Harsh Goenka Reacts To Jaguar's New Ad: "More Like An Art Film Than A Car Commercial"

British luxury automaker Jaguar recently released a promotional video, sparking a debate on social media. The vibrant branding film featured a diverse cast of models dressed in bold, techno-inspired outfits, showcasing the brand's modernised aesthetic. The ad primarily focused on futuristic visuals, abstract concepts, and bold taglines like "live vivid," "delete ordinary," and "break moulds." However, the internet was miffed because the ad didn't show any of Jaguar's iconic luxury vehicles. Users said that the ad lacked substance and was overly focused on style, drawing ridicule across social media. 

RPG Group chairperson Harsh Goenka also criticised the campaign and questioned the luxury car brand's new approach. Mr Goenka expressed his scepticism on X, stating that Jaguar's latest ad resembles an art film more than a car commercial. He also questioned the campaign's slogan, "Copy nothing," wondering what it means and whether it's an effective marketing strategy.

He wrote, "Jaguar's new ad feels more like an art film than a car commercial—diverse actors, bold colors, and zero cars. ‘Copy nothing'—what does that even mean? Distinctive, sure. Effective? That's the real question."

See the tweet here:

Jaguar's new ad feels more like an art film than a car commercial—diverse actors, bold colors, and zero cars. ‘Copy nothing'—what does that even mean? Distinctive, sure. Effective? That's the real question. pic.twitter.com/nVjauUUVuQ

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) November 23, 2024

Earlier, billionaire Elon Musk also ridiculed Jaguar's ad for lacking cars. He tweeted, "Do you sell cars?" To this, Jaguar's official X account responded: "Yes. We'd love to show you. Join us for a cuppa in Miami on 2nd December?"

Notably, the ad and rebrand are part of Jaguar's shift toward an electric vehicle (EV) future. The brand is reportedly set to launch three new electric cars by 2026 after it took new cars off-sale over a year ago to focus on reinventing itself. The Tata Motors-owned British vehicle maker also revealed a new bespoke logo, written as JaGUar, alongside a new prancing "leaper" cat design and marketing slogans like "delete ordinary', ‘live vivid' and ‘copy nothing'.

Jaguar's Managing Director Rawdon Glover called the rebranding as the "biggest step change" in the company's history.

"A new era begins for Jaguar. This is an incredibly exciting time for the whole team. To re-imagine such a globally renowned brand really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Today, Jaguar unveils its new brand identity, recapturing its ethos to "Copy Nothing" that can trace its roots back to the words of our founder, Sir William Lyons," Mr Glover wrote on LinkedIn