Jaguar

Jaguar rebrand sparks industry debate on electrification

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Jaguar’s recent rebrand has got many industry commentators in a total fluster, revealing a side to the business that doesn’t fit well with the serious task of delivering on electrification


When it comes to writing a column for every issue of this magazine, it can sometimes be a painful process to find a suitable inspiring topic to cover. So imagine my joy when the stately brand of Jaguar, so reminiscent of red trousers and tweed jackets in the Waitrose car park, was boldly reimagined as something more likely to don a vividly coloured tutu, frilly sleeves and a balaclava.

Design is so infrequently in the headlines that when it does finally pop up (and this definitely popped), then I’m reluctant to simply walk on by – even if you’ll be reading my thoughts some time after the main commotion has subsided.

However, my opinion on its new colour palette, its artsy, fashionista video, the binning of an ugly bonnet badge and the eventual unveiling of a concept car that looked ‘a little bit Jaguar’ in any case is frankly of little interest compared to the kerfuffle that unfolded on everyone’s most/least favourite social media platform.

Opinions are like arseholes – everyone has one. And LinkedIn, in particular, is full of them. For weeks, my feed on that platform was drowning in hot takes about Jaguar’s ‘woke’ rebirth.

It launched a myriad of ‘thought pieces’, written by everyone from CEOs to students. If product designers were the Army in this narrative, rushing to the frontline to thoughtfully explore its practical possibilities, then the marketing mouthpieces were clearly the Navy, leaning heavily into why Jaguar should never have sailed into such choppy waters.

Graphic designers, meanwhile, were the Air Force, wafting around in the clouds, wailing about a capital G and possibly imagining the shock that would ensue if Biggles were to rebrand in such a similarly radical manner.

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It was almost as if a Blue Peter competition to design the next big British coupe had been launched by smiling presenters on a cheery sofa, and the entire industry couldn’t resist submitting an entry.

Felt markers were uncapped, charcoal was brandished in anger and AI renders were pumped out at volume, with thousands of people screaming and ideating into the void.

Strong emotions

I’ve spoken many times before about how even the most inane products can conjure strong emotions. Cars are perhaps the biggest offenders in the sense of generating a huge degree of audience passion.

But in a segment undergoing radical technological change, where vehicles are becoming more like appliances, it’s clear that huge innovation is necessary for brands to stay ahead and to stay relevant.

The resurrection and reimagining of automotive brands is big business, of course, with many car companies checking down the back of the sofa for any badges to which they might still own the rights.

In 2024, Italy’s government began proposals to sell dormant Italian automotive brands to companies that wanted to invest in the country or move their manufacturing activities there, rather than lose out to Chinese start-ups.

That last point is key. I was recently the first customer to sit in the back of ‘Frankfurt’s first Nio taxi’, as its beaming Uber driver owner enthusiastically told me.

My passenger experience in the back of this Chinese EV was one of the loveliest I’ve had outside of a Bentley. And this is just a regular car – not some high luxury brand.

If marques like Jaguar are to exist in the future, change isn’t something they can just slip on like an old pair of comfortable slippers. They need upheaval – and fast.

But the emphasis should be on new automotive designs that beautifully capture changes in technology and market tastes, not from automotive executives crowdsourcing styling tips on LinkedIn.

Pioneering new power electronics, energy storage and other next-gen technologies is a critical part of building a desirable automotive product, upon which styling and branding can then be layered

Jaguar – Electric dreams

Electrification is going to radically shift our expectations of transport. If all cars can go from 0-60 mph in silly seconds, and in relative silence and comfort, then what is there to set a brand like Jaguar apart?

Will it be exterior lines, CMF, interior comfort, the entertainment system? Definitely. But there’s more to EVs than the physical and digital architecture in which they’re wrapped. New engineering and new electronics platforms are still not as sexy to most people as a front three-quarter view of a new sports car.

Jaguar Land Rover knows all this. According to those in the know, it’s software team is not far behind that of Tesla in terms of scale and capability. Its electricals/electronics team is pushing not just to compete, but to lead in this highly competitive market.

Pioneering new power electronics, energy storage and other next-gen technologies is a critical aspect of building a desirable product, upon which styling and branding can be layered.

After all, no car looks good being towed on the back of a flatbed, whether it’s Miami Pink, London Blue, or some other so-called ‘woke’ colour entirely.


This article first appeared in DEVELOP3D Magazine

DEVELOP3D is a publication dedicated to product design + development, from concept to manufacture and the technologies behind it all.

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