BMW trying to attract "creative class" with a new ad campaign

[LaArtist]

that quote may very well sound funny today.. but seriously in our lifetime that can happen..if BMW can pass MB then Audi can catch BMW.. its not impossible..

 

[Zafiro]

that quote may very well sound funny today.. but seriously in our lifetime that can happen..if BMW can pass MB then Audi can catch BMW.. its not impossible..

well, then they need to pass MB first

 

[LaArtist]

yep..thats a fact.. ..but until they catch up the top order might be changed

 

[Imhotep Evil]

???

They are NOT changing their "Ultimate driving machine" slogan. It's staying. But they are trying to say that besides BMW vehicles being "ultimate driving machines", the BMW brand & the company (not the products per se) stand for (and are in support for) independance, innovation, dynamics, creativeness, defying conventions, etc.

With this ad campaign BMW want to address the people of the "creative class" who are not as much interested in driving a performance car per se, but driving a car of a company that shares same or very similar values (= BMW).

Get it? Along the cars (= ultimate driving machines) they also start to promote the company & the corporate values, with an aim to attract some population that will become customer to the BMW company because of having same / similar values as their own.

BMW already have a lot of "product fanatics", but now they want additionally create a population of "company fanatics". Both groups ending in buying BMW cars & being BMW brand fans.

This is a good campaign. Hiting people's beliefs / values. If they suceed (and I think they will since they are sincere) they will get another loyal bunch of fanatic customers. With strong and lasting loyalty.

I see but isn't this going to far from KISS strategy/philosophy.
I understand that BMW AG no longer means BMW cars, but hope they don't overstrech things and go the Daimler/MB way.

 

[rightnow]

Ofcourse thats possible.. But its also possible that BMW has bought Audi till then. Almost even more possible when i think about it....

 

[YoungWarrior]

Ofcourse thats possible.. But its also possible that BMW has bought Audi till then. Almost even more possible when i think about it....

lol so who is more powerful? BMW or VAG?

 

[Imhotep Evil]

lol so who is more powerful? BMW or VAG?

Porsche, ofcourse.
Who knows, EU legislation + coruption problems may force Lower Saxony to sell their VAG stake, witch might force Porsche to "SAVE" VAG from the evil forces and place it right in their hands.

Now seriously, last time I checked VAG sold more cars + had bigger revenues + assets, but BMW had bigger profits, bigger profit margins, superiour growth rate and a larger market capitalisation.

 

[EnI]

Official BMW press release about the campaign:​

BMW UNVEILS NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

“Company of Ideas” Emphasizes BMW’s Independence and Innovation

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - May 8, 2006… With a bold campaign featuring unexpected elements such as all-text ads and clever copy that bashes corporate convention and compromise, BMW’s new campaign in the U.S. challenges conventions in automotive advertising as it launches its first creative collaboration with its new advertising partner, Austin-based GSD&M. The campaign, called “Company of Ideas,” underscores the automakers peerless independence and freedom to pursue innovative ideas. “Company of Ideas” will kick off May 8 and will appear nationally in newspapers, magazines, primetime television finales, national cable, outdoor billboards and the web.

The dynamic campaign is aimed at the consumers who share many of BMW’s principles: an independent spirit, a drive to challenge conventional wisdom and an appreciation for a brand’s ability to offer both substance andstyle. With references to everything from BMW’s award-winning Leipzig, Germany plant designed by famed architect Zaha Hadid to the BMW plant in South Carolina, the ad spotlights the fact that more than 50% of the energy used is derivied from methane piped from a land fill more than nine miles away. The “Company of Ideas” shines a spotlight on a side of the premium automaker rarely seen.

The goal of this campaign is to build demand for BMW by reaching consumers who have not historically considered purchasing a BMW while making existing BMW loyalists proud of BMW’s success story. The campaign demonstrates that the people of BMW are what make the company a Company of Ideas.

“We are eager to unveil this smart and original campaign that communicates BMW’s culture of creativity so thoroughly,” said Jack Pitney, Vice President, Marketing, BMW of North America. “BMW has carved out a unique niche in the industry by placing a premium on constant innovation and inspiration and this campaign will reveal the company behind The Ultimate Driving Machine.”
“BMW’s performance is legendary, but how they get there is an important part of the story as well,” said GSD&M president Roy Spence. “They get there through passion and inspiration – they aren’t hindered by idea-killing bureaucracy.”

