Tapping into the singular creativity that has shaped its storied past, Jaguar knows that its "exuberant" electric-powered rebrand may not immediately please the masses – and it simply doesn't care. We learn more about the brand's bold new pathway forward at Miami Art Week
“Some may love it now. Some may love it later. Some may never love it," says Gerry McGovern, JLR's chief creative officer – the man pioneering the momentous design revelations taking place at Jaguar of late. He's dwarfed by the colossal screen behind him, its luminous pink glow radiating upward into the starry Miami night sky. But his words are big enough to hold the attention of the crowd gathered before him at the city's iconic Jungle Plaza, eager to witness the unveiling of the Type 00 concept car at the heart of it all.
The reimagination of Jaguar was first introduced by way of a teaser video campaign released in mid-November. With its intense visual expression, sans-serif logo reveal, and notable all-round lack of cars, the clip stirred up a storm across the internet and proved divisive, to say the least. But according to McGovern, the controversy isn't a big Miami-pink hued elephant in the room. It's actually the whole point. “David Bowie, Vivienne Westwood and architect Richard Rogers were some of my creative heroes," he declares. "They defied convention and had no desire to copy the norm."
Hence the catchphrase at the core of the rebrand: 'Copy Nothing', which traces back to the words of Sir William Lyons who founded the brand a century ago. "A Jaguar should be a copy of nothing," Lyons had stated, his words now repeated on stage by McGovern. "Jaguar was at its best when it threw away the car design rulebook and created the E-Type and the XJS," McGovern goes on to say to the hundreds of onlookers. "They were objects of desire."
Gerry McGovern, design director and chief creative officer speaks during the Reimagined Jaguar Brand Debut At Miami Art Week. Photo: Getty
McGovern is flanked by Jaguar's sculptural, satin-finished Type 00 concept models which the considerable crowd – which includes celebrities Helena Christensen, David Gandy, Chance the Rapper and Devon Windsor – have gathered to see. Going against the grain of standard electric vehicle design, the Type 00 delivers on the drama denoted by the teaser campaign with its long bonnet, sweeping roofline and fastback profile. This two-door concept won't actually reach production, but its design language will be reflected in a road-ready Jaguar late next year. To McGovern's left is a model rendered in quintessential Miami pink, an ode to the city's Art Deco architecture. To his right, a hue dubbed 'London Blue', paying homage to Jaguar's British DNA and history.
We have long been known for making beautiful vehicles that connect with people at an emotional level, and that's exactly what we need to do at this point in time.
Rawdon Glover, Jaguar managing director
It's this history aspect that seems to be ruffling most feathers when it comes to Jaguar's emerging new era. But as managing director Rawdon Glover articulates earlier in the day during a press briefing, Jaguar is "a brand with history and heritage, as opposed to a heritage brand". "We are the custodians of that brand, and we take our responsibility to be good stewards," Glover says. "We need to make sure Jaguar is relevant and desirable and sustainable for the next 90 years of history. Sometimes with this sort of brand stewardship, you need to take small steps and incremental movements. Other times, you need to make big, bold steps. We think we're very much in that latter space. The market demands it."
These big words are backed up with big changes, as have been executed by brand design director Richard Stevens and his team. "Copy Nothing has been our mantra," Stevens says, "and it comes through in new symbols of change. Nothing has been crafted in isolation, the team has come together to consider every detail, exemplified in these symbols of change."
What exactly are the symbols of change? The first is the logo itself, referred to by Jaguar as the 'design mark', blending upper and lowercase characters in geometric harmony. Then, there's the 'strikethrough' – a linear grill-like graphic that presents itself in various incarnations across the car and branding. The third of the meaningful changes is the unmissable use of colour: tonal building blocks of primary tones, set to always be presented with texure or movement. Lastly, the evolution of signature symbols the iconic 'leaper' motif of a jaguar in forward-motion becomes a 'precious mark of provenance' built into the vehicles, often in brass. Meanwhile, the 'growler' head becomes a symmetrical, circular stamp incorporating the logo's streamlined 'J' and 'R'.
These major aesthetic updates lead to the next question: why Miami and its Art Week? "Apart from the fact it's a beautiful place to be," Glover smiles, "this is one of the most important and largest creative fairs in the world. And in that context, what better place for us to bring our piece of automotive art?" he says. But the reason runs even deeper, as Glover explains. "We want to move away from automotive noise. What we're showing today is the future design language for all Jaguars," he says. "We didn't want to do that in a traditional way by just going to an auto show. Being here at Miami Art Week is much more in keeping with the direction of the brand."
Emphasising this purpose as an advocate for art, Jaguar has also taken the opportunity to champion British creativity by giving a global platform to a new generation of visionaries, with a series of meticulously curated gallery spaces at Art Miami and Miami Design District. The exhibitions feature works from multimedia artist Ibby Njoya, photographer Cambell Addy, spatial designer Patience Harding and movement director Yagamoto. Additionally, British fashion designer Aaron Esh was recently supported by Jaguar in the presentation of his eponymous brand's spring/summer '25 collection at London Fashion Week.
Ultimately, Jaguar is making fearless moves to generate feelings – good or bad – just as art does. And it's certainly sparked some feelings so far. "We have long been known for making beautiful vehicles that connect with people at an emotional level," says Glover, "and that's exactly what we need to do at this point in time," going on to describe the homogenous and uninspiring state of the electric vehicle market, with engineless construction often resulting in boxy and high-riding silhouettes. "That actually leads you to a vehicle that isn't particularly emotional," Glover comments. "So what we're doing at Jaguar is ripping that rulebook up"
"What you will see from us in the Type 00 is a car designed with exuberant proportions, with a bold presence. It looks like nothing else on the road today. That's what a Jaguar should be."