• by Karl Greenberg , September 2, 2010

This year, Jaguar has fixed its sights on L.A. and New York with grassroots programs to reach affluent consumers in those markets. Now, the brand has signed its first product alliance deal with an L.A. hotel.

The luxury auto brand -- a unit of India-based multinational Tata Group, which also owns Land Rover -- has inked a deal that makes Edward Thomas Hotels the first hotel group in the U.S. to offer the 2011 Jaguar XJ for guests to use.

The cars will be available to guests of Hotel Casa del Mar and sister property Shutters on the Beach -- both in Santa Monica, Calif. -- for complimentary chauffeured rides within the beachside community, per the companies.

Jaguar and the hotel company say the program lets guests travel from the hotels to destinations within Santa Monica on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The City Takeover -- which started in April and this fall extends to Miami -- includes some 1,600 video displays, building wraps and billboards as well as product placement. For example, the car appeared in rapper Jay-Z's music video, "On to the Next One," this year.

The brand also did some 50 events including test drives in New York and L.A. around fashion, design and entertainment happenings and launched a Web site, www.interactivejaguar.com.

Jag has also signed a three-year deal with the Hollywood Bowl that includes a Jaguar Platinum Concert Series, with eight Jaguar-branded jazz, pop and classical music concerts running through mid-month.

Both Jaguar and Land Rover North America have seen sales grow 19% this year through August. Jaguar reported August sales up 62% from only 875 units in August 2009. For the year, Jaguar reported that sales of its three models increased 13%.