GET WOKE, GO…: Jaguar hits back at critics of new DEI rebrand ad that doesn’t feature any cars.

Posting the video to their social media site, the ad shows a group of models dressed in bright and flamboyant clothing.

The ad occasionally pops up with text reading ‘create exuberant’, ‘live vivid’, ‘delete ordinary’, ‘break moulds’ and ‘copy nothing’.

As it does so, the characters can be seen grabbing at sledgehammers, painting over the screen and posing for photographs in sync.

Social media users, including the likes of Elon Musk, have been quick to point out that the ad offers no suggestion that the company sells cars.

Responding to one user who posted on X asking ‘where are the cars in this ad? Is this for fashion?, the company replied: ‘Think of this as a declaration of intent’.

Others used posed similar questions, which was met with replies including: ‘The story is unfolding. Stay tuned’, and ‘Consider this the first brushstroke’.

Musk, who owns electric car company Telsa, said: ‘Do you sell cars?’, after seeing the clip.

Jaguar responded: ‘Yes. We’d love to show you. Join us for a cuppa in Miami on 2nd December? Warmest regards, Jaguar.’

Another person added: ‘Bye Jaguar, it was nice knowing you, to think, you were once the pinnacle of British motor engineering.’

One other commented: ‘Didn’t you get the memo?

‘Woke is dead. (And so is Jaguar, by the look of this turd).’

Since everybody who’s ever been in show business is being digitally reanimated these days, from Peter Cushing to Leonard Nimoy, Jag missed a golden opportunity to employ ILM to bring back its greatest saleswoman ever:

In all seriousness, it’s going to be fascinating which pop culture and consumer aesthetics emerge from the corporate boardrooms after this election, in which all things woke received a thorough thrashing from voters. I’m assuming that Jag’s ad campaign and new car rollout were months in the making, and they either misread the American presidential election, or didn’t care about it. But I do wonder how their newfound aesthetic choices will sell the product:

As former Activision CCO Lulu Cheng Meservey tweets:

It’s possible a marketing exec read too many think pieces about how millennials shop based on values and forgot that people want cars that are really well built.

On top of that, instead of choosing a clear lane, Jaguar’s brand has meandered further into no man’s land. Literally — this is NOT for men. While men have been an important audience for Jaguar historically (it’s a favored ride for James Bond and Bruce Wayne), the latest campaign features six women and two people of indistinguishable gender (one appears to be a man but I don’t want to assume).

Read the whole thing from her, including this exit quote: “Someone on the Jaguar marketing team has greatly overestimated the size of the ‘vegan barista who wants to roll up to the drum circle in a luxury sports car’ market I fear.”

UPDATE: Found at Ricochet: Mister, Jaguar could use a man like Dudley Moore again!