Loki and Lord Blackwood Join Jaguar's Villainous Super Bowl Ad

Jaguar and agency Spark 44 have revealed the full cast of conniving characters for their upcoming Super Bowl ad, a celebration of British Villains titled "Rendezvous." While legendary actor Ben Kingsley's appearance had already been teased in an online clip posted a few days ago, the brand confirmed today the spot will also feature Tom Hiddleston (who plays Thor's sinister sibling, Loki, in Marvel's recent Avengers films) and lesser-known actor Mark Strong, best known as the evil Lord Blackwood in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes. The spot will be the brand's first Super Bowl ad and will focus on the automaker's new F-Type coupe. A microsite dedicated to the ad and the car it's promoting is already live at BritishVillains.com. "With 'British Villains,' Jaguar will present itself on the Super Bowl stage as a challenger to the usual luxury car suspects, with a unique cinematic expression of our modern British style,' Jaguar North America brand vp Jeff Curry said in a statement. "With the three renowned actors, Sir Ben, Tom and Mark, who have all played memorable film rogues, we have brought together the best of British film to star in a major motion picture caliber campaign that addresses the simple cultural observation that Brits often play the best villains in film. This talent, coupled with the direction of Academy Award-winner director Tom Hooper, enables us to launch our campaign for the F-Type coupe in a manner that captures the new spirit of the entire brand inspired by our latest sports car." The brand's announcement also included a quote from Kingsley, whose credits range from pacifist heroes in Gandhi and Schindler's List to repulsive villains in Sexy Beast and Death and the Maiden. The actor seemed a bit dubious of being hired to epitomize British villainy: "Jaguar is truly a beloved British brand and it’s exciting to help them make some noise as they debut in a beloved American event, the Super Bowl. As for being known for playing the roles of renowned villains, I’ll have to ponder that one. I think I'm flattered?" Jaguar also announced the following details about its Super Bowl ad and the campaign surrounding it: • While the spot will be 60 seconds, a 30-second preview will be posted online Jan. 28. • The score for the "Rendezvous" ad was composed and conducted by Alexandre Desplat, who worked with director Hooper on The King's Speech. It was recorded by The London Symphony Orchestra at the famed Abbey Road studios. • The brand will be monitoring and responding to the ad's real-time responses through a social listening command center created by media agency Mindshare and called "The Loop." • In addition to social media responses, The Loop will be used to quickly shift digital advertising dollars depending on where and how discussion of the spot catches on. • A 30-second version of the Super Bowl ad will run on major cable networks throughout February. • Out-of-home ad placements in New York City will include the wrapping of 10 subway cars on the F-Train line via CBSOutdoor. For many more details on the advertising confirmed for this year's big game, be sure to check out Adweek's Super Bowl Ad Tracker.

Brand Marketing

Loki and Lord Blackwood Join Jaguar's Villainous Super Bowl Ad

Spot to star Tom Hiddleston, Mark Strong and Ben Kingsley

David Griner

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David Griner