Jaguar premieres first Super Bowl ad ahead of game

Jaguar must have been ecstatic about its first Super Bowl ad because the British automaker decided to premiere it online before the big NFL showdown on Feb. 2.

The ad features renowned British actors Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong in the leading roles in its Super Bowl ad production. The commercial was helmed by Oscar-winning British director Tom Hooper—glad to see Jag is keeping this thing authentic.

The Jag ad focuses on the new F-Type coupe. The car officially goes on sale in spring 2014, but it has already generated some buzz in the Twittersphere with the hashtag #GoodToBeBad.

This, of course, refers to the fact that the Brits have always been on top of things when it comes to producing the best villains for landmark movies.

The commercial takes place in London and features the F-Type coupe speeding through the streets with Mark Strong behind the wheel on his way to meet up with his fellow partners in crime, hence the name “Rendezvous.”

Despite debuting the commercial online before the Super Bowl, it will still see airtime during the game. Jag also claims it will be the most real-time engaged advertiser via a physical space called “The Loop.” Developed by Mindshare, “The Loop” will monitor real-time consumer data through social platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

You can check out the commercial below and also during Super Bowl XLVIII, Feb. 2 on Fox.

Super Bowl ads -- especially the auto ads -- have in many ways become bigger than the football game itself. See them all along with a healthy dose of commentary on our Super Bowl car commercial page at Autoweek.com.

By Natalie Sejnost