Trump rips Jaguar ad after CEO's resignation. Why the ad stirred discourse
- Former President Trump criticized Jaguar's "woke" 2024 ad campaign after its CEO announced his resignation.
- The ad, titled "Copy Nothing," featured models in bright, androgynous clothing and did not include any vehicles.
- Jaguar defended the rebranding as a "bold and imaginative reinvention" and a "dramatic leap forward."
President Donald Trump wasted no time taunting the British luxury car maker Jaguar after the company announced its CEO would be stepping down following a controversial rebranding last year seen as “woke.”“Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking at that disgraceful ad?” the president wrote on his social media platform on Monday, Aug. 4.
Jaguar Land Rover did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CEO Adrian Mardell, who spent three decades at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and served as chief executive over the last three years, announced he will step down in November and will be succeeded by P.B. Balaji. The company announced the switch-up in a release on Thursday, July 31.
“These three years have been a great privilege,” Mardell said in a written statement. “Together with the incredible JLR workforce, we have cemented JLR’s position in the automotive industry during a time of incredible change.”
Why was the ad controversial?
In November 2024, the company released a head-turning ad entitled “Copy Nothing.” The 30-second ad did not feature a car, but instead had models dressed in bright, androgynous attire.
Some of the slogans the company used as part of the advertisement included “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” “delete ordinary,” and “break moulds,” using the British spelling.
The advertisement went viral on social media immediately, generating tens of millions of views and thousands of social media comments within 24 hours.
Several Jaguar customers said they were caught off guard by the advertisement.
“This just made me want to sell my Jaguar and I don’t even own a Jaguar,” tweeted conservative corporate activist Robby Starbuck at the time.
In a statement defending its rebranding, the company said: “Our brand relaunch for Jaguar is a bold and imaginative reinvention and, as expected, it has attracted attention and debate.
“As proud custodians at such a remarkable point in Jaguar’s history, we have preserved iconic symbols while taking a dramatic leap forward. The brand reveal is only the first step in this exciting new era.”
What did the president say?
Trump had his own opinions about the ad, which he shared on Monday, Aug. 4.
“Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER! The CEO just resigned in disgrace, and the company is in absolute turmoil,” wrote Trump in a Truth Social post, in which he also said Actress Sydney Sweeney, who is reported to be a registered Republican, has the “HOTTEST” ad out there.
The president was referring to Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans ad, which has come under fire for supporting eugenics because of its wordplay using “jeans” and “genes.”
In the advertisement, dubbed “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” the actress tells the camera, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
Then a banner with the words “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” pops up. Those opposed to the ad say the company used a blonde, blue-eyed, white woman as a symbol of good genes.
Following Trump’s comments, American Eagle’s stock jumped 23 percent.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at Paste BN. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com