Autoblog

The 'Ultimate Driving Machine' is back

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

No matter what you think about the BMW brand or its vehicles, you've got to admit that it's got the greatest slogan of any car company, ever. "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is one of those timeless phrases that ad execs dream about and companies pay millions to come up with.

According to The New York Times, the best-selling luxury brand in the U.S. will again be embracing the phrase, formerly just its tagline, but now BMW's slogan. (What's the difference? We'll have to ask Don Draper and get back to you.) More importantly, the German automaker has ditched its "Joy" campaign, that touchy-feely series of ads that downplayed the brand's enthusiast appeal in favor of lots of smiling, happy people. According to the report, BMW will be introducing 14 models in 2012, its biggest-ever product rollout, hence the need to launch a new series of ads with an overarching theme. Not that "Joy" didn't work, but we're much happier seeing BMW's sliding sideways on a track than people jumping into their cars.

The first ad, from the company's new agency, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners, debuted during the NFL playoffs this past weekend, and featured a rather clever voiceover saying, "We don't make sports cars. We don't make SUV's. We don't make hybrids, and we don't make luxury sedans," then paying it off with, "We only make one thing: The ultimate driving machine."

Bravo, BMW.

Click past the jump to see the new commercial.

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The 'Ultimate Driving Machine' is back originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW shopping for a new ad agency. Oh, Joy!

David Kiley — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, BMW

BMW of North America is beginning a review for its $150 million U.S. ad account, the company said on Monday. The decision comes after a tumultuous six months for the company, having lost its long-time marketing executive, Jack Pitney,to a tragic accident last October and then parting with its former agency last Fall.

BMW is in the midst of an aggressive product onslaught in the next two years as the Munich-based company is trying to grow its business globally, as well as in the States.

The company had used GSD&M, an Austin, Texas-based ad shop until last November. Since then, it has been getting ad work from Kirshenbaum, Bond Senecal + Partners, NY, which created BMW's Super Bowl ads this year. Kirshenbaum had been the runner-up to GSD&M when BMW last reviewed its ad account in 2005, and had been doing the company's CRM work the last five years as well.

BMW's ad work has been the subject of much chatter and even controversy in the last year or so as the company played down its long-running "Ultimate Driving Machine" positioning in favor of a "Joy of Driving" idea. The "Joy," positioning is closer to the BMW brand strategy around the world, as the idea translates into most languages. "Ultimate Driving Machine" apparently doesn't translate into most languages.

BMW sales are holding up in the recession. The company was the number-two luxe brand in 2010, just ahead of Mercedes-Benz and just behind Lexus. But the company has been spending more on price discounts channeled into lease deals and financing discounts.

There are a number of ad shops likely to get a look: Kirshenbaum, Bond Senecal to retain it; The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va.; BBDO, NY (Creative chief David Lubars was creative director at Fallon Worldwide when that agency had the business and created BMW Films, among other great work for the carmaker); Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Miami; and Publicis, NY.

BMW shopping for a new ad agency. Oh, Joy! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opinion: Is BMW becoming too soft?

David Kiley — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW

"Happiness isn't around the corner. Happiness IS the corner." So said an ad for BMW created in 1996 for the Z3. In the TV version (see the video at the very bottom after the break), a heavy-metal music track underlined the idea, which was carried over to magazines and billboards.

I'm reminded of that ad, one of the more perfect expressions of the BMW brand I have ever seen, this week as I take in the Bavarian automaker's plan to launch vehicles powered by "alternative" powertrains under the "i" sub-brand: as in, yes, iPad, iPod, iMac. So far, I'm not hearing about Apple filing trademark infractions. It is, I believe, also "i" as i Isetta, the last time BMW brought out a mini city car. "I" for innovation probably figures into the choice, as well.

The campaign was literally meant to attract more people who were not necessarily driving enthusiasts to the brand.

BMW has brand issues. Take the Super Bowl on Feb. 6. BMW ran two ads in the big game for a cost of between $5 and $6 million. One ad was to push diesel engines. Another was to push the fact that all X3 crossovers are now being built at BMW's plant in South Carolina. "Designed in America. Built in America," says the voiceover at the end of this ad. How about using the big game to push the core of your brand equity - driving excitement. How about an ad that says: "aspire to own and drive this marvelous machine."

