Jaguar's new look made the internet roar - hating it.

Look, I wasn't particularly enamored with the new Jaguar ad, but heavens, the internet has declared it the automotive equivalent of wearing socks with sandals - a fashion faux pas of epic proportions. Clearly, this was crafted for the rich and fabulous, set to descend upon Miami for Art Basel, where Jaguar will unveil the next chapter of its transformation at Miami Art Week on December 2, 2024.

In this new ad, Jaguar has chosen to "Copy nothing," a slogan echoing its founder Sir William Lyons' philosophy. However, the advertisement itself features no vehicles, focusing instead on a diverse cast of models in vibrant, avant-garde fashion, posing amidst abstract, prismatic landscapes. The screen flashes with slogans like "live vivid," "delete ordinary," and "break moulds," aiming to redefine what Jaguar stands for in the modern era. New logo, new look, a nod to Rick Owens' futuristic 2025 collection in the models dress, but still the ad somehow comes off as seriously dated.

The backlash has been delightful. Critics have drawn parallels with Bud Light's own disastrous dive into the cultural deep end, dubbing this fiasco "Bud Light 2.0." for its perceived focus on diversity over automotive excellence. One user quipped, "Jaguar just pulled a Bud Light. Wtf is this?" recalling the disaster when Dylan Mulvaney pretended to be a girl in a bubblebath drinking Bud Light. Others were more direct, questioning, "Where are the vehicles in this cringe-worthy, woke commercial?"

Adman extraordinaire Dave Trott dryly noted that ads that are universally hated tend to come from in-house agencies.

Pepsi 'Kardashian'
Gilette 'Toxic Masculinity'
Jaguar 'WTF'
How's the in-house ad-agency concept working out guys?

— dave trott (@davetrott) November 21, 2024

Fair point.

Jess @ FireTeam created this AI abomination, replacing the blond model Anna Engerström with a man in a paper skirt, and swapping out the brand with Home Depot.

Designer Ben Hylak showed his impeccable sense of comedic timing when he quipped on X. "in our defense, when we were doing the jaguar rebrand, we thought for sure kamala was going to be elected."

in our defense, when we were doing the jaguar rebrand, we thought for sure kamala was going to be elected.

— ben (@benhylak) November 20, 2024

Despite the criticism, Jaguar's management seems poised to ride the wave of controversy. Rawdon Glover, Jaguar's managing director, defended the rebrand by stating, "To bring back such a globally renowned brand we had to be fearless. Jaguar was always at its best when challenging convention."

Is this doing that, though? One would think that the colorful androgynous diverse group of models has been done to death in the past decade, and we're all kind of over that now. The ad's attempt at modernity falls flat, resembling a time capsule from a period when "edgy" meant more than just being on the edge of a cliff.

Santino Pietrosanti speaks of "symbols of change" in the new era of Jaguar, bravely ditching the heritage the brand possessed.

The rebranding aligns with Jaguar's pivot towards an all-electric future, with plans to introduce new models that embody this "Exuberant Modernism." However, the debate rages on about whether this bold move will rejuvenate the brand or alienate its traditional clientele.

Jaguar's pivot to electric might be electrifying, but this ad? It's like they've plugged into the wrong socket.

The new logo's "G" is so Google, it's almost as if they forgot what the "J" stands for. And as for the cars, let's hope they don't resemble the usual EV fare - boxy, uninspired, and about as exciting as a lukewarm cup of coffee. It is as if car designers have held a secret meeting somewhere and all agreed to design all vehicles as square, minimalist and boring as possible.

In a world where cars are often the stars of their own ads, Jaguar's choice to spotlight human diversity and artistic expression rather than horsepower has certainly made it memorable, and everyone is still talking about it, so they did "generate buzz".

Whether this artistic detour will drive sales or merely entertain, only time will tell. But for now, Jaguar has undeniably started a conversation, proving that in advertising, sometimes the most daring moves can be the most divisive. The earned media that they are getting is through the roof as news commentators are airing this ad over and over again.