Jaguar set to drop ad agency behind controversial ‘Copy Nothing’ rebrand

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has launched a review of its global advertising agency arrangement, signalling the end of its current partnership with Accenture Song – the firm behind its much-criticised “Copy Nothing” campaign.

The British carmaker, owned by India’s Tata Motors, faced a storm of backlash over its rebranding strategy, which included a surreal 30-second advert with no cars in sight, a minimalist geometric logo, and a departure from the brand’s traditional performance-led identity. The rebrand, aimed at repositioning Jaguar as an ultra-luxury electric vehicle (EV) marque, sparked polarised reactions, with critics accusing the company of abandoning its heritage.

The campaign, released late last year and intended to spark bold conversations, was described by many as disconnected and overly abstract.

Despite defending the campaign as intentionally provocative, Jaguar Land Rover’s sales figures have told a different story. In 2024, Jaguar sold just 33,320 vehicles – a sharp drop from 61,661 in 2022 and a far cry from the 161,601 units sold in 2019.

The company insists that the decision to review its creative account is unrelated to the public’s reaction. A JLR spokesperson stated: “The reinvention of the Jaguar brand was planned to attract significant global attention and comment; we wanted to spark online debate and get people talking about us. The scale of the reaction has been unprecedented – this shows just how much of an emotional attachment Jaguar has with so many people.”

They added that Accenture Song, which has worked with JLR and its in-house agency Spark44 for over four years, remains the incumbent agency under contract until mid-2026. However, the ongoing review signals the company’s intent to explore new creative directions once the current arrangement concludes.

Accenture Song has not commented on the development.

While JLR remains committed to transforming Jaguar into an all-electric luxury brand by 2025 – backed by a multi-billion euro investment – the episode serves as a cautionary tale in brand reinvention.

In a market increasingly defined by storytelling, product visibility, and brand loyalty, Jaguar’s next move will be closely watched by both industry insiders and its legacy customer base.