Jennifer Hawkins confirms Myer reign will end after Spring Carnival

JENNIFER Hawkins has confirmed the worst kept secret in town — that her 12-year reign as the face of Myer will soon end as the 34-year-old moves “onto a new chapter in my life”.

JENNIFER Hawkins has confirmed the worst kept secret in town that her reign as the face of Myer will end after the spring racing carnival this year.

The 34-year-old former Miss Universe, who has been an ambassador for 12 years earning a reported $1.3 million a year, jetted home from a holiday in the Maldives with husband Jake Wall today to respond to the rumours.

“After 12 years it’s time to move onto a new chapter in my life,” she says on Instagram.

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Jennifer Hawkins at the Myer 2017 Autumn Fashion Launch. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Way back in 2006 I was approached by Myer to sign a small three month contract to feature in a Christmas campaign. Little did I know then that it would lead to being their face and spokesman.”

“It’s been an extraordinary relationship. Myer will always hold a special place in my heart and I wish the Myer team every success in the future,” she says.

The decision comes after 25-year-old Melbourne model Elyse Knowles was announced as an official Myer ambassador three weeks ago, sparking rumours she was replacing the older and more expensive Hawkins.

Myer head of public relations Melissa Templeton says Hawkins age and the value of her contract were never part of the equation.

“It was actually something that came out of a mutual conversation, we’ve always had really open lines of communication with Jen and with her management,” she says.

“It was a conversation about, ‘What does the future for both of us — for Myer and for Jen — look like?’ and, as it evolved, together we decided, after an incredible 12 years, it seemed like the right time.”

Jennifer Hawkins’ reign as the face of Myer will end after the spring racing carnival this year.

Myer has made no secret of the fact it is reassessing its marketing and customer engagement strategy in response to the challenging retail environment, announcing they are not hosting their glamour birdcage marquee this year and realigning their new season launch to smaller in-store parades as opposed to the lavish runways of previous years.

But Templeton says the decision not to renew Hawkins contract was not based on cost cutting.

“Obviously costs are something all retailers need to be really mindful of but that did not motivate the change.”

She says the ambassador program will become more campaign based, where they will sign up more ambassadors but for particular periods of time or particular campaigns.

“The good thing is it allows the business to think about who would really resonate with this customer right now, who’s hot right now.”

Jen Hawkins says it is time to move onto a new chapter in her life.

The days of the long-term ambassador have passed and Templeton says there will never be another “Face” of Myer, despite signing former The Block winner Knowles.

“Ambassadors play an important role representing the business and short-term ambassadors allow us to be nimble, fast-moving and responsive,” she says.

Louise Pearson, Myer Executive General Manager Marketing and Customer, thanked Hawkins for “an incredible 12 years”.

“In the modern Australian retail landscape, we don’t think there has been such a successful collaboration between ambassador and brand — one with the longevity, the authenticity and the resonance of Jennifer Hawkins and Myer,” she says.

While Hawkins walks away from one of the most high profile and successful collaborations, she is an astute businesswoman with several other lucrative endorsement deals and a high end property development company and tequila business with Wall.

Hawkins and Knowles will come face-to-face when the spring summer runway series kicks off in Sydney next Thursday.