse customer base.
However, the reaction ranged from bewilderment to hostility. Memes emerged comparing the video to the Teletubbies, a Benetton advert and – perhaps predictably – a nod to “woke” culture as the backlash intersected with politics.
“Grace. Space. Pace. “That’s what you’re supposed to be about,” tweeted @JonnyHorsepower. “I don’t know what this ad (?) is about.” @Jaguar replied cryptically, “These are our strikeouts , graphic and linear.”
A Spectator magazine headline said the Jaguar rebrand was “doomed to fail” and had “killed a British icon”. But wait: “What if the rebrand turns out to be just a giant mockery of “woke” rebrands?” Bennie1289 wondered on Reddit.
Marketing and branding designers noted that any rebranding should at least be effortless to remember and understand for consumers. JaGUar stumbled upon this test on day one.
“Correction, November 19,” reads a blurb under an article in The Verge. “An earlier version of this article stated that only the letters “G” and “U” in Jaguar were capital letters. The ‘J’ is also a capital letter.”
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Laurie Kellman has been writing about politics and global culture for 27 years. Follow her on X at http://x.com/APLaurieKellman
