Jaguar ko "modern luxury" brand banane ke liye jo new Panthera rebranding project launch kiya gaya tha, usse ab kaafi time ho gaya hai, aur isne kaafi criticism bhi face karna pada. Jaguar teaser ad, jisme fancy dress pehne models the par koi car nahi thi, kaafi logon ko weird laga. Jaguar ke MD Rawdon Glover ne ise "bold and disruptive" bola tha, but company mein kaam karne wale log or iss Panthera project par kaam karene wali insider team isse thoda different way mein dekh rahe the.
According to Autocar India sirf outside hi backlash nahi ho raha, rather company ke company ke employees bhi kaafi doubtful hai ho gaye hai. Panthera project ke under jo rebranding chal rahi hai, usne inside hi scepticism create kar diya hai.
Jaguar ki internal design team ka ek leaked letter unke boss Gerry McGovern (chief creative officer) ko gaya hai, jisme team ne yeh bola hai ki project ko bahar ke consultant, Accenture Interactive ko outsource karne se unka saara collaborative vibe or creative integrity thoda undermine ho gaya hai. Team iss decision se kaafi unhappy lag rahi hai.
Image Courtesy: Autocar India
According to Autocar India yeh letter unhone dekha or jo sources ke hisaab se around 25-30 members ne sign karke McGovern ko September 2022 mein diya tha. letter mein kaafi disappointment express kiya gaya hai, especially is baat par ki unse consult hi nahi kiya gaya. Team ka kehna hai ki ek collaborative spirit hoti hai jo yahan miss ho gayi.
letter mein likha tha "Hum sach-mein believe karte hai ki sab creative logon ke beech open or collaborative approch honi chahiye, ek-dusre ko influence karna or khud influence hona. Aise environment se hi ek unique identity banti hai jo har level par connect karti hai."
Letter yeh bhi kehta hai ki new logo or graphic identity Jaguar ke 'modern luxury' waale vibe se bilkul connected nahi lagte. Brand itni rich history or aspirational image hone ke baad bhi, inme woh expected coherence missing hai.
Team ka frustration clearly dikh raha tha. Letter mein likha tha, "Humein laga jo logo hai, woh Panthera products ki kahani or visual identity se connect hi nahi karta. Products par bhi yeh bohot rounded or playful lagta hai, jo 'exuberance' ka feel bilkul nahi deta. Aur upar se Jaguar logo ka look kuch other brands se kaafi similar lag raha tha, humein toh 'copy of nothing' hona chahiye"
Instead of create Unique visual identity, team ka kehna hai ki yeh logo thoda generic lag raha hai woh energy or uniqueness jo unhone sochi thi, woh feel hi nahi ho rahi.
Rebranding ka kaam Accenture Interactive ko dena ka decision, jo ki Jaguar Land Rover ki in-house creative agency Spark44 ko aquire kar chuka hai, lagta hai poori problem ka main point hai. Letter mein team ki frustration dikh rahi hai, because unhe sideline kar diya gaya hai. Unhone likha:
"As a team, hum sabne milke, apni design disciplines ko combine karke iss project ke liye ek holistic purpose or modern luxury ka narrative banaya tha. Har cheez ko genuinely, meaning or soul ke saath design kiya gaya tha, ek clear purpose ke saath.
Image Courtesy: Autocar India
Miami ke launch event mein, Jaguar ne apni concept Type 00 cars reveal ki, sharp, aggressive design, or bold colours jaise "Miami Pink" or "London Blue" ne audience ko literally split kar diya. Kuch log crazy impressed the, or kuch ko bilkul pasand nahi aaya.
"McGovern ne toh backlash ko side mein rakh diya, bol diya ki controversy toh British creativity ka part hoti hai. But public or media itne maaf karne mood mein nahi the. Or ab jab bahar se aise reactions aa rahe hai, toh internal team ki 2022 mein boli gayi complaints kaafi sahi lag rahi hai. jaise unhone sab pehle hi predict kar liya ho.
Autocar India ke according jab unhone company se clarification manga, toh Jaguar ne yeh statement diya:
'Creative process mein new ideas create karna or challenges tackle karna different stages mein hota hai. Aur because creativity thodi subjective hoti hai, hamari priority yeh hoti hai ki hum ek aisa environment create karein jahan creative ideas grow kar saken. During this big transformation naturally kaafi saari discussions or debates hoti hai, so that hum apni thinking ko refine or evovle kar sake. Hum sab milkar in growth or innovation ki opportunities ko embrace karte hai, so that humare collective efforts meaningful or impactful results de.'
Yeh pehli baar nahi hai ki Jaguar ko apne aap ko reinvent karne mein struggle ho raha hai. 2000s ke mid mein unka "Gorgeous" campaign tha, willem Dafoe ki voice-over wali woh sultry ad jisko public ne kaafi troll kiya tha, bolte hue ki yeh pura retro vibes or cliche se bhara hua hai, aur young audience se bilkul connect nahi karta. Tab bhi Jaguar ki cars sell nahi ho rahi thi, or brand decades se thoda out-of-sync lag raha tha. Aaj Panthera ke early mistakes dekh kar lagta hai ki history phir se repeat ho sakti hai.
News Courtesy: Autocar India