Jaguar released a video to herald its rebrand and it’s fair to say people don’t like it. Comments range from fury that the advert doesn’t even feature cars to confusion about why the heritage business has gone in this direction.
In truth, a high-concept video for a brand like Jaguar was always going to be a risk. Heritage businesses have to walk a tight line of not falling behind while also keeping their core customer base – who often behave more like fandoms – happy. The rebrand could easily be for a beauty or fashion company. It actually brought the fabric dye business Dylon to my mind when I saw the video.
No rebrand is a hit with everyone but Jaguar’s risk could have been mitigated to an extent if this video had not been posted on social. This is not content which encourages conversation, it is content that leads to critique. It is flat – there is no opportunity for audiences to participate. All you can do is watch the concept and decide whether or not you like it. Making this video is not the brand’s biggest mistake, it’s posting it on the wrong channels.
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The drama of the rebrand would actually have been more compelling if it had been broadcast on linear TV, in cinemas or even through YouTube pre-roll. This could have been supplemented by a social series featuring Jaguar cars and people who embody the concept of the rebrand: that originality is precious.
Take Burberry’s recent successes on Instagram and TikTok, where stars from Olivia Coleman to Lil Sims shared how they like their tea. This content played into tradition, Britishness and gave a gently revealing window into some of the UK’s most compelling talents. The brand leaned into entertaining its audience while indicating what it’s about. What it cares about. Why it’s special. It was social-first and celebrated.
The biggest learning from Jaguar’s rebrand is that posting this kind of concept-led content – which is more akin to traditional advertising – is a huge risk. Brands that want to engage on social cannot ignore what audiences there want. With the right videos on Instagram and TikTok, Jaguar’s following may have been more open-minded to its rebrand. Well-pitched social video would have given it context and driven affection for the brand. At this point, Jaguar’s audience don’t know where they stand with the company and worse still, may suspect it doesn’t understand who they are or what they want.
By Sara McCorquodale, CEO and founder of CORQ.
