It’s been 12 years since BMW ‘s game-changing branded content series The Hire cemented itself within the marketing parlance. The series of online shorts defined the playbook for content marketing, and the model remains alive and kicking to this day. The latest player in the star-studded, branded short film arena is Jaguar, which just released the full teaser for its upcoming 15-minute branded film, Desire.

Created by New York agency Brooklyn Brothers and Ridley Scott Associates (the production company behind BMW Films), Desire stars white-hot actor Damian Lewis (of Homeland fame) and Shannyn Sossamon, and is in support of Jaguar’s F-Type.





The film, directed by Adam Smith, was shot in Chile’s Atacama Desert and tells the story of Clark (played by Lewis, haha), whose job is to deliver the slick F-Type to a high-paying client. Of course, nothing goes as planned and Clark meets a sultry maiden in need of rescue, some greasy bad dudes with guns and an axe to grind, and performs some high-speed feats of driving the Jag in the process.

Along with the high-profile cast, Desire also features an original track from sultry songstress Lana Del Rey. Titled “Burning Desire,” the song’s official video includes footage from the film, further deepening the brand-content integration.

If a trailer, original song, and famous cast weren’t enough, the team behind Desire has been hyping the project since its announcement last November, first with a teaser clip, then a making-of film released over three instalments that focus on the location scouting, the car’s performance, and the central characters.





It’s certainly impossible to overlook the similarities to BMW Films when talking about Desire (An of-the-moment actor! A narrative treatment! Fast cars! RSA!), but it’s interesting to see how the concept has evolved to include more behind-the-scenes content and a long-running teaser campaign that’s become a norm among ad land. The film will also enjoy a theatrical premiere in London before being released online.