Jaguar goes with edgy ads to tout new F-Type

Rather than its traditional touting of genteel luxury and British roots, Jaguar is taking a walk on the wild side with the marketing of the new F-Type convertible.

For the predominantly digital and TV campaign that began last month, Jaguar is partnering with celebrities and publications that it says are hip rather than haughty -- and not British.

They include comedian and late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Stuart Scott and Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers' young, tattoo-laden quarterback.

Playboy magazine is also playing a big role in the campaign. For instance, Jaguar sponsored last month's announcement of the Playmate of the Year.

The only Brits in this new marketing lineup are Damian Lewis, star of the Showtime series "Homeland," and producer-director Ridley Scott of Blade Runner and Thelma & Louise fame.

Scott produced a 13-minute online film called Desire starring Lewis that has a shot of the F-Type in every scene.

"The campaign has to make you feel a little uncomfortable," said Joseph Torpey, Jaguar North America's general manager of marketing communications. "We didn't stay consistent with the sophisticated style of the past. It has to make us feel a little bit unnerved."

Torpey says Jaguar needs to stand out because it can't spend as much as its German competitors.

For the F-Type campaign, which will run until early fall, Jaguar is spending $20 million, according to Advertising Age, a sibling publication of Automotive News.

Jaguar is counting on the F-Type, its first new roadster in more than 50 years, to breathe life into the struggling brand. The car went on sale May 22 at a base price of $69,895, including shipping. The supercharged V-8 model competes with the Mercedes-Benz SL and the Porsche 911. A six-cylinder version competes with the Porsche Boxster and the Mercedes-Benz SLK.

Jaguar will produce about 10,000 F-Types this year, with about 5,000 slated for the United States, according to company insiders.

The F-Type campaign features two "Your Turn" commercials showing long lines of people -- mostly young men -- lined up to drive the F-Type.

"We're saying this is your turn to get behind the wheel and your turn to reward yourself," Torpey said.

Because 70 percent of F-Type buyers are expected to be male, the marketing has a masculine edge. The target audience for the F-Type is 35- to 54-year-old males, with the typical buyer 47 years old -- or 10 years younger than today's average Jaguar owner, Torpey said.

But advertising for the F-Type targets 25- to 54-year-olds, he said.

"When we looked at what the competitive segment watches, they behave more like a younger audience," Torpey said.

Jaguar created and sponsored a 90-second ESPN "SportsCenter" commercial that featured Kaepernick driving the F-Type and talking about his career -- and the car.

Besides sponsoring the May 9 announcement of Playboy's Playmate of the Year, a removable cover on the June issue displayed the playmate, Raquel Pomplun -- in a black cocktail dress -- and the F-Type.

A commercial that ran on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" featured the winner of a Jaguar online contest driving the F-Type to meet Pomplun at the Playboy mansion in Los Angeles.

Jaguar also will sponsor the next season of USA Network's "Covert Affairs" series, in which the car will frequently appear.

Digital is playing a big role in the F-Type promotion because today's consumers are "accustomed to looking at multiple content -- this is a multiscreen environment," Torpey said.

Jaguar is putting content on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and is using newer technology. With an application from Shazam, TV and movie audiences in which F-Type commercials are featured can bring up digital links and detailed material about the car on their cellphones. Content also is available through BrightLine, a provider of tools for interactive TV advertising.