In real life, the actor behind Loki is about as gentlemanly as it gets, but now his on screen villainy is getting him in trouble. Britain's Advertising Standards Authority has banned Tom Hiddleston's Jaguar ad for promoting "irresponsible driving." It seems ASA is particularly taking issue with the second commercial in the "It's Good to Be Bad" campaign, which shows "Hiddleston explaining what makes a great villain while starting a Jaguar in a garage and then driving off at high speed while quoting Shakespeare’s Richard II."
Yeah, when The Hollywood Reporter puts it that way, it seems a bit silly to complain about the ad, but complain they have. ASA said the commercial "appeared to suggest significant speed within an enclosed environment ... [and again] when the car accelerated on the public road after the character said, 'Now brace yourselves.'"
While reckless driving is certainly nothing to joke about, it does seem odd to blame the commercial, especially as the ad ran a warning on the bottom of the screen reading, "Professional driver. Closed course. Always obey speed limits." Jaguar has also since responded to the complaint, saying most of the clip is filmed in a garage and "during this time the car barely moved." Once it did hit the road, the company said it had policemen on set to ensure they stuck to the speed limit.
Not only did the ad have a disclaimer and was filmed under police guidance, but to say Tom Hiddleston is promoting irresponsible driving is just unfair. This is the man that when driving the racetrack for the show Top Gear was all safety first and speed second.
Does that look like a man who would promote unsafe driving? I don't think so. He is too busy avoiding puddles.
So ASA, how about you let Hiddleston play on so his fans can enjoy his performance? After all, most people will be too distracted watching him recite Shakespeare to pay attention to how fast or slow his car his going.
Images: YouTube, Martha Sorren (2)
