Jaguar Land Rover's CEO resigns after failed rebranding efforts

In August 2025, Adrian Mardell announced his resignation as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), following a tumultuous period marked by a disastrous rebranding and advertising strategy. Mardell, who had been with the company for 35 years, took over as interim CEO in late 2022 after the resignation of Thierry Bolloré, who faced significant criticism for his management. Under Mardell’s leadership, the company attempted to shift its identity, moving away from traditional values to a lifestyle and fashion-forward focus. This change was publicly criticized and resulted in significant sales drops. The rebranding efforts included a new advertising campaign launched in November that failed to showcase actual vehicles, instead opting for a 30-second spot highlighting a new logo without any imagery of the well-known Jaguar leaper. This strategy was labeled as align with a 'woke vibe' and was poorly received by consumers and industry experts alike, who found the campaign disconnected from Jaguar's heritage. The campaign proved ineffective; sales figures fell dramatically, with only 49 vehicles registered in April 2025, down from 1,961 in the same month the previous year. Additionally, this advertising disaster coincided with a broader trend of plummeting sales for the brand, which were reported to have dropped by 75.1 percent in the year-to-date sales between January and April 2025. The company sold only 2,665 vehicles in this timeframe, far less than its previous performance, indicating a lost relationship with its traditional customer base. In contrast, global sales reflected an 85 percent decrease in sales for the financial year 2024/25, with only 26,862 vehicles sold, clearly signaling a severe market reaction to the brand's new direction. As Jaguar Land Rover intends to pivot towards an all-electric lineup starting in 2026, planning to focus on producing ultra-premium vehicles priced over £100,000, Mardell’s resignation raises questions about the strategic direction and leadership stability within the company. According to reports, the future CEO successor is yet to be announced, but the company is facing significant challenges in realigning its brand perception and sales performance in a highly competitive market.