Jaguar chided for sexy marketing letter

LONDON – Luxury automaker Jaguar went too far with a steamy promotional mailing to prospective customers, UK advertising regulators said on Wednesday.

The Valentine’s Day letter was signed “Elizabeth Jones” in a version sent to men and “Ian Major” in another sent to women. It read:”So, what might drive you wild? Could it be the touch of skin on your fingertips? A long, honed body? Firm sensuous curves? A deep, responsive purr? …I think I have the perfect match for you.I’ll send you a photograph next week.”A subsequent mailing contained information on Jaguar’s XKR sports car.Dozens of people who received the letter complained to Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority, which ruled that the mailing was “sexually suggestive and, because it did not make clear that it was a marketing communication, was likely to offend or distress some recipients.”Jaguar apologised and agreed not to send similar mailings in the future.It has been a bumpy week for the automaker’s marketing department.On Sunday a US$200 000 diamond affixed to the nose of a Jaguar Formula One car as part of a sponsorship deal went missing when the team’s rookie driver crashed into a guardrail during the Monaco Grand Prix.- Nampa-ReutersIt read:”So, what might drive you wild? Could it be the touch of skin on your fingertips? A long, honed body? Firm sensuous curves? A deep, responsive purr? …I think I have the perfect match for you.I’ll send you a photograph next week.”A subsequent mailing contained information on Jaguar’s XKR sports car.Dozens of people who received the letter complained to Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority, which ruled that the mailing was “sexually suggestive and, because it did not make clear that it was a marketing communication, was likely to offend or distress some recipients.”Jaguar apologised and agreed not to send similar mailings in the future.It has been a bumpy week for the automaker’s marketing department.On Sunday a US$200 000 diamond affixed to the nose of a Jaguar Formula One car as part of a sponsorship deal went missing when the team’s rookie driver crashed into a guardrail during the Monaco Grand Prix.- Nampa-Reuters