Jaguar Ad Creates Uproar, CEO Steps Down — What’s Next for the Brand?

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is facing strong reactions after its new ad campaign started a big debate and led to a major change in leadership. The ad, which came out late last year, used the slogan “Copy Nothing.” It showed brightly dressed, gender-neutral models—but no cars. The ad quickly went viral, but not in a good way.

The video got over 160 million views in just a few days. But many people didn’t like it. Some called it “woke.” Elon Musk, Nigel Farage, and former U.S. President Donald Trump all spoke out. Trump even said the ad was “seriously woke” and asked who would buy a Jaguar after seeing it.

Soon after the backlash, Jaguar’s CEO, Adrian Mardell, said he would step down at the end of 2025. Mardell has worked at Jaguar for 35 years and was CEO for the last three. He helped the company earn big profits and also pushed for this bold new direction.

Jaguar’s sales have also dropped—down by about 15% in the U.S. This is due to new trade tariffs and export delays. On top of that, the company plans to cut around 500 management jobs as it moves toward electric cars.

Still, Jaguar says it’s hopeful. The new Type 00 concept car shows a fresh, electric future. Some fans like the bold ad and think it gives Jaguar a new, artistic image in the luxury EV world. But others say it confused long-time customers and didn’t even show the cars.

This big change raises some big questions: Can the new CEO bring back customer trust while keeping the bold image? Will the new electric cars match the big promises in the ads? And most of all, can Jaguar turn this storm into a strong comeback?