Social media users have given their verdict on Jaguar’s rebrand following the unveiling of a new electric concept vehicle.
Jaguar finally revealed the Type 00 concept during a high-profile event at Miami Art Week earlier this morning following its controversial branding decision in November.
Taking large strides away from the traditional leaping Jaguar and slick design, the British brand is now embracing modernity and a new “Copy Nothing” design philosophy.
This included the Type 00 being paraded on stage in Miami Pink and London Blue, with Jaguar looking to embrace an all-electric future in the coming years.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing[email protected]
The unveiling of the Jaguar Type 00 has been met with mixed reviews
JAGUAR
Speaking at Miami Art Week, Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, chief creative officer of Jaguar, said it was not always easy to get attention to a brand. He added: “We’re delighted to have your attention.
“Controversy has always surrounded British creativity when it’s been at its best. David Bowie, Vivienne Westwood and architect Richard Rogers were some of my creative heroes. They were British trailblazers who challenged convention and had no desire to copy the norm.
“In the same way, when Jaguar’s at its best, it threw away the car design rule book and created the E-Type and the XJS. These were objects of desire.”
The change in direction for Jaguar has been met with praise from others, with some pointing out that Jaguar was willing to be bold with its marketing and rollout strategy.
Motoring enthusiast and former Top Gear host Rory Reid took to social media to praise the rebrand and the new-look Type 00, adding that he was “here for it”.
READ MORE: Jaguar unveils ‘spectacular’ new electric car despite backlash from ‘woke’ rebrand
Jaguar has been praised by some as making ‘striking’ design choices
JAGUAR
He added: “Having been massively underwhelmed by XE, XF and XJ (which are only even vaguely interesting with a 5-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet)…
“This is the most ‘I would actually look twice at this’ Jag since … forever. I’d even have it in pink for the haters.”
Similarly, Paul Barker, editor of Auto Express, described the vehicle as “striking”, having been given early access to the concept at a secret event. He added that Jaguar had made a “dramatic statement” with its design choices.
He noted how Jaguar had to make a bold change since Britons have a habit of loving automotive icons, without buying them. He pointed to sales data showing that Jaguar had sold less than 14,000 cars in the UK in the last 12 months – less than Porsche and Lexus.
Barker added: “Clearly, the status quo wasn’t working. Pivoting to £225,000 luxury electric GTs, like the Type 00 concept, might seem bold, but continuing as before was a slow march to obscurity. The MG Rover Group’s demise should be a cautionary tale, not a roadmap.
Occupants can tailor the cabin to suit their mood using the uniquely crafted Prism case
JAGUAR
“Despite the criticism, it’s clear that Jaguar is boldly embracing its future and it will be interesting to watch the story unfold over the next three years.”
However, not everyone was as confident in Jaguar’s ability to bounce back from the intense criticism it has faced in recent weeks, especially following the full unveiling of the Type 00 concept today.
One social media user said Jaguar was “officially pronounced dead this morning”, adding that “we lost a legend” following the reveal of the vehicle.
Another said: “Jaguar created the most beautiful car in history, then created the ugliest to make the beautiful one look even better next to it.
A third took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say: “Jaguar made a concept car that will never see the light of day. This was just a self-indulgent art project that completely destroyed their brand.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Despite the backlash, recent research from Autotrader found that advert views for used Jaguar models were up five per cent since the rebrand launched, with search views also up 10 per cent.
November 23, four days after the official rebrand and two days after the first teaser image was released, saw the busiest days for searches and ad views since March.
Since the rebrand, used Jaguars have appeared in consumers’ searches 20 million times, generating 1.3 million advert views, with the F-PACE, E-Type and I-PACE being the most popular.
