It seems the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can play the role of a baddy, too, as it has just banned the latest episode of Jaguar’s “Good to be bad” advert series on YouTube.
The ASA received one complaint the ‘Art of Villainy’ YouTube advert encouraged unsafe driving and was socially irresponsible of Jaguar, according to a report in the Guardian newspaper. It said the advert “might encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly in future”.
Jaguar argued the F-Type Coupe, which is the focus of the advert, “barely moved”. The ASA agreed speed was not the “primary focus”, but said the speed of the F-Type leaving the car park “appeared to suggest significant speed within an enclosed environment”.
The advert features Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki in Thor) acting as an ice-cool bad guy. It plays on the fact posh-spoken Brits seem to always end up as the bad guy in American movies. Hollywood actors Ben Kingsley and Mark Strong also feature in the series.
To be fair to Jaguar, that beautiful V8 engine note is at odds with the speed shown in the video. We’ve driven up an NCP car park ramp faster. Still, nothing emphasises a video’s ‘badassery’ quite like it getting banned, with a quote from Shakespeare’s Richard II only adding to the effect.
The Jaguar F-Type Coupe was announced back in November 2013 in the wake of the Convertible. The top-spec 5.0-litre 543bhp V8 R model has a limited top speed of 186mph and a 0 to 62mph time of 4 seconds. Prices for this particular model start from £85,000.
Watch the video below and debate whether Hiddlestone should replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.
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