Shop Also Touts Lincoln at U.S. Open; T & O; Finishes Senior Real Estate Work
Young & Rubicam Inc. is readying to release its latest work for client Jaguar North America.
The ad shop has a team of about 35 people working on a new brand campaign for Jaguar’s new X-Type sports sedan, the lowest priced model in the luxury car line. The car recently was shipped to dealerships across the country.
Teaser outdoor billboards already have launched in major markets, and Siobhan Heridan, senior vice president/brand team leader for Jaguar, said the major push for broadcast TV will hit around Oct. 1, coinciding with the release of this fall season’s prime time shows.
Y & R; is working hard to appeal Jaguar to a younger marketplace with an image of the X-Type that’s younger, more fashionable and more affordable.
“Jaguar is not this stuffy old man’s car manufacturer,” said Heridan. “It’s in the 21st century. It’s much more vibrant and different than you ever would have thought.”
Plus, she said the X-Type allows people to buy a Jaguar sooner than they would have thought possible.
“Although the X-Type makes it much more affordable to a younger market than we’ve ever played in before, we still have that aspirational edge, which is very important in this (luxury brand) market,” Heridan said.
Since winning the Jaguar business back in April, Y & R; has been busy putting together a team to work on the business.
“We tried to look within Y & R; and take our best talent we had available without having some conflicts,” Heridan said.
Heridan anticipates the team’s number will jump to about 40 people by October.
Y & R;’s win of Jaguar, on top of Irvine-based Lincoln Mercury, also under the Ford Motor Co. umbrella, continues to create buzz in the local ad industry, particularly as Ford’s Premier Automotive Group moves into its new digs in Irvine, just across the way from Y & R;’s offices.
The group consists of Lincoln Mercury, Jaguar, Volvo Cars of North America LLC, Aston Martin, and Land Rover.
Recently, there’s been some speculation in advertising trade pubs that Y & R; may eventually be given Land Rover’s business as well, though both the car maker and the ad agency refute that claim.
“I don’t think we would automatically be given the (Land Rover) advertising account,” Heridan said. “We’d have to make sure we earned it. We would be delighted to have that opportunity.”
As a brand, Heridan said Land Rover fits very well with Jaguar.
“They strengthen each other because they’re non-competitive but they’re family,” Heridan said. “Each brand is strong enough to stand on its own, but it makes them stronger together as a competitive force.”
In other business, Y & R; recently re-leased the first television spot for the Lincoln Blackwood, a luxury utility vehicle. The 30-second commercial is the third in Lincoln’s new “Tennis the Way it Ought to Be” advertising campaign featuring tennis legend John McEnroe.
The two other spots, one for the Navigator SUV and one for the LS sports sedan, also feature McEnroe. All three commercials will air Aug. 27 through Sept. 9 during the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, of which Lincoln is the official sponsor.
Life After Retirement
Irvine-based T & O; Group just wrapped up work for client Seniors Real Estate Specialists, a division of the Senior Advantage Real Estate Council.
The campaign features direct mail and print pieces. It launched in July through the Real Estate Specialists newsletter and began appearing in national trade and business publications in August. A consumer campaign also launched last month.
John Most, executive vice president, and partner of T & O;, said the ad agency worked closely with its client to “understand the intricacies of the market.”
“With this creative, the team has dispelled the myth that life ends at retirement. Quite the contrary, it’s a new chapter where many of today’s seniors are living the time of their life and require professionals that understand their unique demands,in this case the real estate market,” Most said.
The advertising features dramatic visuals with one line copy. For instance, one of the pieces shows a gentleman wearing a blazer with three medals earned during the Korean War. The copy states: “Fifty years ago he fought for our freedom. Now you can help him win his independence.”
