BMW Films revolutionized online marketing in the U.S., and now Canada is getting a chance to further the genre with a film by Toronto agency Cundari Integrated Advertising.

Featuring the story of a young woman who is liberated from her sadness with the help of a mysterious BMW-driving individual named Mr. Jones, the film – executed for BMW Canada – is part of a larger campaign for the new BMW 5 series.

The campaign launched Oct. 3 and includes print, outdoor, TV and event promotion. With perks that include a navigation system, voice control and active steering, the car is positioned as ‘Evolution 5’ – a high-performance evolution of the original 5 series.

Aldo Cundari, chairman and CEO of Cundari Integrated, which has held the BMW account since 1996, says the creative focuses on the core values of joy and performance and the thrill of the drive, as opposed to just the technological enhancements of the car. ‘For any target group, when you introduce new technologies, it frightens consumers,’ says Cundari. ‘So when you emphasize the core values [of joy and performance], it softens the blow.’

At the same time, the campaign uses taglines such as ‘Arrival of the Fittest’ and ‘Checkmate’ to send a message to competitors. ‘When this car arrives, everything else is going to be dated,’ adds Cundari president Garry Lee. ‘The campaign [reflects] the quality and technological marvel of the car.’

At the heart of the campaign is a seven-minute film called drive, which also features the 5 series, and plays on the capabilities of the new vehicle. The goal of the film is to both tie in to the arts – a long-term strategy of the BMW brand – and provide an innovative vehicle for promoting the 5 series to BMW’s increasingly tough target of affluent males aged 35 to 54.

The movie, along with the car, initially launched at Holt Renfrew’s film-themed in-store event Flick.

The first of its kind for BMW in Canada, the creative is also part of the BMW Films series from the U.S. that originated with The Hire in 2001.

Drive is running on bmw.ca and is being shown at events and at dealers across the country. The film will also be used in CRM initiatives and e-mailed to prospective customers.

Credits, drive

Client: BMW Canada

Director: Patrick Sisam

Producer: Victoria Hirst

Editor: David Baxter

Director of Photography: Sean Valentini

Production Designer: Ingrid Jurek

Music: Hudson/Wilyman

Credits, 5 Series Campaign

Client: BMW Canada

Agency: Cundari Integrated Advertising

VP, Creative Director: Fred Roberts

Copywriter: Rob Gendron

Art Director: Richard Martella

VP, Group Account Director: Robert Lewocz

Account Director: Daniel Buckley