Staff ReportsIt looks like Jaguar, the car brand—not the big cat—is quickly learning the hard lesson of “go woke, go broke.” Recently, the company rolled out an ad campaign that aimed to shock and awe but ended up doing neither. Instead, it left consumers scratching their heads. This latest endeavor, complete with a kaleidoscope of bizarre fashion choices, seems more like an attempt to capture attention than genuinely drive sales. Not surprisingly, their attempt to be “too hip to be square” hasn’t gone over well, as sales have reportedly dropped a startling 100%. It’s almost like Jaguar’s marketing team played a game of car-brand bingo with every woke trope they could muster. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.
One would think the brains behind this commercial might have settled on a tried-and-true formula—catering to the classic Jaguar buyer. Picture this: distinguished gentlemen of a certain age, perhaps freshly escaped from the clutches of a mid-life crisis. They would delight in the purchase of a sleek sports car and perhaps even see their relationships rejuvenate as a result. But no, Jaguar veered off course, offering instead a mishmash of colors that rivals a poorly coordinated paint palette. It’s almost like someone forgot that cars are supposed to excite, not confuse.
While some might chuckle at the image of sports cars reinventing themselves as pride floats, there’s a serious point here. When brands depart too much from what they’re known for—the sleek, refined luxury of a Jaguar in this case—they risk alienating their core customer base. This is particularly true when such moves are underpinned by a marketing misfire that seems to ignore their traditional consumers: the “straight dude in his 50s with a receding hairline,” as the segment humorously noted. It turns out, these are the folks who have historically sauntered into dealerships, ready to make a Jaguar purchase.
Even more curious is the reality that Jaguar is seemingly abandoning traditional car production. Reports suggest they are pivoting towards electric vehicles, though few seem tangible. With only 49 cars sold across Europe, the situation is as concerning as it is perplexing. The confusion is compounded by limited availability on dealership websites, making one wonder if they’re trying to peddle vehicles or rare unicorns. In their zeal to embrace what they believe to be a modern ethos, they’ve forgotten that “electric” does not automatically equal excitement when it lacks a substantive vehicular offering.
Ultimately, the whole spectacle is a textbook example of how not to effectively market a luxury brand. Instead of dazzling with elegance and performance, Jaguar’s latest rollout resembles a weak attempt at making an avant-garde statement that was dated before it even aired. Would-be buyers are left dangling, not by lack of interest, but in search of a product that aligns with their notion of what a Jaguar should be. This ad campaign stands as a testament to why companies must remember their roots; after all, not everyone gets a second chance to rebrand once the wheels have fallen off.
