Jaguar’s chief executive has slammed what he called “despicable hatred and intolerance” after the carmaker released a new advert.
A 30-second clip posted Tuesday to the luxury car brand’s X account sparked backlash online after featuring a diverse group of models posing in bright clothing but without vehicles or the iconic leaping feline.
The ad has been viewed 160 million times and received more than 120,000 comments, including from the owner of X. Elon Musk who said: “Do you sell cars?”
Others claimed the brand was “waking up” and “reinventing itself to be fashionable”, an apparent reference to those in the video and some of the ad’s slogans, such as “don’t copy anything » and “breaking the molds”.
Also on Tuesday, Jaguar unveiled a new logo as part of its rebranding and announced the launch of three new electric cars in 2026.
Jaguar’s new brand image. Photo: Jaguar/PA
Defending the advert, Jaguar chief executive Rawdon Glover told the Financial Times that it was not a “woke” statement and that the intended message had been lost in “an inferno of intolerance.”
“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,” he said.
“If we play the same way as everyone else, we’ll just drown.”
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Mr Glover said the brand needed to “attract a new customer base” without leaving all its other customers behind.
In response to Mr. Musk’s comment on X, Jaguar responded: “Yes. We would love to show it to you. Join us for a cup of tea in Miami on December 2? »
Responding to another user who asked where the cars were, the company said: “The story is unfolding. Stay tuned.”