"Jaguar Land Rover has parted ways with Gerry McGovern, the veteran design chief responsible for the company's highly polarising pink-themed rebrand - a marketing campaign criticised for featuring high-fashion models, avant-garde slogans and not a single Jaguar car. Industry publication Autocar reported that McGovern, 69, was asked to leave the business on Monday and was "escorted out of the office," bringing an abrupt end to his 21-year tenure as one of the most influential figures at the carmaker. JLR declined to comment on the departure."
"Jaguar's December 2024 relaunch - revealed at Miami Art Week - was widely ridiculed for ditching the brand's famous "growler" emblem in favour of a high-fashion aesthetic. The glossy campaign featured models with angular haircuts walking through a pink, sci-fi landscape, accompanied by slogans such as "delete ordinary," "copy nothing," and "live vivid." There were no cars in the campaign video, a decision the company defended at the time as "bold and imaginative.""
"The controversy deepened when Jaguar unveiled a concept model in neon "Barbie pink," prompting comparisons to Lady Penelope's car from Thunderbirds. Critics on social media labelled the campaign "woke" and out of touch. Former US President Donald Trump accused JLR of being in "absolute turmoil," branding the rebrand "stupid." Tesla chief executive Elon Musk mocked the campaign, asking: "Do you sell cars?""
Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover's veteran design chief, was asked to leave and was escorted out, ending his 21-year tenure. PB Balaji became JLR's chief executive weeks earlier as part of a leadership reshuffle amid falling demand in China, semiconductor supply concerns and a cyberattack that halted production for five weeks. Jaguar's December 2024 pink-themed relaunch showcased high-fashion models, avant-garde slogans and no cars, and introduced a neon concept described by critics as "Barbie pink." The campaign drew social media backlash and public mockery, yet McGovern remains respected for reshaping several iconic JLR models.
Read at Business Matters
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]