social-media
The real cost of the Jaguar rebrand
Published: 20/12/24 - Updated: 09/01/25
Was it worth it?
When Jaguar unveiled its bold rebrand in November, it ignited a firestorm of online debate. In case you haven’t seen it, the rebrand stripped the iconic leaping jaguar from its logo in favour of a minimalist style and a more modern typeface. Fans of the heritage car brand expressed dismay over the loss of character. Many online users compared the updated logo to those of tech companies rather than a luxury car brand.
The rebrand took the internet by storm, with online mentions of the brand jumping from 30 to over 587k after the new branding was announced (source: Sprout Social). Even now, a month after the announcement, Jaguar’s mentions are only just returning to similar figures seen before the launch. When examining online conversations, the rebrand seemed like a major misstep. Sentiment analysis of social media posts revealed an overwhelming majority skewing negative; social listening tool Sprout Social shows that a whopping 75% of online conversation was negative. Key phrases like “bland”, “soulless”, and “unimaginative” trended alongside the rebrand announcement. Critics argued that the new branding failed to convey the prestige and sophistication historically associated with Jaguar, with many viewing it as a concession to a trend-driven design ethos that prioritised sleekness over substance.
Reaching new audiences?
Though online sentiment was negative, the narrative becomes more intriguing when you look beyond sentiment and examine the data. Despite the online uproar, Jaguar’s Instagram account has actually gained an impressive 23k new followers since the announcement. This growth highlights a critical lesson in the digital age: controversy and online conversation, whether positive or negative, can still translate into long-term engagement and growth if handled correctly. Sprout Social predicts that Jaguar saw a potential 2.6 billion impressions during this period. With so many eyes on the brand, it stands to reason that people would take to social channels to keep an eye on its next moves. However, the increased follower count doesn’t always guarantee a loyal audience that will convert into long term consumers. Users may be following to witness what they perceive as the downfall of a household name, but this offers Jaguar a fresh opportunity to reposition itself with a younger, more digitally savvy audience. This aligns with its broader strategy of transforming into an all electric brand by 2025.
It will be interesting in the coming months to see if this growth continues and what Jaguar does to convert these new followers into loyal brand advocates.
Copy Nothing
Adding another layer to the narrative, tech company Nothing, which is known for its minimalist and futuristic branding – very similar to Jaguar’s new look – smartly capitalised on the online moment. When Jaguar unveiled its new tagline as “Copy Nothing”, the tech company inserted itself into the conversation, earning applause from its followers for its witty and timely response. The brand changed its logo and bio on X (formerly known as Twitter) to mimic Jaguar’s rebrand. The move not only amplified Nothing’s own brand visibility, quickly gaining over 5k followers on Instagram and over 150k brand mentions online, but reinforced its reputation as a cultural trendsetter that knows how to stay relevant in real time. Capitalising on a moment like this is incredibly important for small businesses like Nothing. This single move put the brand at the forefront of an online moment, potentially solidifying millions of impressions at no cost. For context, according to Sprout’s social listening data, Nothing saw a potential 58 million positive impressions during that time. With most of these impressions occurring on X, we can calculate that to get the same about of eyes on their brand through paid channels would have cost around $3.1 million (Earned Media Value).
Power in agility
There are important lessons to learn from how these brands navigated the moment. For Jaguar, the backlash highlights the critical role of storytelling with brands, a key theme in all social content for 2025. Simply unveiling a new logo and tagline without offering a compelling narrative about why the change aligns with the company’s evolution left a gap in public understanding. Transparency about how the minimalist logo represents Jaguar’s shift to a forward-thinking, electric-first future could have helped frame the rebrand more positively and changed negative perceptions to neutral or positive ones. For Nothing, it underscores the power of agility and relevance in social media strategy. By joining a trending conversation with humour and authenticity, Nothing not only expanded its reach but demonstrated the value of staying attuned to the cultural pulse. Brands that remain flexible and reactive in their messaging will always come out on top.
The real cost of Jaguar’s rebrand isn’t measured solely by the initial wave of criticism but by its ability to redefine and communicate this new identity over time. The growth it has seen on social platforms is a silver lining, but the true challenge lies in building on this attention to foster lasting loyalty with a newfound audience. For brands navigating a rebrand or online moment, the key lies in transforming perception, whether positive or negative, into a means of lasting connection.
Amanda Easter
With over 6 years of experiences in Social Media Management both at agencies and in house, Amanda brings her knowledge from brands in the UK, US and Europe. Since joining the team in 2021, Amanda has scaled up our influencer offering and co-founded our Social Media department, diving into building unique strategies for our clients and leading the team in implementing these across all social channels.