Jaguar parodies the Mercedes' Magic Body Control ad (w/VIDEO)

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Mercedes-Benz should be blushing right now. The car maker’s ‘Magic Body Control’ ad recently won ‘German Ad of the Year’ in Unruly Media’s Video Sharing Awards (#VSAs), and has became a favourite for internet memes.

Released in September, Merc’s performing chicken reigned supreme until Volvo Truck’s hired Jean-Claude Van Damme to perform an Epic Split. And now Jaguar have joined in the fun..

Jaguar vs. Chicken produced by Jaguar USA. #GoodToBeBad

Called ‘Jaguar vs. Chicken’, the big cat takes a swipe at the feathery German with the message “Magic Body Control? We prefer cat-like reflexes, don’t you?”

Since being released yesterday, Jaguar’s parody has so far clocked up nearly 300,000 views, so there’s still a long way before it reaches the 7.4 million reached by the original, but it’s part of the wider #GoodToBeBad campaign which you can follow on Twitter.

Jaguar’s strategy involves playing up the ‘British bad boy’ image so beloved of ‘60s villains using a wide range of digital assets and executions which espouse the idea that British characters make convincing and entertaining villains in films.

The campaign poses the question: “Have you ever noticed how in Hollywood movies, all the villains are played by Brits?”, while a recent post added “The villain of any story is often the most compelling character – John Hodgman.”

It culminates in the brand’s first ever Super Bowl TV commercial which broadcasts on 2nd February 2014. Featuring the newly launched F-TYPE Coupé, the ad will feature a cast of prominent British actors directed by renowned British director Tom Hooper. “The campaign signals that the F-TYPE Coupé is the new British bad boy in the segment and is designed to disrupt the tradition-bound sports car market,” said Jaguar’s North America CMO, Jeff Curry.

There’s no word yet on the story line, but I’ve been reliably informed it won’t feature any chickens.

Mercedes-Benz Magic Body Control ad.