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Jaguar’s recent rebrand has people talking, but not in the way most marketers hope for.

Gone are the classic cues of British elegance. In their place is minimalism and “modernist exuberance.” Their rebrand campaigns involve cryptic videos, high-fashion models, and a new mantra: “Copy nothing. Delete ordinary.”

Reactions have been mixed. Marketing legend Mark Ritson called it “f—ing lunacy,” while Rory Sutherland is reserving judgment, saying, “It’s too early to call.”

So, what’s Jaguar playing at?

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What has Jaguar done?

The historic British car manufacturer denmark telegram data has gone for a new look. The leaping cat has been removed from the logo. In its place is a minimalist wordmark that now reads “JaGUar.” Yes… with that random capitalization.

But the change is part of a broader strategy. Jaguar’s sales have been falling, and there’s a real fear that the brand can’t rely on its existing customer base.

To cope, Jaguar is repositioning as a £100k+ luxury EV brand to rival Porsche and Bentley. Rather than targeting an older generation who adore its British roots, Jaguar plans to target “cash-rich, time-poor” millennials and Gen Z.

But will it work?

The Tropicana Effect

Most marketers can recount a long list the 23 best productivity apps of failed rebrands. Usually, the top of that list is Tropicana in 2009. They ditched their iconic orange-with-a-straw logo for a sleek redesign.

The result was abysmal. Sales united kingdom cell number dropped 20% in two months. The company lost £30 million before scrambling back to the original design.

Jaguar’s gamble feels eerily similar: ditching the familiar in favor of “modern.” But here’s the thing: cars aren’t juice.

Buying Tropicana is a quick, emotional, and intuitive decision (what Daniel Kahneman would call “system 1”). Car buying is deliberate, logical, and tied to identity (“system 2”).

So, you could argue that severing Jaguar from its roots is unproblematic. After all, buyers will rationally assess Jaguar’s car based on its quality, not its historical marketing.

But we’re missing an important part of the puzzle: mental availability.