MEDIAWATCH: Jaguar’s ‘inclusive’ new branding and the death of woke capitalism
Jaguar boss defends new ad and rebrand amid ‘vile hatred’ online
Social media clip features models in colourful clothing but no car in what Rawdon Glover describes as a ‘reimagining’
Look.
I don’t buy Jaguar’s, and I’m not some non-binary artist tech guru leading the genderless cultural revolution of tomorrow so I can’t afford the product and the advertising campaign is clearly not aimed at me, but I find those brands leaning into woke capitalism have always been deeply problematic.
Jaguar is a posh British car brand that is eye waveringly expensive, what the fuck does a posh car brand have anything to do with social awareness?
If you were socially aware, you wouldn’t be buying a fucking posh British car would you?
It’s a bit like how the Israeli Defence Force would always make a great deal about them being inclusive of the Gay and Trans community, as if their Pink tanks kill women and children more kindly than non-diverse armies.
Jaguar isn’t bringing any new cars to market until 2026 and those ones will be electric and twice the price of their current models, so you could make the argument that Jaguar are pivoting towards a new future clique of rich non-binary creatives but right after Trump’s terrifying landslide, this feels more like Jaguar transitioning into a Trans Kitten that no one wants.
Woke Capitalism was always a hollow branding exercise and Jaguar has managed to become another cautionary tale rather than cutting edge design leader.
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Great ad – but what’s it for and why do the people look so gloomy?
May be Jags marketing is on the money, Richie Sunak will feel more included
https://www.carmoola.co.uk/blog/rishi-sunak-prime-minister-cars
Looks a risky marketing strategy to me … but what would I know, I’m not in marketing. But I did binge watch Mad Men and was fascinated by the way advertising fucks with our minds, plays with our dreams and aspirations, of who we are and who we want to be. Draper’s success was the recognition that no longer is the product the prime focus but the uncommodified feelings associated with the product. The manufacture of desire.
So on second thought maybe the avert is pretty fucking clever. The product simply disappears. No vehicle, no connection whatsoever with vehicles. Copy nothing! The new hook phrase!
The rationale in the original story: “If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out. So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand …This is a reimagining that recaptures the essence of Jaguar, returning it to the values that once made it so loved, but making it relevant for a contemporary audience.”
Copy nothing. Will it work? And is it aimed at rich non-binary creatives per se but rather panders to a wider audience of wealthy folk, suggestive that individualism, ie, ‘copying nothing’ gives you an edge? Buy a Jaguar, you schmuck, and you’ll be different to the pack. Pure identity fetishism. Pure wokeism. In this sense MB’s on the money. Meanwhile the Don Drapers of this world are still being paid big bucks to dream up ways of tapping into our insatiable desires.
Genius to make a car ad that features exactly zero cars or anything even to do with cars. Oh wait.
It’s like the CEO of Posh British Jaguar (which is ironically part of the Indian car company, Tata Motors) thinks it’s still 2016. I mean everyone has pivoted away from woke marketing – Bud Light, Harley Davidson, Target, Toyota… and I’m sure there are more. All of them LOST sales trying to appeal to the (non-existent) woke crowd.