Copy Nothing, Risk Everything?

“The only difference between bravery and stupidity is the outcome.”

I was reminded of this insightful comment when I saw the extraordinary Jaguar rebrand launch on Tuesday. In summary, Jaguar, part of the Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover Group, is completely relaunching its business and brand with a new logo, marketing, and, most importantly, a completely new range of exclusively BEV vehicles, the first of which will not be available until the back end of 2026. In the meantime, Jaguar will no longer sell any new ICE vehicles.

Perhaps most controversially, the rebrand included a video entitled “Copy nothing,” which included eight expressionless, androgynous fashion models walking on what looked like an alien landscape. However, it very notably excluded any glimpses of the new vehicles. The first public display of a new Jaguar concept vehicle will be at the Miami Art Week in early December.

According to the Jaguar MD, the strategy is to create a barrier between the old models and the new-look Jaguars whilst simultaneously, recruiting or cultivating, it would appear, a completely new customer base.

Ultimately, the strategy will live or die by the quality, appeal and value perception of the new range of vehicles, but in the meantime, the rebrand has attracted a huge amount of attention. I would imagine that, in some ways, the business is delighted with this outcome, albeit that a good deal of the commentary has been very negative.

My first reaction to the relaunch was that it was very brave, but at the same time, I was left feeling very confused. Frankly, it jarred with me because, like many aspects of modern art, it felt elitist and arrogant. I was left with the impression that if I didn’t “get it”, this must be the product of my inferior intellect. I also can’t stand word salad phrases like “live vivid” either.

Maybe this is the product of my age, background and lack of enlightenment (or perhaps because I've never owned a Jaaaaaag), but I am pretty confident that a significant number of Jaguar customers will be feeling the same way.

And so, herein lies the challenge for Jaguar and all other European-based car companies. In navigating the shift to new vehicle technology, manufacturers must contend with customers that have yet to warmly embrace the virtues and value proposition of EVs, regulations that are driving manufacturers to accelerate their transition to this new technology, charging infrastructures that have lagged BEV adoption and a new and dynamic cohort of competitors whose EV offerings are simply better, and cheaper. No wonder the European car industry is in a bit of a head spin.

Will this strategy work for Jaguar? Time will tell, and no doubt, if things don’t go well, this brand relaunch will shoulder some of the blame. But it should come as no surprise that European manufacturers are embracing radical strategies in the face of the existential challenge the industry is confronting.