Jaguar: Never Mind the Bollocks

I’ve been a vocal critic of Jaguar 's rebrand, and a board member recently urged me to “wait and see” what direction the company is taking, especially with the concept car unveiling in Miami this December.

As much as I love Miami—a city I cherish and a state I consider my second home—it doesn’t feel right as the stage for relaunching a truly iconic British brand. Miami is ideal for introducing a continuation of an established line, but reimagining a British marque from the ground up? That calls for Coventry, London, or perhaps Le Mans (given the racing association), if you want to lean into heritage. Anything else feels off-brand.

My skepticism deepened after watching an awards speech by Santino Pietrosanti Jaguar’s Head of Brand Strategy, recommended by someone in my network. Presented at the Attitude Awards, his speech was a bewildering mix of utopian buzzwords and lofty values—more fitting for a children’s fantasy film than a historic automotive company. To borrow from the Sex Pistols: “Never Mind the Bollocks”—but in this case, it’s hard not to mind.

What’s baffling is that we’ve seen what happens when a brand loses touch with its core audience—look no further than Bud Light ’s fiasco following the Dylan Mulvaney collaboration. How Jaguar leadership wasn’t jolted by that cautionary tale is beyond me. Even more puzzling is why there weren’t stronger voices in the boardroom to question this vision. If alarm bells weren’t ringing internally, they should have been deafening after that acceptance speech.

I understand that by critiquing Pietrosanti’s speech I may be stepping into controversial territory. However, my perspective on humanity is straightforward: we all share this fragile planet, and until people start bleeding green or communicating via ESP, I’ll treat everyone the same. That means I’ll be equally critical when it’s warranted.

As a business owner, if someone presented the kind of vague idealism Pietrosanti (and to be fair to him, his team and the agnecy Jaguar commissioned for this project), leaned into, I’d respectfully ask them to step aside. While Pietrosanti's core message—be kinder and more considerate—is admirable and should be a goal, it’s not a foundation for reimagining an established brand. Utopian ideals are great as values, but they don’t replace the need for a clear, product-driven strategy, focused on recovery and growth.

Pietrosanti’s ideas will no doubt inspire, but they lack the decisive commercial framework a business needs.

My priority as a business owner is making enough money to keep the lights on and pay the staff. For that, I need a product roadmap that delivers results, especially when the product is cars. The values can come later—after the hard work of building a sustainable business is done. And do you know what? I’d be more than happy for things to unfold that way because, from a commercial perspective, my product would gain far greater reach and appeal. That’s a win-win.

As I’ve mentioned before, Jaguar isn’t a broken brand. It’s about Grace, Space, and Pace—but the product itself just isn’t good enough. Fix the product, define where it belongs in the car manufacturing hierarchy, and success will follow.

Sure, this might seem like an oversimplified view, but the leadership at Jaguar appears to have missed this straightforward recipe. These are the same people that lacked either the courage or the intuition to challenge the rebrand vision. Therefore, in my opinion, the real issue isn’t the brand—it’s the leadership. They need to be replaced and reimagined themselves, not the iconic logo!

Even more concerning is Pietrosanti’s emphasis on diversification. My overactive imagination has taken this concept to some alarming places. Using the new logo and lackluster ad campaign as a starting point—and listening repeatedly to this part of his speech—I can easily envision Jaguar branching into unrelated markets where cars are just one of many verticals.

Picture this: JaGuar perfumes, JaGuar washing machines, JaGuar watches, JaGuar mobile phones. In short, I see a brand adrift, its identity diluted, and venturing into multiple marketplaces where it will inevitably fail. Period.

The Jaguar board member that messaged me on Tuesday, sidestepped the brand pr product diversification issue and focused solely on the car issue.

He urged me to “wait and see” what they deliver. The problem is, we already know the offering will be EV-only—a strategy riddled with flaws when you consider the broader challenges. Issues like EV battery production and disposal, inadequate electricity infrastructure (especially in the UK), and waning public interest in EVs are serious concerns. While those debates can wait for another day, Jaguar now faces a monumental task: they must produce a car that looks otherworldly and boasts tech so advanced it redefines what we think of EVs—the “white goods” of the automotive world.

I’ll give Gerry McGovern’s design team the benefit of the doubt when it comes to creating a striking concept vehicle.

But as a Jaguar owner, I know the brand’s reputation for less-than-perfect electrical systems, which makes revolutionary tech in the production model seem unlikely. Then there’s the issue of design reality. Spy shots of the production vehicle, despite heavy camouflage, suggest a generic three-box shape. So despite bold claims about originality coming down the pipe, there doesn’t appear to be much to get excited about.

With millions—if not billions—spent on Jaguar’s rebirth, it’s time for leadership to face reality.

I’m not sure there’s enough credibility left in the brand to survive the recent fallout. Yes, people are talking about Jaguar, but there’s a fine line between buzz and ridicule. Judging by the global reaction to their creative efforts, that ridicule line is already far in the rearview mirror.

Anyone from the Jaguar orbit still claiming otherwise is worth steering clear of.

With my business-owner mindset, the next steps for Jaguar are simple yet bold. First, I’d immediately pause all social media output. Then, as CEO, Adrian Mardell should take the lead—addressing the press to apologize for the misstep and refocusing the conversation on what really matters: the cars.

The concept and wider brand positioning launch in Miami should be delayed in favour of a location within Great Britain. Jaguar’s panicking dealer network also needs urgent attention—clear communication about what’s coming, even if it’s EV-focused, along with product clarity and assurances about their job security.

As for Mr. Pietrosanti, I’d use all that passion displayed in his speech and develop a mission, for a cause, that desperately needs his ideas and passion for change, inclusion and stability - it's just not Jaguar, where the problem is product.

Meanwhile, I’d dust off an ICE plan—perhaps extending the life of the F-Type—to hedge against a potential EV backlash.

Finally, I’d be praying to whatever higher power I align with that this damage can be reversed and Jaguar can survive. Otherwise, the rebrand will be stillborn, and this iconic automaker will disappear—a loss that would be nothing short of criminal. And remember, Never Mind the Bollocks... just stop it!