British marque Jaguar made waves in late 2024 when it launched a rebranding campaign ahead of its electric-only, more upmarket push.
While the campaign arguably led to Jaguar receiving the most attention in the mainstream media and beyond than ever before in its 89-year history, the carmaker was criticised for abandoning its roots and leaving behind its long-standing customers.
Changes included a new mixed-case logo (which reads as JaGUar) as well as the new tagline of ‘Copy Nothing’ – something that garnered attention after the Type 00 concept was revealed, with detractors arguing the company would’ve been better off copying others.
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Jaguar executives such as managing director Rawdon Glover defended the move as “bold and disruptive”, however it seems those within Jaguar’s design department are at odds with the rebrand – and have held reservations for years leading up to the relaunch.
Autocar India reportedly received a letter from Jaguar’s internal design team to chief creative officer Gerry McGovern, voicing their concerns about the company using an external agency – Accenture Interactive – to take charge of the rebrand.
“We truly believe in an open and collaborative approach between all creative parties. Influencing and being influenced by each other. An essential environment to create one unique identity, which transcends holistically,” the letter to Mr McGovern reportedly reads.
In the letter, the designers take exception to the brand’s new badging.
“We felt that the logo disconnects from the narrative and the visual identity of the Panthera products. On product, it feels too rounded and playful, which does not speak to us the feeling of ‘Exuberance’,” it says.
“It was also noted that the logo shared close similarities with other brands when we should be a ‘Copy of Nothing’.
The letter also appears to reveal frustration from designers at being sidelined.
“As a team, we worked collaboratively across our design disciplines for the holistic purpose and modern luxury narrative needed for the project. Everything was designed authentically with meaning and soul with a distinct purpose for which to develop.”
According to the publication, the letter was signed by approximately 25 to 30 members of the design team, and given to Mr McGovern as early as September 2022 – more than two years before the rebrand was made public.
Jaguar responded to the leaked letter in a statement to Autocar India, saying: “The creative process encompasses various stages of developing new ideas and tackling challenges.
“Given that creativity naturally involves a level of subjectivity, our priority is to foster an environment that nurtures the growth of these creative ideas.
“As we navigate this significant transformation, we naturally engage in numerous discussions and debates to refine and evolve our thinking. Together, we embrace these opportunities for growth and innovation, ensuring that our collective efforts lead to meaningful and impactful outcomes.”
As previously reported, Jaguar has stopped sales of new cars in its UK home market, which means it won’t have anything to offer there for some time.
The F-Pace SUV will live on in some markets until the first quarter of 2026, but Jaguar has already ended production of the rest of its lineup, which comprises the XE, XF, F-Type, E-Pace and I-Pace.
A production version of the Type 00 is due to launch globally in 2026.
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