Recently the fabled British car manufacturer Jaguar released theirad campaignwhich definitely attracted attention and negative criticism from several quarters.
This new Jaguar addid not play wellwith many who saw it, at least for the moment.
Bud Light and Jaguar are typically associated with men.
kobps2 - stock.adobe.com
Simply throwing that away instead of starting a new brand is not a formula for success.
My previous tech company (Vungle) helped mobile advertisers get metrics for analysis and target the right users.
To simply dismiss that demographic to run after another runs the real risk of destroying the brand.
Then base your marketing and advertising strategy on that initial decision.Some advice I can give:
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This avoids alienating the old group.
A Successful Brand Shift
Contrast Jaguar to this newVolvo ad.
Both car brands are pivoting to electric vehicles in a major way.
Volvo does it creatively but not in a way intended to shock a traditional audience.
In fact, this Volvo ad leans into old family values, but in a refreshing way.
The public traditionally views Jaguar as a luxury car brand that has appeared incountless filmslike James Bond and others.
Their new ad appears to throw cold water at this legacy, in favor of something new.
My impression is that this new Jaguar ad campaign is obviously makingtheir classic brand better positioned for Gen Z.
The metaphor of transferring from gasoline/diesel to electric EV vehicles might be another reason.
Until they reveal their sequel, we will not really know if this ad campaign will work.
Final Thoughts
All that being said, think carefully before taking the plunge into a risky rebrand.
Ensure your board is aware of potential backlash and ensure you have a strong plan to move forward.
