I don't know about you but, when it comes to sociopaths, I like mine with an Oxbridge education. Ideally they should also possess the sort of clipped tones that make vulgarities sound like Virgil and the sort of wardrobe that dresses up deviousness as a gentleman's sport. Oh, and it helps if they drive a Jag.

Obviously, I jest. Disappointing as it is to admit, I can't say I have given the brand-savvy baddy's preferred make of automobile much thought. However, the same clearly isn't true of Jaguar's marketing department. This week the luxury car manufacturer released its first-ever Super Bowl ad, a 60-second spot entitled British Villains. Directed by Tom Hooper of The King's Speech fame, the ad explores why Hollywood bad guys are often played by Brits. From Jeremy Irons voicing Scar in The Lion King to Sir Ian McKellen as the malevolent Magneto in the X-Men films, a British accent has become Hollywood shorthand for "evil genius that can charm your mother over dinner then blow up the world after dessert".

So what's Jaguar's take on Hollywood's obsession with Bad Britain? Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong venture in the ad that Brits make the best villains because "we're more focused"; "obsessed by power"; and "maybe we just sound right". For some reason they leave off the bit about "we won't cause as much of a furore as casting as an Arab".

When it comes to the British villain trope, there is clearly some truth in the notion that "we just sound right". And by "we" I mean the 2% of the population who speak the received pronunciation commonly (and nonsensically) referred to as a "British accent". A history of colonisation means that much of the world has good reason to classify this sort of establishment English as an accent of evil. After all, for a small island we certainly got around: the British have, at various points, invaded almost 90% of the countries around the globe. There are, indeed, only 22 countries that don't have an invasion-based reason to hate our guts. Here's looking at you, Tajikistan.

But while the UK has certainly earned its evil empire credentials, I have a sneaking suspicion that we may be seeing the character of the villainous Brit play out its final acts. Britain, after all, has been on an expensive charm offensive of late. In 2011 David Cameron launched an international marketing campaign designed to tie in with the London Olympics and establish to the world just how "Great" Britain is. According to a study commissioned by tourism body VisitBritain, it seems that, perception-wise, these marketing efforts have paid off. Following the 2012 Games, Britain's "nation brand" moved up one place from fifth to fourth in the Nations Brand Index, with its biggest improvement in the measure for whether "people would make me feel welcome".

Further research backs up the idea that Brand Britain is losing its stiff upper lip and becoming increasingly warm and fuzzy. A study by brand consultancy Landor has found that the Olympics marked a considerable shift towards a more positive national image with Americans, in particular, more inclined to see the kinder side of Britain. Pre-Olympics, Americans viewed us as "unapproachable" and "restrained", Britain is now viewed as "kind", "approachable" and more "caring".

I first moved to New York aged 11, and found my accent provoked a certain suspicion. "You sound like a Spice Girl!" my fellow tweens used to tell me. This was not a compliment. After a lengthy hiatus from New York I moved back in my late 20s and discovered that the city had developed an acute case of Anglophilia. Thanks to Kate and Wills, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, everyone seemed to have a soft spot for the Brits. "Your accent is so cute!" people routinely tell me. Cute? Um, when did you ever hear an evil-genius villain described as "cute"?

It has been a long time since Britain dominated the world. Now it seems that, despite Jaguar's best efforts, the sun may finally be setting on our evil Hollywood empire.