Gerry McGovern, the chief creative officer behind the disastrous Jaguar rebranding campaign, has reportedly been fired from the company just months after the new CEO took over, as originally reported by U.K.-based outlet Autocar.
McGovern was a 20-year veteran of the company and, per the outlet, was the main force behind the failed avant-garde marketing campaign that received mostly negative reviews from consumers.
The shakeup comes just months after the car manufacturer appointed Indian national PB Balaji as chief executive officer following the departure of Adrian Mardell.
The ad campaign for Jaguar sparked massive criticism online following its November 2024 release. The “Copy Nothing” campaign included a colorful commercial of people dressed in vibrant, outlandish outfits. The characters could be seen grabbing sledgehammers, painting over the camera lens, and striking poses as the music played.
One of the chief criticisms from viewers was that the ad did not feature any cars.
Instead, disjointed phrases such as “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” “delete ordinary,” “break molds,” and “copy nothing” appear on the screen.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the ad, writing, “Do you sell cars?”
The social media account replied to many commenters questioning the ad, saying things like, “The story is unfolding. Stay tuned,” “We’re shifting gears, not our purpose,” and “Consider this the first brushstroke.”
The ad was part of a huge brand overhaul, which was described as going in a new EV-only direction.
Managing director Rawdon Glover complained about the backlash during an interview with the Financial Times, saying the campaign messaging was drowned out in “a blaze of intolerance” on social media. Glover also claimed that the colorful new ad was not meant to be “woke.”
McGovern defended the campaign at the time, saying, “Jaguar has its roots in originality. Sir William Lyons, our founder, believed that ‘a Jaguar should be a copy of nothing.’ Our vision for Jaguar today is informed by this philosophy. New Jaguar is a brand built around Exuberant Modernism.”
He continued, “It is imaginative, bold and artistic at every touchpoint. It is unique and fearless. We are creating Jaguar for the future, restoring its status as a brand that enriches the lives of our clients and the Jaguar community.”
Jaguar sales in Europe dropped by a whopping 97.5% following the botched rebrand as the car manufacturer transitioned from gasoline-powered vehicles to all-electric.
The company did not immediately reply to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on McGovern’s termination.
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