One of the world’s most storied brands, Jaguar is heading for a complete reinvention according to senior management, who today announced the start of what will be a new era for the company. It comes as the marque is winding up production of all existing models and making the switch to a fully electric future, even at a time when a growing number of car makers are walking back such plans amid a slowdown in consumer demand for battery-only vehicles.
While ditching combustion engines and skipping any hybrid electrification, Jaguar is creating a new brand identity, revealed today for the first time. It will be defined by what Jaguar calls ‘Exuberant Modernism’, promising bold designs, fearless creativity and potentially a shift in the firm’s positioning in the market.
Speaking on the announcement of the bold plan, Rawdon Glover, Jaguar’s Managing Director, said: “To bring back such a globally renowned brand we had to be fearless. Jaguar was always at its best when challenging convention. That ethos is seen in our new brand identity today and will be further revealed over the coming months. This is a complete reset. Jaguar is transformed to reclaim its originality and inspire a new generation. I am excited for the world to finally see Jaguar.”
Most evident among the changes to Jaguar is the introduction of a new device mark, i.e. the brand’s logo. This new wordmark will appear both on cars and wherever you see the Jaguar name in use. It features an all-new, specially designed font in a geometric form with simplicity and symmetry at its core. Other details will include horizontal lines, which the company refers to as its ‘Strikethrough’, the use of vibrant colours and the careful use of a restyled Jaguar leaper that now leaps in the opposite direction to how it had done previously.
“Jaguar has its roots in originality. Sir William Lyons, our founder, believed that ‘A Jaguar should be a copy of nothing’. Our vision for Jaguar today is informed by this philosophy. New Jaguar is a brand built around Exuberant Modernism. It is imaginative, bold and artistic at every touchpoint. It is unique and fearless.
“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. We are creating Jaguar for the future, restoring its status as a brand that enriches the lives of our clients and the Jaguar community,” said Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer.
Jaguar has already confirmed that it is developing a new family of models, all of which will be built on a dedicated electric architecture called JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture), with production taking place at its existing Solihull facility in the UK. The first of these as-yet-unnamed models broke cover last week in the form of the first official prototype photographs as it began testing on public roads.
For now, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see how Jaguar's future models will look. The company plans to present its vision in the form of a design concept at Miami Art Week on 2 December. The car will be the highlight of an art installation called ‘Copy Nothing’.