Jaguar’s Woke Rebranding vs. Volvo’s Family-Centered Message

The last week of November featured the best of car ads and the worst of car ads according to social media users. 

Automobile company Jaguar released last week its rebranding, from the animal it was named after to a simple text-only logo. The carmaker announced its rebrand through an eccentric 30-second advertisement video of individuals who, according to critics, seem to display the company’s move towards a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda. 

On the other hand, Volvo released its promotional video for its new EX90 safety car in September, centering around the story of a couple who were expecting a child. It is understood that the ad was created by “Interstellar” and “Oppenheimer” cinematographer Horte van Hoytema.

Comparing Car Brand Ads

It is understood that Jaguar released its rebrand to reflect its relaunch as an electric-only vehicle brand beginning December. 

The company told the BBC that people should trust its rationale following a flood of criticisms from both social media users and iconic people and brands like Aldi UK and Elon Musk, whose electric vehicle company Tesla would now become its direct competitor.

Do you sell cars?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2024

“We had to break rules and do something that would get us cut [through],” a Jaguar Land Rover representative said.

On the other hand, Fox Business reported that some social media users celebrated the Volvo ad in response to the Jaguar rebrand. 

Jaguar is focusing on DEI, gender-bending, and telling their consumers they’re “deleting ordinary”. Volvo leans into the ordinary. The ordinary is beautiful and authentic. It’s unique, yet universal. Woke ideas and made up identities are not. I hate ads, but there’s something… https://t.co/9D5ZhTNtTB

— Amala Ekpunobi (@amalaekpunobi) November 21, 2024

“Jaguar is focusing on DEI, gender-bending, and telling their consumers they’re ‘deleting ordinary,’” conservative commentator Amala Ekpunobi tweeted. “Volvo leans into the ordinary. The ordinary is beautiful and authentic. It’s unique, yet universal.”

Finbold reported that Jaguar’s parent company, Tata Motors, took a significant stock market hit in the aftermath of the rebrand, but has since rallied back up. 

Comments Praising Volvo, Slamming Jaguar

Meanwhile, comments about the Jaguar ad appeared to be mostly against the rebrand. 

“Jaguar’s pronouns are Was/Were,” one comment on YouTube read. 

“If it wasn’t on the official channel I’d assume this was a parody,” another said. 

“Hey Jaguar, blink twice if BlackRock is blackmailing you,” a third quipped, referring to the investment firm which some of the public perceives to have a liberal and progressive bias. 

As for the Volvo ad, many recent comments alluded to their disregard to the video’s almost-four-minute runtime as it encapsulated what they noticed as good storytelling. Others claimed the ad convinced them to consider buying a Volvo car in the future. 

“I just willingly sat through a nearly four-minute commercial and felt perfectly fine with it. Somebody deserves a promotion,” one comment said, which fell short of referring to van Hoytema. 

“Jaguar brought me here,” another explained. “The world needs love, not segregation and destruction. Thank you Volvo, for not being like Jaguar.”

“I was the passenger in a horrific car crash in a Volvo,” a third testified, referring to the scene where the female protagonist was almost hit by a Volvo car. “[I was smashed] into the back of a parked work truck going over 100mph. The truck was only about a foot from my face. I survived with just a bruised knee. This ad is a testament to the Volvo brand.”