In an effort to enhance its Britishness, MG recruited actor Benedict Cumberbatch to do this two-minute video for the MG GS crossover.
Best known for playing Sherlock Homes in Sherlock, among other roles that are sometimes villainous, Cumberbatch nails all the key British cues in the MG spot with his constantly furrowed brow. He’s in a red phone booth. He drives by Big Ben. And he jumps the two sections of Tower Bridge.
All while driving a left-hand-drive Chinese crossover and chasing a woman who fades in and out. It makes slightly more sense when you watch it.
The GS, as it’s expected to be called in the UK unlike the GTS in China, is important to restoring actual sales to the MG nameplate since its relaunch under Chinese ownership. The current MG3 and MG6 hatchbacks haven’t been that big of a hit in Britain, so that could explain why the company enlisted Sherlock to find some buyers.
Take a look at the ad and roll your eyes when necessary.