Here’s an important question: do you think Jaguar’s ‘Good to be Bad’ ads work for the Jaguar F-type coupé? The billboards of west London are currently poulticed with them, and I’m afraid I’m finding them distinctly puerile. 

Having recently driven various editions of the F-type coupé, I now know it to be an intelligent car, a beautiful car, a subtle car, a car capable of being appreciated at all speeds on all roads by a wide cross-section of drivers. To portray it as some kind of manhood extension strikes me as trite in the extreme.

I guess you’ve got to expect the ‘creatives’ who produce such guff not to understand Jaguar’s tradition for grace with its pace; they’ll be doing mousetraps or Persil tomorrow. The surprise for me is that these ads were signed off by Jaguar’s bosses. I’d have backed them to show more respect for their customers’ intelligence.

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There is, I have to admit, a strong contrary opinion to these sentiments in our office. Some people, responding mostly to the star-studded TV movie ad, reckon the campaign portrays Jaguar as deeply cool, which if it becomes a general reaction is a fantastic turn of events for a range of cars that was, until recently, seen as rather “retired bank manager”.

Yet I reckon my point stands. As some will know, I recently sold a fairly pricey car with a view to buying another. In my dreams, the new machine was to be a low-spec Jaguar F-Type: I did genuinely consider making the commitment although in the end the financial stuff just didn’t work.

I’d decided not to proceed well before my eye fell on those banners, although the desire to own an F-type lingers. And I can tell you, it’s not at all enhanced by this ad campaign, which I believe tries to persuade you there’s less to this fine car than meets the eye.