British automaker Jaguar cranked up the anticipation for the new F-Type Coupé model that was unveiled Nov. 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show with a series of mysterious social media posts that bolster the brand's latest umbrella campaign.
The automaker stitched together vines and ordinary posts heavy with shadows and furtive language that merge with the brand's latest British Villains campaign. By channeling new model releases through the film of its emerging British Villains campaign, the brand has a good chance of impressing this new message on the public's imagination.
"This is a great looking car, very sleek, very sexy," said Lauren Fix, author of “Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car,” Lancaster, NY. "It’s obvious that they want to compete with the Aston Martin-type competitor.
"In the past Jaguar had moved toward the sedan, but now they’re becoming more performance again, partly because Tata has put a lot of money into design," she said. "They really stepped up on the materials. Every detail has been thought through on this coupé."
Ms. Fix is not affiliated to Jaguar, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Jaguar, which is part of Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover, did not respond by press deadline.
From the shadows
Jaguar began to tease the F-Type Coupé's debut Nov. 6 with a promotion stating that "power emerges from the shadows."
This message was followed by a series of posts playing off the shadowy notion.
Other riffs such as "hide and seek isn't a game," "somewhere in the darkness, it lies in wait" and "the streets are hiding a dominant force" all reverted to the theme of a feral, unpredictable force, which resembles the mettle of a cinematic villain.
A vine that showed the new model roaring through a tunnel appeared a few days prior to the release.
Jaguar vine
The days leading up to the debut saw a predicted rise in #FromTheShadows posts.
Jaguar Twitter feed
Eventually, the shadows are literally parted on the brand's social media pages with an image of the F-type driving down a road hemmed in by shadows.
F-Type Coupé
The new F-Type line includes three models, with the 550PS F-Type R Coupé that can accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in four seconds leading the debut.
The F-Type models will be available for sale in spring 2014.
New direction
The brand has big plans for its new #GoodToBeBad campaign.
Jaguar North America is making its first appearance during the Super Bowl XLVIII with a commercial for its F-Type Coupé that may propel the brand’s strong year-to-date growth in the United States.
The F-Type advertising campaign will make the case that British actors play the best film villains and the “Disruptor” television spot will make its broadcast debut during the second half of the Super Bowl XLVIII on Fox. Entering the clamorous arena of Super Bowl advertising likely indicates that Jaguar wants to cement its ties with new U.S. consumers (see story).
As the Super Bowl approaches, the automaker will likely roll out ancillary efforts that build up this new identity.
"The idea is to create a social buzz, if you create a social buzz, more people will be excited, there will be more test drives, more clicks," Ms. Fix said.
Final Take
Joe McCarthy, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York