The launch of the redesigned BMW Mini required an idea that set the product apart in a highly cluttered automotive market. Toronto-based The Media Company (TMC) devised an eye-catching guerrilla approach that (cheekily) fit the bill.
Goal
To create buzz among young male drivers.
Target
Extroverted, risk-taking non-conformists who love to challenge the status quo.
Insights and strategy
For the 2007 Mini launch, Whitby, Ont.-based BMW wanted an edgy medium to appeal to the target. TMC recommended a media environment that married the product’s style and manoeuvrability with the cheeky brand personality and the target’s lifestyle, and Toronto’s Taxi2 came up with the creative.
The plan
BMW Mini was the first advertiser to use Langley, B.C.-based The Media Merchants’ Night Projections solution in the highly regulated OOH market in Vancouver, and the concept was extended to other major markets, including Toronto. The medium uses movie technology to project huge colour ads onto the blank sides of buildings in areas where the target audience socializes, generating more relevant exposure than static signage, especially when parked vehicles were integrated into the execution. And the (mistaken) perception of breaking city bylaws relating to billboards reflects the mindset
of the target.
Results
Coverage by consumer media, such as the Vancouver Sun, and inquiries by other outdoor media vendors in Vancouver about adapting the technology for other clients. As well, sales exceeded targets.
Credits
TMC: Jack Wu, account director, media planning and execution
BMW: Marc Belcourt, Mini brand communications manager
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