Ad blitz for Jaguar's redone XJ targets 3 major markets
Reprints
Print
Respond
Jaguar will spend a quarter of its U.S. marketing budget this year to promote the redesigned XJ sedan in the three major cities where the brand sells the most cars.
The City Takeover campaign includes a blitz of billboard ads, TV commercials, test drives and event sponsorships in Los Angeles, New York City and Miami. It also includes a heavy dose of social media and vehicle placement at key airports and entertainment venues.
"We come into a city and try to be everywhere," said Sharon Corrigan, vice president of marketing for Jaguar North America. "We take the car out of the dealership to where the people are, so no matter where they turn they see a Jaguar."
The campaign began in Los Angeles in March and was launched in New York in mid-April. Miami is scheduled for the fourth quarter. Corrigan said Jaguar sells 40 percent of its annual U.S. volume in those three markets.
Biggest ad splurge
Jaguar is spending more on the City Takeover campaign than it has on any other single ad program in the past 10 years, Corrigan said. She declined to give details on spending.
The redesigned XJ went on sale this month. Michael O'Driscoll, Jaguar's managing director, has said the car could more than double Jaguar's global sales this year.
Jaguar sales dropped 21 percent last year to 51,855 units worldwide. Sales in the United States last year dipped 19 percent to 11,955 cars.
In Los Angeles, 500 XJ billboards blanketed the city. TV commercials ran in Los Angeles during such major events in March as the Academy Awards and the NCAA basketball tournament.
Jaguar also invited carefully selected would-be buyers to a series of small dinners and test drives hosted by its executives and designers. For example, one dinner included 100 readers of Guitar Aficionado magazine. Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director, hosted a lunch of 15 top Hollywood agents at International Creative Management.
Jaguar also launched special New York and Los Angeles pages on its interactivejaguar.com social media site. Opinion leaders in both cities, including designers, musicians and hotel owners, are invited to blog about the XJ.
Last month more than 1,000 billboards and outdoor advertisements were plastered throughout New York City and in areas in nearby New Jersey and Connecticut. At Penn Station, a major portal for Manhattan commuters, 226 ads were posted.
"We bought the station's 'domination' package with billboards on the platforms, in the hallways and even on the stairs," Corrigan said.
Cars at Carnegie Hall
Jaguar also is sponsoring several events at New York's Carnegie Hall. Cars are on display at some concerts. Jaguar has already hosted a dinner with members of Carnegie Hall's elite Chairman's Circle major contributors.
In July, Jaguar plans test drives at the privately owned Monticello (N.Y.) Motor Club 90 minutes outside Manhattan. Members of the club pay an initiation fee of $125,000 and $7,500 in annual dues to use the 4.1-mile track.
Corrigan said dealers in the three metropolitan areas have been urged to run City Takeover TV and newspaper advertising through their regional ad groups and to hold local events.
"When we went to L.A. and N.Y.," she said, "we went to the dealers and told them what we're doing, and [said] that 'This is your opportunity to make the most of it.' "
You can reach Diana T. Kurylko at dkurylko@crain.com. -- Follow Diana on 
