Jaguar Has a $152,000 Defender Against ‘Wokeness’
Critics of the automaker’s controversial ad campaign — including Elon Musk — should remember the success of other JLR reinventions.
Jaguar’s latest ad campaign has created quite a stir — not necessarily a bad thing.
Photograph: Jaguar Land Rover
As part of its preparations to become an all-electric car brand in 2026, Jaguar recorded the sound of one of its V8 combustion engines last year so it could be archived at the British Library along with other “culturally significant” items. Perhaps it should have waited to record the gasps of people reacting to its rebranding exercise: a garish teaser video hinting at its edgy new direction triggered a social media pile-on last week, with everyone from Elon Musk to Nigel Farage weighing in on the new “woke” Jaguar.
Here are my two cents: Not only has Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc earned the right to take a few risks, it won’t matter much if the relaunch flops.