Largely fabricated scandal shows Jaguar succeeded in getting people talking | Money News Aitrend

The sleeping Jaguar suddenly woke up.

After months of gentle provocations, the British car manufacturer has unveiled its latest model: a “fully electric concept with bold shapes and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars”.

Predictably, we were bombarded with marketing talk alongside the launch of the Type 00, the biggest rebrand in the company’s 102-year history.

The car is “striking for its imitation and ordinariness” but is not to everyone’s taste. Some people decided they didn’t like it before even seeing it because of a announcement published last month.

The car was not included in the ad at all.

Instead, it showed a diverse group of models rocking out in brightly colored outfits. It was enough to put some people off.

The feeling was that this was a cultural departure from the “old Jaguar”, when adverts featured white British actors in well-tailored suits behind the wheel of a car. The company was accused of “abandoning Jaguar’s traditional customers”.

Some might be surprised by the level of (fake) outrage, including from the boss of the rival automaker. Tesla.

Posting on X, Elon Musk said: “Do you sell cars? Much discussion followed about the identity of the iconic British car maker. Suddenly, people with no prior interest in cars or the sanctity of the Jaguar brand had a point of view. Nigel Faragethe newly elected MP for Clacton, also spoke.

The ad was branded “woke” and “narcissistic,” criticism that quickly turned to homophobic abuse.

Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover criticized the “fire of intolerance” the commercial had started.

“We need to reestablish our brand and at a completely different price point, so we need to act differently. We wanted to move away from traditional automotive stereotypes.

“If we play the same way as everyone else, we’ll just drown.”

Designed to get people talking

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the furore was to a large extent manufactured. Jaguar said it wanted to get people talking.

After all, it hopes to replicate the successes of the E-Type, one of the most iconic cars of all time.

While the company speaks warmly of its “traditional customer base,” it makes no secret of the fact that it needs to find new buyers to revitalize what has become a tired brand.

While the Jaguar Land Rover Group is achieving record sales, it is Land Rover that is doing the heavy lifting as Jaguar struggles to remain profitable.

It has struggled to stay relevant amid fierce competition in a fast-changing industry, where many Chinese brands are aggressive on technology and pricing.

Jaguar has already made its statement of intent: It’s going all-in with an all-electric fleet by 2026. Inconsistent demand pushed that commitment back a year, but it’s going bankrupt, targeting a higher price and a premium.

JLR is trying to bring the brand to an elite international market.

Perhaps this explains futuristic marketing. This inevitably involves a break with his British past. Mr Glover said 85 per cent of Jaguar’s future customers would be new to the business.

This explains why so many people feel perplexed by the company’s promise to embrace the future while embracing the past.

Jaguar said the change was about recognizing that the company was no longer “a heritage brand” but a “brand with heritage”. Finding the right balance is of existential importance.