Jaguar mystifies with ‘reimagined’ brand identity
The luxury automobile manufacturer has moved away from its cold, technical design style in a surprising redesign shift.
"Jaguar is all about being unique. According to Gerry McGovern, the Chief Creative Officer of the brand, Sir William Lyons, who founded the company, held the belief that a Jaguar must never imitate anything else. McGovern emphasizes that this principle continues to guide the brand's vision today."
Embracing the philosophy of 'Copy Nothing,' the brand's fresh identity aims to be 'distinctive' and 'bold.' To its credit, it has succeeded in standing out from competitors. However, it appears to have strayed so far from traditional luxury car branding that it inadvertently resembles the style of a typical high street clothing brand from the 2010s.
The heart of the updated branding, developed by the in-house design team at Jaguar Land Rover, features a wordmark that replaces Jaguar's old, bulky letter styles with a fresh, mixed-case design that showcases sleek, rounded edges.
While this isn't inherently offensive, the lifestyle images chosen to introduce the brand do it no favors. Accompanied by strange, cult-like pictures of models dressed in color-block outfits, and vague phrases that seem over-the-top even for car advertisements (“delete ordinary,” “create exuberance”), it comes off as confusing and unclear.
The identity is described as being supported by 'vibrant modernism,' but the connections to modernist design or typography appear to be superficial. While the design of the wordmark may look straightforward, what truly matters is its function.
In other places, the Jaguar logo has been rotated 180 degrees to face the right, becoming part of a design the brand refers to as a 'strikethrough' graphic. This design features stripes that encircle the jaguar. Additionally, the brand's identity incorporates a monogram made up of two 'J' shapes that merge into a circular emblem.
The new identity was unveiled at a presentation that seemed to be just as confusing as the final result. It's still unclear if, or how, it will be displayed on the vehicles.
A fresh 'design vision concept' is set to be unveiled at Miami Art Week in early December. However, it's unlikely to clarify how these designs will be incorporated into actual car models, as it appears to be connected more to an art installation. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to take the brand's advice and not imitate anything.
