Why Jaguar's brave new leap has cynics sneering

Jaguar is trying to reinvent its identity. Image: Supplied

Pulling off a successful rebirth — especially if you are in the business of manufacturing and peddling cars — is no easy feat.

Allow me to use the Hyundai Motor Company as an example, which, with its Kia division, went from subpar economy brands to darlings of awards programmes and ownership satisfaction surveys. It took decades, with a turnaround built on the back of tactical hiring (poaching German brands’ executives), strategic product development (pandering to markets’ upticking segments) and the clear shaping of distinctive brand identities.

This week Jaguar declared a renaissance, with a fresh corporate identity and brand statement, accompanied by a colourful video short that might leave you scratching your head.

It gives a bizarre combination of disco-era couture and lively shades, tempered with a psychedelic flavour. You would think you were watching a teaser for a new Zoolander spin-off.

We will have to give them the benefit of the doubt and see how their medium-term plans pan out, but the reception on the world's go-to doom-scrolling platforms was telling. Responses ranged from critical to vitriolic. In between, few were kinder to the prospect of a less growly Jaguar identity.

On the adoption of a new brand mark, with a rounded, simpler font, the company had this to say: “It is a powerful celebration of modernism — geometric form, symmetry and simplicity — demonstrating the unexpected by seamlessly blending upper and lower case characters in visual harmony.”

Read that last bit again and tell me when last you used upper- and lower-case letters together for maximum visual harmony. SeRioUsLy?

Apparently the brand wants to create distance between itself and the past. You wonder why, though, because Jaguar lays claim to an enviable heritage, defined by motorsport success, pedigreed performance cars and breathtaking design, all peppered with a distinct sense of charm.

New brand mark goes for softer lettering, mixing lower- and upper-case letters. Image: Supplied

Now Jaguar says it will “copy nothing” in pursuing “exuberant modernism” and “fearless creativity” on its journey to rebirth as a fully electric carmaker.

In recent times, a number of major car firms have announced a re-evaluation of their electric strategies, backtracking on ambitious deadlines to go all electric. Not Jaguar though. Brave.

Outlining details around the inspiration behind its new deal, the company's press release makes reference to founder Sir William Lyons, quoted as saying “a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing”.

We will skip the history lesson here, forego obligatory lyrical waxing about wonderful specimens such as the E-Type from yesteryear. If you are reading this, you probably have your Coventry cat trivia licked.

We know Jaguar in contemporary form has been a mixed tale of ups and downs. Tata, taking custodianship from Ford in 2008, ushered the cat (and its Land Rover relative) into a new life. Land Rover's fate was brighter, poised to capitalise on the crossover and SUV boom.

Jaguar went through a promising re-emergence at first, with the XF taking the torch from the old S-Type, followed by a modernised XJ saloon. Then came the delectable F-Type, drawing on that rich two-seater lineage.

Jaguar embraced its playful side in the public shaping of its persona, with efforts such as the “good to be bad” campaign. Its strait-laced German rivals could not pull off something as fun as that.

Memorably, Jaguar even took a dig at Mercedes-Benz, playing chicken with an amusing commercial punting cat-like reflexes. Check it out below.

Advertising jibes aside, Jaguar never really managed to achieve parity with its mainstream Teutonic competitors from a sales perspective. Particularly in Mzansi.

In 2015 it released the XE locally, rivalling the Audi A4, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, hoping to succeed where the old X-Type had failed.

It was an exciting product — dynamically gifted with exquisite styling and a range of newly developed Ingenium engines, but it fumbled partly due to a ridiculous pricing strategy that meant most buyers dismissed it from the get-go.

Teaser of the imminent design vision concept. Image: Supplied

Missed opportunities seem to be a theme in Jaguar's story. The F-Pace is another example. Plenty good to say about it, but why did they wait so long when its peers had such options in existence for more than a decade already?

At least Jaguar was fairly quick to the draw on the electrification shooting range, with the I-Pace, but that was never going to be the product that elevated Jaguar into real sustainability as a business.

Earlier this year the brand invited local media to a round-table. It was brief. The big takeaway was Jaguar intends to go small volume, competing at a higher level of prestige. Instead of trying to beat BMW, it now seems to aspire towards consideration in the same breath as Bentley.

How it plans to achieve that remains to be seen. The carmaker says it will expand further on its rebrand in December, debuting a design vision concept at Miami Art Week.

While engaging marketing and the stirring of hype is a big part of any brand's relaunch, it cannot play second fiddle to the other stuff. You know, like the development and release of products that real-life customers are going to buy.

Cynicism aside, the prospect of Jaguar's “copy nothing” promise stirs anticipation.

It could all make for a spectacular comeback or a major flop. In event of the latter, it would not be the first time this feline has put that idea of having more than one life to the test.