The venerable British auto brand Jaguar used its Super Bowl ad debut in 2014 to continue a months-long campaign promoting the then-new F-Type, hiring Brit actors Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong to play a trio of British villains with exceptional taste in cars.

Watch and you’ll see them break the fourth wall to explain what you might take from that: “We’re more focused. More precise. We’re always one step ahead. We have a certain style. An eye for detail. And we’re obsessed by power.” Et cetera. The spot, via agency Spark 44, followed a series of teasers that ran on TV during the NFL playoffs and online, and itself was posted early on the Tuesday before the game.

Asked about a strategy that wasn't as broad as much Super Bowl advertising, brand VP Jeff Curry called that a risk worth taking. "We're telling a story that rings true,” he said at the time. “We think that's very important. We're not going for a cheap laugh. We're not not using a dog. … We're not going for a gimmick here," he said. "This is filmed like a movie. Using London as a set, essentially, with the best talent you can partner with."

Like Budweiser’s “Hero’s Welcome” in the same game, “Rendezvous” was expanded from its initial 30-second slot. Jaguar liked the "cinematic" quality of the ad by Tom Hooper (the Oscar-winning director of "The King's Speech") so much that it sprung for 60 seconds. "It really deserved a longer storyline," Mr. Curry said.

Director: Tom Hooper. Production company: Smuggler. Production co-producer: Ben Croker.

Executive creative director: Werner Krainz. Creative directors: Peggy Lines, Matt Page. Executive producer: Michael De Vries.

Composer: Alexandre Desplat. Sound: Grand Central Recording Studios. Music: London Symphony Orchestra. Editorial: The Quarry. Editor: Paul Watts.

BRAND: Jaguar

YEAR: 2014

AGENCY: Spark 44

SUPERBOWL: XLVII

QUARTER AIRED: Q3