Getting’ Jaggy Wit It
There has been much controversy over the new branding campaign from Jaguar. Many designers and creative directors have expressed their horror, dismay and shock. I would like to take a different approach. I have been creating and guiding brands for over 25 years now and part of my process is to explain how a brand is more than a logo. This lens has been promoted by many designers in my field and is not that new. But this Jaguar campaign was not only about a new logo, which isn’t horrible, but it included a new image and attitude, yet alas, no new product. What follows is my filtering process for successful brands, whether you are creating one or evaluating one.
There are many aspects to a brand, let’s start with
Brand as Vision – As part of a vision, mission, position statement, you need to create a visionary statement to propel your brand into the future. In the Jaguar case, there is no doubt that it created a bold statement, a flag in the ground…visually. “Our brand relaunch for Jaguar is a bold and imaginative reinvention and as expected it has attracted attention and debate,” Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson Joseph Stauble said in a statement to Forbes, defending the rebrand from backlash.
Brand as Organization – Jaguar's new campaign was created by the brand's in-house creative team. Jaguar's chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, said the new vision was inspired by the founder's belief that "a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing.” They bypassed their agency, if they had one, was market research done? Is this navel-gazing part of a new approach to marketing? In the end, it does reflect badly as an organization.
Brand as Product – Your products are your brand. Think of Apple and the revolutions they started. Not with just image but the actual product. Think iPod. Though there is a veiled promise of a new product line for Jaguar, it is nowhere to be seen. This could have closed the loop.
Brand as Identity – Finally, the mark, the logo, the logotype. A symbol that can stand the test of time and trends. Jaguar’s new mark is certainly bold and modern. With the cat being gone, the ‘Leaper,’ took on a new metaphor of leaping into the future, but the cat didn’t make it.
Brand as Personality – This new campaign is full of personality, a detached modern view with no connection to a lifestyle of luxury or driving. The imagery seems wrought from a few Midjourney style frames where they forgot to add a car to the prompt. This myopic fetish is a curse for selfish designers who just had this idea, but never cared about connecting it to the actual product. “But it looks Cool!” is usually the rationale.
Brand as Communication – Words matter. This car-free campaign called "Copy Nothing” is a good start but delivers on “Nothing.” The campaign features a group of models in bright clothing set to a techno soundtrack. The campaign is meant to embody Jaguar's new philosophy, "Exuberant Modernism.” Again, no product.
Jaguar's chief creative officer Gerry McGovern told Forbes, "the new vision was inspired by the founder's belief that "a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing".
All of these aspects of a brand need to fit into these final filters.
Is it Ownable? I would say yes. It is so unique in the luxury auto market, they will own this, good or bad.
Is it Supportable? No, only if they come up with an evolved vehicle that redefines the market. Yet to be seen.
Is it Defendable? No, Jaguar did not close the loop, thread the needle or deliver on their promise.
Is it Extendable? Yes, there is hope that with the rollout of the campaign, they actually include product and hopefully there is a product/market fit. Maybe this is a horrible launch campaign similar to Infiniti’s launch, remember fields of wheat and wind?
Is it Scalable? It could be. If Jaguar is waiting for our patience, it is up to them to scale their brand. But they cannot stop at a stylish campaign that says little. The rebrand is intended to appeal to a younger audience and reclaim Jaguar's historic market share. Did Jaguar have historic market share or were they always niche?
So, in the end, it is a fail on my end. They did check a couple of these boxes. Memorable as hell, but on the side of infamy. However, if they have a flying car waiting in the wings that looks like a yellow and orange bubble, I am in. Otherwise, I cannot condone this over indulgence.
AI Roundup
What a question, and I suspect some already have their opinions that Apple is as late this year and will be next year as it apparently was in 2023. Apple Intelligence from a branding point is clever, but will it deliver the goods.
Barron’s interviewed more than a dozen senior executives across the world’s most important tech companies. Here’s why they remain bullish on the long-term opportunity for AI. Plus, the stocks to buy now.
The tech giant poured $2.75 billion in the generative AI company just six months ago. The tech giant, which also owns Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said Friday that the deal will see Anthropic make Amazon’s AWS division “its primary training partner and will use AWS Trainium to train and deploy its largest foundation models.” Maybe we could live without OpenAI.
Check out the AI News Feed here to stay up to date.
El Sailon
Mark December 10 as we have 3 speakers lined up to share their AI Journey. ‘AI and I’ includes Jack Allread , Kat Walsh and Michael Garfield and will reveal a lot. Stay tuned for more announcements. RSVP Here. If you are in the Santa Fe or Albuquerque area, this is for you.
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“I highly recommend checking out one of these events—you’ll leave not only happy but eager for more opportunities to learn and connect.” -- Andrew Sedillo, Director of Microcredentials Instructional Design at New Mexico State University.
Podcast news
Curt had a terrific conversation with Neville Spiteri , co-founder and CEO of WEVR, a pioneering interactive software studio. They discuss Neville’s career trajectory from video game development and branding at Electronic Arts (EA) to creating cutting-edge immersive experiences at WEVR. Key topics include AI in filmmaking and gaming, ethical considerations in generative AI, and the evolution of creative-centered workflows using emerging technologies. Watch and Subscribe here.
About the Author
Curt Doty is an award winning creative director whose legacy lies in branding, product development, social strategy, integrated marketing, and User Experience Design. He has extensive experience on AI-driven platforms MidJourney, Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, Murf.ai, HeyGen, and DALL-E. His work of entertainment branding includes Electronic Arts, EA Sports, ProSieben, SAT.1, WBTV Latin America, Discovery Health, ABC, CBS, A&E, StarTV, Fox, Kabel 1, and TV Guide Channel.
He is a sought after public speaker having been featured at Streaming Media NYC, Digital Hollywood, Mobile Growth Association, Mobile Congress, App Growth Summit, Promax, CES, CTIA, NAB, NATPE, MMA Global, New Mexico Angels, Santa Fe Business Incubator, EntrepeneursRx and AI Impact. He has lectured at universities including Full Sail, SCAD, Art Center College of Design and Chapman University. His AI consultancy RealmIQ helps enable business transformation in the Age of AI.
He is currently on the board of the Godfrey Reggio Foundation and serves as the marketing director for Performance Santa Fe.