Who is Gerry McGovern? The man behind the Jaguar rebrand

Who? Gerry McGovern, the designer and current chief creative officer of Jaguar, the British luxury car company that merged with Land Rover in 2013 and is owned by Tata Motors. He’s been at the helm for the company’s big rebrand this month.

What’s changed? First signs of the rebrand came with the announcement of a new logo. The new typeface for the brand name dispensed with its blocky text for a softer touch. The new logo came with a redesigned Jaguar mascot and a “Copy Nothing” campaign inspired by the company’s founder Sir William Lyons.

All this for a new typeface? The “Copy Nothing” campaign and new logo is part of a major transition for Jaguar to become an exclusively electric-only car brand.

Sounds relatively uncontroversial... If only. The brand redesign and accompanying video immediately became a social media talking point when it was launched on 18 November. In part, because the video didn’t actually feature any new cars. The video of multiple models looking perplexed in colourful rooms didn’t convince people that Jaguar – typically a brand of car bought by middle-aged men – knew what they were doing.

Do they? That remains to be seen. What is definite is that they’re throwing their all behind this transition. It’s the biggest shift in the company’s history as they’ve taken all their current cars off sale until 2026 when they’ll launch their new range of electric vehicles.

So there’s no car? Now there is. As of today, they’ve revealed the concept for their first car of the new era. The Type 00 was unveiled at the Miami art fair. It’s not a finished car and just a general hint at the company’s artistic direction.

How’s it look? Pretty futuristic… and kinda square. The Type 00 design is all smooth flowing lines around a fundamentally rigid shape. It’s only a concept, and it does look quite cool. But aside from the pastel pink colour, it doesn’t feel like a complete revolution. More just like a slightly more flowing Tesla concept.

What does McGovern think of it? The professor of design and Jaguar big-wig has said that the car “is a pure expression of Jaguar’s new creative philosophy.” He continues: “It is our first physical manifestation and the foundation stone for a new family of Jaguars that will look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. A vision which strives for the highest level of artistic endeavour.”

What makes McGovern an interesting focus here? Well he’s only been designing cars since the 70s. His CV includes work for Chrysler, Peugeot, MG and Land Rover – where his work has been hugely praised.

What’s at stake for McGovern and Jaguar? In simple terms, this brand pivot can’t afford to not work. Jaguar’s sales have been in the doldrums in recent years. While the company sells Land Rovers at a huge rate, Jaguars sell at barely a 10th the rate of its competitors. They hope they can turn their luck around with the new range of cars, expecting to build 50,000 a year and sell them for over £100,000 (€120,000). Knowing they “have to be brave”, McGovern has told press “this is absolutely the right way forward.”