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#22 The Shocking Rebrands of 2024

Jaguar went full fashion house, deleted its heritage, and made everyone mad (on purpose). Even though this happened in Nov 2024, I think we should talk about it!

What’s going on?

Jaguar, the British carmaker your dad respects, just rebranded like it’s Balenciaga.

They ditched all the leather-and-wood legacy stuff and dropped a new brand platform called “Exuberant Modernism”. Imagine Bauhaus with a Pinterest account.

No cars in the first ads. Just bold fonts, art-school colors, and strikethroughs.

Wait, why?

Jaguar wants to become a “modern luxury” EV brand. Their current buyers are aging out. Their competitors are Teslas and Taycans now. Not Audis from 2012.

So they’re pivoting from luxury car to art object that happens to be electric.

The new tagline: “A copy of nothing.”
Which is weirdly accurate because it looks like nothing Jaguar’s ever done before.

Did people freak out?

Absolutely.

  • Fans hated it. Reddit called it “soulless.”

  • British tabloids dubbed it “woke pink nonsense.”

  • Jaguar’s ad agency is reportedly under review after the backlash.

  • Sales cratered—but that was part of the plan (they’re phasing out old models).

Still, Jaguar loved the attention. And it worked.

Was it dumb or genius?

Probably genius.

Jaguar’s parent company, JLR, just posted its highest profit in 10 years.

They’ve racked up 32,000+ preorders for a car that hasn’t even been revealed yet: a £100k+ all-electric GT (see source). It launches in late 2025. If it’s good, this whole stunt becomes a case study in brand resurrection.

My Take

Jaguar isn’t trying to win back boomers. They want the 2040 luxury crowd: Gen Z creatives, fashion heads, and people who describe cars as “vibes.”

They blew up their old identity to make space for something new—and yeah, it’s risky.

But if the car’s good? All sins are forgiven.

Quick Hits

  • 🖌️ New visuals: lowercase logotype, bold color blocks, strikethrough line, surreal ads

  • 🚗 Type 00 concept: fastback EV with butterfly doors and a color called Miami Pink

  • 📆 Real cars arrive: late 2025–2026, starting around £100k

  • 💸 2024 profit: £2.5 billion—their best in a decade

In Summary…

Jaguar’s “copy nothing” rebrand is a high-stakes gamble: ditching its heritage image for a disruptive, art-driven identity designed to launch an exclusive EV era. It triggered outrage from traditionalists but reaffirmed its relevance and boosted profitability. With the electric GT on deck, Jaguar bets its future on fearless creativity, and it’s a move that demands more than just bold graphics!