JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="branding"></div>

CSS

.branding{
    height: 480px;
    width: 640px;
}

JavaScript

var i = 0;

var newBg = [
    'http://lorempixel.com/output/animals-q-c-640-480-2.jpg',
    'http://lorempixel.com/output/animals-q-c-640-480-1.jpg',
    'http://lorempixel.com/output/animals-q-c-640-480-4.jpg'
];

var image = $('.branding');


image.css('background-image', 'url(http://lorempixel.com/output/animals-q-c-640-480-2.jpg)');


setInterval(function () {

    image.fadeOut(1000, function () {

        image.css('background-image', 'url(' + newBg[i++] + ')');

        image.fadeIn(1000);

    });

    if (i == newBg.length)

    i = 0;
}, 5000);