British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by India’s Tata Motors, is reportedly reviewing its global creative advertising account, currently held by Accenture Song and in-house agency Spark44, following intense criticism of its recent rebrand campaign.
The Telegraph reports the move comes just months after Jaguar unveiled a radical brand overhaul that ditched its iconic ‘growler’ badge and embraced a futuristic new visual identity—featuring a geometric ‘J’ and ‘L’ logo and a high-concept ad starring brightly dressed models, but notably, no cars.
The new slogan, “Copy Nothing,” has been mocked by critics, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for abandoning the marque’s storied “Jag-man” legacy.
Despite JLR’s insistence that the agency review is unrelated to the public backlash, the timing has raised eyebrows.
Jaguar’s sales have plummeted—down to just 33,320 cars in 2024, a sharp fall from 61,661 in 2022 and 161,601 in 2019. The slump mirrors what some analysts are calling a broader corporate trend of “woke rebranding,” comparing Jaguar’s misfire to Bud Light’s controversial 2023 collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which led to a consumer boycott and a dramatic drop in sales.
JLR’s managing director Rawdon Glover previously defended the campaign, saying,
“If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out.”
Glover reportedly later attributed the backlash to “vile hatred and intolerance,” particularly regarding online abuse directed at models featured in the ad.
The campaign culminated in the unveiling of Jaguar’s new electric concept, the Type 00, at Miami Art Week—sporting boxy lines and bold hues like Miami Pink and London Blue. The vehicle boasts a 478-mile range and ultra-fast charging but failed to win over traditional fans who lamented the shift away from Jaguar’s signature sleek design.
Still, the company maintains that the brand reboot was always meant to provoke discussion. “The scale of the reaction has been unprecedented,” said a spokesperson.
“It shows just how much emotional attachment people have to Jaguar.”
Founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool, England, Jaguar originally made sidecars for motorcycles. It later became S.S. Cars Limited and launched its first “sports saloon” in 1935, followed by the iconic SS Jaguar 100. After World War II, the company rebranded as Jaguar to avoid associations with the Nazi-era SS. Over the decades, Jaguar built a reputation for blending British craftsmanship with racing pedigree, producing classics such as the XK120, the E-Type, and the XJ series.
In 2008, Tata Motors acquired both Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford and merged them into Jaguar Land Rover Limited in 2013. Under Tata’s ownership, Jaguar has attempted to reposition itself as a forward-thinking, all-electric luxury brand—but not without controversy.
Farage, taking to social media platform X, wrote simply:
“I did try to warn you, Jaguar.”
Though Accenture Song remains under contract until mid-2026, sources suggest a change could be imminent. As Jaguar pivots towards becoming an exclusive, all-electric marque—aiming to sell fewer cars priced over £100,000—the next phase of its identity may hinge on whether it can recover from the PR fallout and reconnect with its loyal base.
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