You can gain a sense for how BMW has chosen to position the new 3 Series, by the new marketing campaign which was kicked off today. The launch campaign for the new 3 Series developed by creative agency Interone, Munich, underlines the sporty and dynamic character of the vehicle, coupled with high levels of efficiency and impressive design.
Across all channels throughout the campaign, BMW will aim to show athleticism and passion as the core quality of its highest selling model.
Online assets are already in use over on www.bmw.com and www.facebook.com/bmw, together with 360 degree viewer and a configurator, which enables site visitors to share their configured vehicle with friends on other social channels.
Print and TV will join the campaign next February, to be joined by a special integrated launch of the full hybrid BMW ActiveHybrid 3, which is due at the end of 2012.
The TV commercials will play on the emotional scenes from different sports disciplines, including the new London Olympic Stadium and BMW’s involvement in the 2012 DTM series. Music will be provided by Billy Idol’s 1981 song, “Dancing With Myself”.
Whilst the theme is ‘sporting’ the tone of the campaign is intended to be light and humorous, using the term ‘Versus’ to describe the unique character of the new BMW 3 Series – where passion always wins.
Will it work?
As with many multi-channel campaigns, the central idea seems to have become lost in translation – both literally and figuratively. “Style vs. Stylish. Passion Wins.” and “Head-Up Display vs. Speeding Ticket. Passion Wins.” – If you can understand more than 1 of these posters I’ll be surprised and the whole delivery smacks of something designed by committee and completely over-engineered (or over thought).
No doubt with a considerable comms and promotion budget pushing them into our consciousness, people’s curiosity will be ignited and BMW showrooms will be awash with potential buyers, but this seems a pretty poor start for a model that BMW depend on for their continued survival.
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When I saw the BMW commercial with the song dancing with myself the only message I could walk away with was that you really need to be a jerkoff to own a BMW. The song is about jerking off and the commercial has little words spoken so you mix the two and presto: All people who buy BMW’s are jerkoffs there goes my dream of owning a BMW now I must save up for a mercedes instead cause Im no jerkoff BMW
Don’t let the faux pas of their marketing team stop you buying a car you like – I had the same problem with Porsche back in the late ’80s, it was the era of the ‘young upwardly-mobile professional’ and owning a Porsche was associated with being a d*ck. Eventually I bought my first in ’92 (a 944 S2) and thereafter decided never to let the image of a car stop me from owning it.
I broke that rule more than a decade later with a Ferrari F430, which I’d waited years to own but then found that I didn’t like the symbolism attached to owning a Ferrari (it shouts that you’ve *just* made it). Maybe I’ll consider one again when its obvious I’m no longer a spring chicken..