When a luxury car company forgets it sells cars, it’s like a chef who’s more interested in the plate than the meal. The presentation might be avant-garde, the colors might pop, but if nobody wants to eat what you’re serving, you won’t stay in business long.
This simple truth seems to have escaped one of Britain’s most storied automotive brands until very recently.
Jaguar, once synonymous with refined British engineering and elegant design, has spent the past year undergoing what executives called a bold reimagining. The company that gave us the iconic E-Type and commanded respect from driving enthusiasts worldwide decided it needed to become something entirely different. Not just electric, mind you, but “exuberant.”
Last November, Jaguar unveiled its “Copy Nothing” campaign to the world. The advertisement featured models in vibrant, outlandish outfits wielding sledgehammers, painting over camera lenses, and striking dramatic poses. (Yes, really. I watched it three times looking for a car.)
Disjointed phrases like “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” and “delete ordinary” flashed across the screen but there was one thing missing from this car commercial: Cars.
The Price of “Progress”
The response was swift and brutal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk captured the public sentiment with a simple question: “Do you sell cars?” The Jaguar social media team responded with vague platitudes about “unfolding stories” and “shifting gears, not purpose,” but the market had already rendered its verdict.
Now we learn that Gerry McGovern, the chief creative officer who championed this disaster for over 20 years at the company, has been abruptly fired. Reports indicate he was escorted from the office, with the company scrambling to erase traces of the failed campaign. The timing is telling – new CEO PB Balaji took the helm just weeks ago, and McGovern’s departure appears to be his first major housecleaning effort.
Remember, here was McGovern’s grand “vision” (via The Daily Wire):
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.”
Basically, he invoked the founder’s philosophy while completely inverting its meaning. Lyons wanted Jaguars to be original cars, not original art installations.
Reality Bites Back
The numbers tell the real story: Jaguar sales in Europe plummeted by an astounding 97.5% following the rebrand. That’s not a typo – the company essentially stopped selling cars in one of its key markets. Managing director Rawdon Glover complained that criticism of the campaign was drowning their message in “a blaze of intolerance.” Apparently, customers refusing to buy cars that aren’t being advertised constitutes intolerance now.
What I find most revealing about this whole saga is the internal resistance McGovern faced. Sources indicate that over two dozen members of his own design team signed a letter in 2022 protesting the decision to outsource the rebrand to Accenture Interactive. Even the people who were supposed to execute this vision knew it was headed for disaster.
The corporate world seems infected with this particular strain of madness where MBAs think their actual products are secondary to their social messaging. They hire executives who view brands as platforms for personal expression rather than businesses that serve customers, then they act shocked when those customers go elsewhere.
McGovern’s firing signals that perhaps reality is finally breaking through at Jaguar. The new CEO clearly understands what his predecessors didn’t: you can’t pay salaries with virtue signals. You can’t manufacture cars with good intentions, and you certainly can’t maintain a luxury brand by insulting the very people who might buy your products. Revolutionary concept, right?
Maybe the new CEO realized that “Copy Nothing” shouldn’t mean “Sell Nothing.” This leadership change might salvage what’s left of Jaguar’s reputation, but at least they’ve taken the first step – acknowledging that when you’re a car company, you need to actually sell cars.
Key Takeaways
- Jaguar’s woke rebrand triggered a catastrophic 97.5% sales collapse in Europe
- Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern was reportedly fired and escorted from the building
- The “Copy Nothing” campaign featured everything except actual cars
- New leadership appears to prioritize selling vehicles over virtue signaling
Sources: Daily Wire, TownHall.com, TFLcar
