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Mini's Super Bowl ad stars Serena Williams and Tony Hawk

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what kind of car a Mini is, and what it says about its driver. For many, it seems, buying one is as much a fashion statement and lifestyle choice as it is anything else. And Mini is out to face those notions head-on in its latest Super Bowl ad.

Set to air during the third quarter of the big game on the 7th, the spot brings in a star-studded list of celebrities. Tennis great Serena Williams, soccer player Abby Wambach, hip-hop star T-Pain, major-league pitcher Randy Johnson, skateboard legend Tony Hawk, and actor Harvey Keitel all feature in the 30-second spot dubbed "Defy Labels."

The ad was produced by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners and shines a spotlight on the new Mini Clubman. But you don't have to wait until Sunday to see it: you can watch it right here, and scope out the additional behind-the-scenes video below.

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MINI DECLARES DEFIANCE IN STAR-STUDDED GAME DAY AD

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 1, 2016... As more than 100 million viewers around the world prepare to tune into the big game on February 7, MINI USA is unveiling its star-studded 30-second spot today, set to air in the third quarter of the year's biggest night in television advertising.

The ad, created by Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners (BSSP), embraces many of the labels the brand has experienced over the years with a very powerful message: it doesn't care what you call it. "Defy Labels," has its roots in the fact that everyone and everything is labeled but how you handle those labels is what matters. With defiance at its core, the campaign inspires people to shed the labels society has placed upon them and instead define themselves.

"Ever since the first Mini was built in 1959, it has been labeled as one thing or another. It's small. It's cute," said Tom Noble, department head, MINI Brand Communications. "This campaign acknowledges those labels in a very authentic way while simultaneously showing people MINI is more than that. With the launch of the new Clubman, our brand is growing up, our products are more sophisticated, and its time to reset the conversation."

The brand worked with an ensemble cast of athletes and celebrities to help start that conversation. Staying true to the nature of the campaign, MINI wanted to include personalities that had a relationship to the brand and could also speak authentically about the topic of overcoming labels. The spot includes Serena Williams, Abby Wambach, T-Pain, Randy Johnson, Tony Hawk, and Harvey Keitel. Each also filmed a series of long-form interviews sharing their own perspectives about labels that are available on the campaign microsite at MINIUSA.com/defylabels.

"This powerful concept leverages the brand's new sophisticated positioning, with a little bit of the MINI attitude that's always been there," said John Butler, chief creative officer, BSSP. "It goes beyond a typical celebrity endorsement. This creative is all about not letting others define you, or for that matter, what you choose to drive. It's about never giving others that power over you."

In addition to the celebrities and athletes listed above, the "Defy Labels" advertisement will feature non-celebrity MINI owners and members of the MINI John Cooper Works racing team, who also choose to be a bit different and break convention.

The campaign will continue to rollout on television and across digital and social platforms over the next few months to support the launch of the all-new MINI Clubman, which is on sale now at MINI dealerships throughout the U.S.

MINI Cooper Clubman Information

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