Marketing 101: Make stuff up, make it visible - BMW's subtle 1-Series shilling
Marketing campaigns are always in search of a new hook, and BMW's gotten creative to help keep the 1-Series on boil. Readers of the March 24th edition of Autoweek were treated to a smattering of tiny-Roundel factoids at the bottom of the mag's pages. Some of them might be true, while others seem entirely made up. The hard facts are naturally spot-on, but subjective impressions like back seat comfort, desirability, and a link to the 2002 are all tenuous at best. The effort is charming in its cleverness, even if we're not entirely sold on the idea that we're going to regret it if we neglect to buy a 1-Series.
[Source: AutoInsane.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Robert 11:13AM (4/13/2008)
hmm bmw think this car is some kind of GT-R or something good.
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zamafir 11:50AM (4/13/2008)
I think BMW realizes it's going to have a hard time moving volumes on a smaller 3 series, with the schnoz of the x3, and no real savings, thus the desperate marketing campaigns.
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dantzig 12:39PM (4/13/2008)
i submit that $33k is in fact $10k less than $43k.
(starting prices for the convertibles)
zamafir 12:58PM (4/13/2008)
Right and the last three 128i converts I saw retailed around 40k, I'm not sure most BMW buyers purchase their cars without the luxury options most have come to expect, and the price difference between the 135 and 335 is $5,000 which might make a difference to some, but not the Bimmer owners I know, those who've added the 128 to the collection o minis, 335is, 545i (old i know) for the misses.
Snutz 12:10PM (4/13/2008)
I already read that issue of Autoweek and never even noticed the tiny ads. Just went back and looked at the issue, they're definitely there but I guess I never looked at the page numbers. At least they're amusing though once you see them.
Apparently it takes 44 seconds to lower the top on a 1 Series convertible. Ouch. A Miata can do it in about 2.
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Snutz 3:03PM (4/13/2008)
Ohh, 44 seconds is to open AND close the top. So I guess it's not as bad as I thought. My bad.
Aaron Slater 12:38PM (4/13/2008)
42 Milliseconds? Is this a subtle joke-within-a-subtle-ad? Or is the 1 series the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
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iomatic 11:27AM (4/21/2008)
I thought BMWs were affordable cars for proto-yuppies back in the day? What happened?
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SPG 1:47PM (4/13/2008)
Fun idea, I like it.
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jg 2:09PM (4/13/2008)
I was at a dealer yesterday hoping to see an X6 (not out yet). Anyway they had a 328i coupe for 37K and we're selling a 128i for 36.5k. Weird.
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CarbonBlack 5:50PM (4/13/2008)
This is what I have heard from about a dozen different sources! In the last podcast, they talked about how you can get a couple years old M3 for less than the 1series new. Those old M3's would be ALOT BETTER than a new 1series.
tankd0g 9:56PM (4/13/2008)
most would contend that a new ones series IS the old M3.
M 11:54PM (4/16/2008)
no tangd0g most would not contend that.
The 1 is quite different from the E46 M3 in handling and power delivery (driven both as a BMW technician)
Gooch 3:31PM (4/13/2008)
Zamafir,
Mentioning the 545i makes me think of what people used to say about Caddys (and I'm now paraphrasing): "It might be an old BMW, but it's still a BMW!" A six-speed manual 545i was (and remains) a great sleeper. So too the 540i.
This is guerilla marketing at its best. Nothing desperate about it at all. Nice job, BMW.
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jbaldwin 5:41PM (4/13/2008)
It's funny listening to the "BMW Guys" bash the 1 series saying that there's no savings from the 3 series. Not only is it over $5,000 cheaper, but it's faster, handles better and stops quicker. The 3 series has gotten big and fat. The 1 series is the size of the last generation 3 series, which my age group (22-30) loves. The interior dimensions on the 1 Series are barely smaller than the 3 Series and to everyone in my age group it looks a lot better. Maybe when we get old we'll want a heavier slower car that costs more, but for now we all want the 1.
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Dan Roth 6:10PM (4/13/2008)
no. I'm in that age group (barely) and I don't find the 1 attractive. It may be smaller than the now-bloated 3 series, but that comes at the cost of space efficiency. It's TIGHT, and the 3 is not known for its spaciousness. Smaller would be okay if it were lighter, but it's not, really. Further, for what the 1-series costs, you can step into a 3 - either a slightly less luxe brand new one, or a phenomenal E46 with a few miles.
jamie collie 12:52AM (4/14/2008)
@Dan
First, you say that it's not lighter. Well it's actually 200 pounds lighter, which is why it's faster and more nimble.
Second, you say it's so "TIGHT". Well below are the dimensions, the 1 Series on the left and 3 Series on the right. As you can see they 1 actually has more cargo capacity and the exact same passenger volume. I don't know how big you are, but for someone that's 6' tall and 180 pounds I fit perfectly.
Front legroom 41.4 " 41.8 "
Rear legroom 32.0 " 33.7 "
Front headroom 37.9 " 38.4 "
Rear headroom 37.1 " 36.8 "
Front shoulder room 54.0 " 55.3 "
Rear shoulder room 53.4 " 51.9 "
Passenger volume 88.5 cu.ft. 88.5 cu.ft.
Cargo capacity 13.1 cu.ft. 11.1 cu.ft.
All of this for exactly $5,900 less and for your idea about getting a used e46, which is far slower than the 1, it's even tighter inside.
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M 11:58PM (4/16/2008)
@jamie
a used E46 is not slower than the new 1 if you get an E46 M3 (many can be had in the $20-29K range now)
JustJoe 1:45AM (4/14/2008)
This teensy, almost subliminal advertising was noted by an Autoblog commenter right after the Autoweek issue came out. Dunno why it took y'all so long for you to report on it yourselves! ;)
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Ian 4:33AM (4/14/2008)
Coincidentally that is also the number of milliseconds it takes to stop wanting one once you find out the weight, price, and that they aren't bringing the damn hatch out here.
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