Something has gone horribly wrong at BMW. And I think I know what it is. Back in 2006, then- BMW marketing director Jack Pitney (who tragically died in 2010) shared with me a Powerpoint strategy showing how far too many people, in his mind, weren't considering a BMW because they were intimidated or otherwise put off by the performance image of the brand. It was this finding that led BMW to first do a corporate ad campaign touting BMW's independent ownership, and then the softer "Joy of Driving" campaign that ran most of last year. It was literally meant to advance a "softer side" of BMW, and attract more people who were not necessarily driving enthusiasts to the brand.

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Opinion: Is BMW becoming too soft? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Creed to head BMW NA marketing after Pitney passing

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, BMW

BMW's North American Vice President of Aftersales, Dan Creed, has been chosen to replace former marketing VP Jack Pitney, who passed away last month as the result of a tragic accident on his farm. Creed will pick up the reins of marketing as well as product planning and strategy for The Roundel in North America.

Creed has been with BMW since 1996, when he joined the automaker's Canadian arm. His past assignments for the company have included Canada's National Sales Manager and head of the Southern Region of BMWNA. In his role as the President of Aftersales, Creed presided over parts, service, accessories and lifestyle schwag for both Bimmer and Mini.

BMW's official press release is after the jump.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Report: Creed to head BMW NA marketing after Pitney passing

Report: Creed to head BMW NA marketing after Pitney passing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: BMW turns Singapore buildings into amazing 3D Joy

Zach Bowman — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

BMW takes Singapore - Click above to watch video after the jump

BMW advertising gurus have a big job ahead of them when it comes to supplementing their longstanding "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan with the company's new "Joy" campaign. Bimmer fanboys had lived and died by the company's proclamation of superiority for years, so it's going to take some coaxing to get BMW loyalists to swallow the new ads. Fortunately, BMW has never been one to skimp on advertising dollars, and the company has pulled a stunt in Singapore to make sure the ball gets rolling in the right direction.

BMW has used two buildings for a massive, unique 3D projection display right in the middle of downtown Suntec City. Talk about cool. Two massive hands appear to disassemble the structures and rearrange them for their own diabolical, Joy-soaked plans. You can hit the jump to see the whole shindig for yourself. Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: YouTube via BMWBlog]

Continue reading Video: BMW turns Singapore buildings into amazing 3D Joy

Video: BMW turns Singapore buildings into amazing 3D Joy originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marketing 101: Make stuff up, make it visible - BMW's subtle 1-Series shilling

Dan Roth — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:47:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Marketing/Advertising, BMW

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]

Marketing 101: Make stuff up, make it visible - BMW's subtle 1-Series shilling originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today's time waster: BMW lets you set the PACE

Chris Shunk — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:05:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW

We like video games as much as anybody, and gaming combined with some international competition is even better. We also like BMWs, so when we found that the folks from Bavaria had a flash-based racing game with BMWs racing against Mustangs and Challengers through the streets of Europe, we had to give it a shot. The coolest aspect of the game is that you can gauge your score against the best the Internet has to offer.

For a free game that acts as a fun marketing tool, BMW did a pretty good job here. Sure, there is way too much talking going on in between rounds, and full-color backdrops and roads would be vastly preferred vs the monochrome dust bowl that we get in the game. One aspect of the game that we particularly like is the better you do in the races, the more money you accumulate, and you can use that money at the BMW store to obtain upgrades for your Bimmer. You start off with a 1-Series hatch (we wish we could do that in the US), and once you've accumulated $9,000, you can upgrade to the 3.0L inline six.

From there you can upgrade to a Z4 and finally an X3. We haven't finished the race yet, and we're definitely not among the top qualifiers, but we're not giving up. Overall, the game can be frustrating, but somehow we got hooked anyway. It's hard to write posts when you have a race to win.

Today's time waster: BMW lets you set the PACE originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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