automotive

Jaguar Is Back With Its 'British Villains' Effort

Jaguar is continuing its "British Villains" campaign, whose initial salvo was a commercial on the Super Bowl, featuring Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong, and Tom Hiddleston. A new two-minute Web film, “The Art of Villainy,” stars Hiddleston only, and William Shakespeare, in spirit. At www.BritishVillains.com and on Jaguar’s YouTube page, the video invokes King Henry's dad, John of Gaunt, as he appears in Shakespeare's "Richard II."

As did the initial ad, the new film showcases the Jaguar F-Type Coupe, which goes on sale next month. It also uses the #GoodToBeBad hashtag. “The Art of Villainy” starts with Hiddleston driving the car while listening to Gaunt. 

The spot closes with another Shakespearean quote from “Richard II” -- this time spoken by Hiddleston as he drives through London: “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.”

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“The enormous success of the ‘Rendezvous’ Super Bowl commercial demanded a creative follow-up and, with ‘The Art of Villainy,’ we are able to continue to weave this dynamic storyline with a two-minute film that echoes the artful manner of the campaign’s debut TV spot,” said Jeff Curry, brand VP at Jaguar North America, in a release. 

The film will be accompanied by four 30-second videos that focus on vehicle features with a voiceover by Hiddleston. In one, “Sound Like a Villain,” which shows off the car’s growl and aesthetic lines, he says, “A villain should have an air of understated threat; after all, there’s no need to shout when you have this much presence (the camera zooms in on the car’s growling exhaust.)” “Drive Like a Villain” spotlights the car’s handling and interior; “Villainous Style” shows off the car’s interior and recessed, automatically extending door handles; and “Have a Plan” is about drive technology. The videos only hint at the vehicle features; they aren’t tutorials. 

As the car comes closer to launch, Jaguar says it will update the BritishVillains.com site with vehicle information, including more villain video content through July. The automaker says the initial spot has gotten some 12 million views.

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