Sue Benson, founder and CEO of The Behaviours Agency, lists some of the reasons she feels the new approach failed. "There are few, if any, cars in the ads, which leaves audiences unsure what the brand even stands for. Heuristics like the leaping cat logo have been discarded, weakening mental shortcuts consumers rely on. Emotion has suffered, too; rather than stirring pride or aspiration, the new identity feels cold and aloof. And in terms of consistency, the shift has been jarring, with little cohesion between legacy and future."

In short, the brand destroyed more equity than it built. By abandoning recognisable elements that consumers had emotional connections with, Jaguar created a vacuum that its abstract new positioning couldn't fill.

"In a market where EV brands are multiplying, distinctiveness matters more than ever," Sue reasons. "Jaguar already had strong emotional and cultural heritage, so it's worth questioning whether stripping that away in favour of minimalism was the right move."