2014 Jaguar F-Type “It’s Your Turn to Discover It” Commercial: What a Line [The Ad Section]

The new F-Type has arrived, and Jaguar says it’s “a legend for your lifetime,” the obvious implication being that Tata’s new two-seater is to this generation what the original XKE was to an earlier one. And while that’s probably wishful thinking for both manufacturer and enthusiast alike, it’s nice to have a real sports car back in the Jaguar portfolio after 40 years. To promote the occasion, Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. came up with a couple of new commercials, of which “It’s Your Turn to Discover It” is one. (“It’s Your Turn to Feel It” is the other.)

We open on a man who is either the concerned father from Subaru’s “Cut The Cord” commercial or a guy who looks just like him. Once again he’s in a business suit, but this time in a desert, and, brother, it looks hot out there. But he’s not alone: A bunch of equally inappropriately dressed folks arrived before him, so he dutifully takes his place in the queue. But who can blame him? Apparently word has gotten out that a salsa red F-Type V-8 S is available for a test drive to anyone who shows up and waits his or her turn, and since the sexy beast just went roaring by, how long a line can it possibly be?

As it turns out, way long. Longer than the world’s longest salami (3780 feet, made in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, in 2010), or the world’s longest gum-wrapper chain (76,216 feet, as measured in Virginia last March). It’s even longer than Uncle Si’s beard. But eventually, the front of the line is revealed to be at what looks to be an intersection in downtown L.A. We catch quick glimpses of the actual car as it wends along the line, but mostly we see lots of people, some of them computer-generated, waiting in that stupendous, Guinness World Record–worthy line.

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In fact, total on-camera time for the F-Type is less than 10 seconds, including the helicopter shots where it’s so small it could be a deer tick. But what we do see of it looks (and sounds) pretty good, and when it finally comes to rest, it looks fantastic. A Simon Cowell–type Brit gets out, flips the keys to the equally cool guy at the head of the line and announces, “It’s your turn.” Cool Guy looks incredulous—has he been standing in line so long that he forgot what he was waiting for?—but then gets in, punches the start button, and heads back from whence the Jag came.

So here’s a question: Since the best part of this commercial is seeing and hearing the car, why bother wasting two-thirds of the commercial on a “plot” that really adds nothing? With attractive bait like the F-Type, does Jaguar really need such a long line to hook prospects? I say no. What about you?

Award-winning ad man-cum-auto journalist Don Klein knows a good (or bad) car commercial when he sees one; the Ad Section is his space to tell you what he thinks of the latest spots. The ad’s rating is depicted via the shift pattern at the bottom, but everyone has an opinion when it comes to advertising, so hit Backfires below and tell us what you think, too.

Source: CarAndDriver