Jaguar's old logo
What crosses your mind when you think of the brand Jaguar? Sleek? Professional? Old money, maybe? Probably not an extremely colourful, high-fashion group of androgynous people, right? And herein lies the lukewarm reception to Jaguar’s latest advert, titled, “Copy Nothing.” If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a link for you to check out the Jaguar Ad.
After watching the Ad, you might think that it’s more suited to a high-fashion brand or runway designer showcase. And, honestly, if it was an Ad for a fashion house, I don’t think anyone would have blinked an eye, because high-fashion has always been extremely weird anyway. But this was supposed to be a car Ad for a specific type of brand and demographic. So, why was this marketing tactic received so badly by the general public and Jaguar’s actual target audience?
There wasn’t actually a car in the Ad
The first thing you’ll notice is that there isn’t actually a vehicle of any kind in the Ad. Not one. Well, besides the elevator resembling a quirky spaceship that the colourfully-dressed group modeled out of. Unless we are all missing something in terms of a new clothing brand launch that Jaguar is planning, then a car should be the main focus of their marketing, no? But there is no car in it. It is all about the people in the Ad. For me, in terms of business and marketing, this is by far the most absurd aspect of the Ad. It’s bizarre, really. What exactly is Jaguar advertising here? Again, for a fashion brand, this may have appealed to the type of audience that buy designer goods and such, but this was just strange, to put it mildly. As a digital marketer, I’d be interested to know what exactly the strategy was behind this.
The Ad was a little…try-hard
I think what really put a lot of people off is that the Ad seemed to be trying so hard to be different. It is as if they so badly wanted to detach from what Jaguar has always represented and been associated with: classy, sleek simplicity. This Ad is kind of the equivalent of the “not like other girls” trend. While yes, there are some girls that are really not like other girls (in relation to general stereotypical assumptions and behaviours), making it your whole personality trait is the issue. Jaguar made a very different Ad at the risk of coming across as cringe. It is a complete 180 degree turn from what everyone saw Jaguar as, and so it was difficult to digest it. There was no warning of this branding shift, no gradual transition to the rebrand. Just, boom! This is Jaguar: we’re colourful and weird now.
It didn’t seem suited to their actual buyers and long-supporting clientele
Given the fact that the Ad is supposed to market a car brand but it didn’t showcase a car at all, one would think it would make up for it with a message that resonates with its core target clientele. But it didn’t. For a long time, Jaguar has been a symbol of wealth and, dare I say it, class to a certain extent. It has been the desired car model for a specific demographic, potentially with specific values and preferences. It is associated with a very specific type of person and association when making purchases, especially expensive purchases, is a big factor.
When you have options financially, you can change your preference at a whim due to your previous preference no longer sharing your values or the image you want to depict. Jaguar isn’t exactly selling to low-income earners and so their usual clientele have options. You never want to chase away your cash-cows that have options. Some of their clientele may just ignore the Ad because all they care about is the quality of the car, but others may not be so open-minded about it because the story behind a brand does matter to many buyers, especially those who can afford to prioritise that sort of thing.
Conclusion
Jaguar has labelled this move to rebrand itself “exuberant” and “bold,” with the brand’s Managing Director digging his heels in and defending the advert. It is safe to say that it was a bold move, without a doubt. But bold doesn’t always mean smart. Honestly, I don’t even think that the term “bold” in this instance means courageous but more just attention-grabbing. And, oh boy, did it grab attention, but not in a good way. And this may have quite a negative impact on the brand and a portion of its sales in future, especially with some of Jaguar’s more particular customers who may not want to be associated with “exuberance.” At the end of the day, the client wants what the client wants, and in business sometimes you have to put aside your creative preferences to keep making bank.
