What’s in a name?
A lot, according to the car company formerly known as Jaguar Land Rover.
For henceforth the British car giant – owned by India’s Tata group – will be known only by the initials ‘JLR’ as part of a major rebranding and restructuring operation that will, controversially, also sideline the ‘Land Rover’ name from Products.
And now it has unveiled its facelifted corporate identity – no doubt created and implemented at great expense and after much searching and agonizing – with a brand spanking new logo.
The carmaker formerly known as Jaguar Land Rover: The British marque’s new simple motif follows the minimalist ‘modern luxury’ styling ethos of future JLR products and dealers
The 75-year-old Land Rover name disappears from its four ‘brand umbrella’, which are now called brands in their own right: Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and – separately with a slightly different font – Jaguar
The change is part of a wider £15 billion business and product range shift, which JLR describes as its ‘Reimagine’ strategy.
And like the late rock star Prince — who changed his name to a symbol in 1993 as part of a rebranding effort (and his long-running dispute with Warner Bros) — JLR bosses feel the need to do the same.
In a statement released Thursday, the automaker said the new simple motif follows the minimalist “modern luxury” styling ethos of future JLR products and dealerships – and that it embodies “elegance, modernity and the company’s forward-thinking essence.”
As part of the wider uproar, the original ‘Land Rover’ moniker for the company’s off-road vehicles has been controversially sidelined since the company’s inception in 1948 to be used only as an umbrella ‘Trade Mark’.
That means it won’t be featured on the giant pillars or signs outside showrooms, but will be a mall badge on the grilles of its SUVs.
In fact, it has already been dropped from advertising campaigns.
Instead, the new car brand names for its 4X4 range will be brands in their own right.
The four will consist of Range Rover, Defender and Discovery, while Jaguar will be the fourth brand umbrella.
It calls this a ‘House of Brands’ approach.
Commenting on the new identity, CEO Adrian Mardell said: “Today is an exciting day as we unveil a new identity for our company as part of our House of Brands approach.
“I am convinced that this perfectly illustrates JLR’s ambition in the modern luxury space.”
Professor Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover’s design chief, said the move was made for ‘clarity’ as customers were already calling their vehicles this way, rather than ‘Land Rover Range Rover’.
He added: ‘The creative process behind the new identity focused on elegance, modernity and a forward-thinking essence to show the company’s direction and ambition.
“The falling ‘J’ strives for elegance, while the lighter weight of the emblem illustrates the step-by-step change towards sophistication and modernity.”
‘House of Brands’ shake-up at JLR: Land Rover model naming will be ditched with four umbrella brands instead: Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar
Professor Gerry McGovern, JLR’s design boss, said the rebranding move was made for ‘clarity reasons’
JLR has maintained throughout that while the Land Rover name will be less prominent, it will not be dropped completely.
At the unveiling of the JLR logo this week, the company reiterated that the “Land Rover brand will continue to be an important part of the company’s DNA” and that the trademark oval emblem will not completely disappear from its portfolio.
The product name shakeup was first announced in April when bosses under fire gave an update on their plans for electrification.
They also then announced that effective immediately going forward, the company would be known only and officially as JLR, which will be its new overarching corporate identity. However, at that stage, the redesigned logo was not revealed.
The British car giant confirmed that since the company was founded in 1948, the original ‘Land Rover’ name for the company’s off-road vehicles has been controversially shelved to be used only as an umbrella ‘hallmark’.
The Defender will no longer have Land Rover for its official name, JLR confirmed
Discovery models will also lose the Land Rover name from the name’s inception
JLR said in April: ‘Land Rover will stay.
“It is strong, well known and we will use that collective power to give our brands authenticity and purpose.
“The Land Rover name will remain on our vehicles, reinforcing our off-road credentials and technology capabilities.”
The official website now reads: ‘Jaguar Land Rover is a brand house: Range Rover. Defender. Discovery. Jaguar.
Truly distinct, global brands that embrace our modernist design philosophy and are emotionally compelling and unique.”
However, keen-eyed observers noted that while the Land Rover brands – Range Rover, Defender and Discovery – all have the same font, the script for Jaguar is decidedly different.
In 2021, bosses predicted an exciting all-electric future for Jaguar from 2025.
And in April it announced that a stunning four-door grand tourer costing around £100,000 and boasting a ‘wow factor’ will lead the renaissance of the luxury sports brand and its off-road siblings as part of a £15 billion investment.
However, those who have followed the car industry for many years might also conclude that maintaining a separate identity for Jaguar also gives them some leeway – if the daring rescue plan succeeds, they will be winners.
Alternatively, it would make it easier – should the need arise – to sell the Jaguar arm as a running business with a product plan and line-up, possibly to one of the Chinese car giants currently buying up British brands.
Bosses have already confirmed that the new electric Jaguar will be built at JLR’s Solihull plant near Birmingham as part of a wider shake-up of production and factories.
Location: JLR is expected to choose a site near Bridgwater in Somerset (pictured) for its new car battery gigafactory
And last month, new reports emerged that JLR’s owners are gearing up to select Britain for a multibillion-pound electric car battery factory, after also considering a site in Spain.
A site near Bridgwater in Somerset has been identified as the potential gigafactory site, which could create around 9,000 new jobs in the area, according to BBC reports.
The news comes after a rough patch for the posh British automaker owned by India’s giant industrial conglomerate.
The bosses apologized in April for a long period of silence about their future strategies, but said they had been working quietly – but busy – behind the scenes and now had something concrete to cheer about.
It also follows the surprise departure last November of former CEO Thierry Bollore after just two years in the top position.
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