In a dramatic turn of events, Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover’s long-serving Chief Design Officer, was reportedly fired and escorted from the company’s premises today, Monday, December 1, 2025. The abrupt dismissal of the 69-year-old executive comes amidst the disastrous fallout from Jaguar’s highly controversial “woke” rebrand and its polarizing advertising campaign, which McGovern spearheaded last year.
The rebrand, rolled out in late 2024, saw the iconic “Leaping Jaguar” emblem abandoned in favor of a minimalist wordmark. This was coupled with the infamous “Copy Nothing” advertising campaign, which notably featured high-fashion, androgynous models and abstract slogans but conspicuously omitted any actual Jaguar cars. The campaign was widely mocked and criticized for alienating the brand’s traditional, loyal customer base.
The commercial repercussions were swift and severe. In April 2025, Jaguar’s European sales plummeted by an astonishing 97.5%, recording only 49 new vehicle registrations compared to nearly 2,000 in the same month the previous year. The brand’s reputation suffered significantly, leading to widespread calls for executive accountability.
McGovern’s firing, following a 21-year tenure, aligns with the recent appointment of new JLR CEO P.B. Balaji and the departure of previous CEO Adrian Mardell. The move signals a decisive shift as Jaguar attempts to recover from a strategic misstep that sent its sales and public perception into a nosedive, with the brand now facing an uphill battle to rebuild trust and market share.