The print ads are unprecedented and differ vastly from most automotive advertising campaigns with the majority of these ads being all text pieces featuring simple but bold copy without any photo of the BMW vehicle. The ads catch the eye with their strong and stunning message. Each of the pieces highlights BMW’s autonomy and commitment to protect great ideas and conclude with variations on the phrase, “to make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.” The ads include:

NO: A simple bold print ad with the word, “No” in large type confidently asserting that BMW has the ability to say “no” to compromise while saying “yes” to innovative ideas. This “all text” ad explains that BMW will do a thousand little things that separate it from all other car companies. By maintaining its independence and ability to say no, BMW can make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.

MATCH: Another print ad that features only text, challenges readers to pair luxury car brands with their respective parent companies. The accompanying text explains that not many car companies can say they are beholden to no one. As an independent company, BMW has the freedom to build cars the way it wants to build them. The company can take risks that their competitors may not be able to justify to their parent companies.

AIRBAGS: This print ad features a BMW vehicle and reiterates that ideas are valued at BMW. The ad features a BMW vehicle and tagline, “Ideas don’t have airbags to protect them.” The accompanying text explains that ideas are highly vulnerable creatures and must be nurtured and protected.

RISKY: A print ad prominently featuring a BMW 7 Series vehicle with the tag line “Not taking risks is risky” sends a strong message that only companies as open to taking risks as BMW can deliver on the promise of the Ultimate Driving Machine. For example, the redesign of the 7 Series in 2002 sparked debate when it was first unveiled. The text of this ad stresses the luxury of autonomy but points out that with freedom comes an obligation to never rest on one’s laurels and to trust one’s instincts while entering unchartered territory and striving to set benchmarks as BMW did with the redesign of the 7 Series. This ad reminds the audience of BMW’s leading-edge vehicle design.

Along with this unconventional print campaign, BMW and GSD&M have also decided upon a well thought out and untraditional media buy. The ads will be placed in lifestyle publications specific to art, design, luxury, environment, travel and sports and includes a presence in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Dwell, GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Economist, Fortune and Forbes and newspapers such as The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Four TV ads will air on network and cable programming, including the season finales of most of the top network shows.

The television ads will highlight the same theme as “No” print ad by portraying the kinds of personalities that create barriers to inspired thought with levity and humor. Each of these ads will conclude with a shot of the state-of-the-art BMW plant in Leipzig designed by Zaha Hadid. Hadid won the coveted Pritzker Prize in 2004 for the creation of the “Central Building,” which is the nerve center of the entire factory. The building is emblematic of BMW’s philosophy of inspiration and innovation and serves as a symbol of the importance placed on creative ideas.

OVERTHINKERS: The viewer sees images of stuffy corporate types accompanied by a voiceover cautioning them to be wary of overanalyzers who don’t see an idea’s true potential. A shot of the Leipzig plant is seen with a voiceover explaining, “at BMW ideas are everything.” The camera follows the high-tech environment and continues, “We make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.”

EUPHEMISMS: The ad opens on portraits of typical corporate people looking directly into the camera with a voiceover saying to beware of those who speak in euphemisms. The voice gives examples including, “You’ve presented some very challenging ideas.” It then offers a translation of, “I am scared of your thinking.” Another example, “Keep that idea in your back pocket” and its translation, “Your idea is about to die a slow death.” The camera again cuts to the celebrated BMW plant in Leipzig and ends with the campaign tagline, “We make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.”

BENEDICT ARNOLD: This spot opens up with a voice over saying to beware of the “Benedict Arnolds” who originally support an idea, but then turn on it the second the idea meets any resistance. The ad then cuts to the BMW plant at Leipzig ending with the tagline, “At BMW ideas are everything, and as an independent company, we make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.”

ENEMY OF IDEAS: The spot opens up on corporate businesspeople looking into the camera and a voiceover saying they are the enemy of ideas. They say things like, “Let me play the devil’s advocate,” or “With all due respect, but…” and then it cuts to the BMW plant in Leipzig with the tagline “at BMW ideas are everything and as an independent company, we make sure great ideas live on to become Ultimate Driving Machines.

Source: BMW Press

 

[EnI]

Must see stuff:

http://www.germancarforum.com/showthread.php?t=4157

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Very clever and good posts by Beemer Boi. Mate, you rock!

Thanks Tycoon...!!

Sometimes some people are just too blind to see certain things and overly brand-biased to understand and appreciate other car brand strategies....so sometimes you gotta explain it to them in a way they can understand. If they still can't understand it then... well, they're a hopeless cause.

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LOL !!!

Quote of the year!

Hahahahaha... agreed!

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that quote may very well sound funny today.. but seriously in our lifetime that can happen..if BMW can pass MB then Audi can catch BMW.. its not impossible..

Yes, that is a possibility.. anything is a possibilities in this day and age,...but unlike Mercedes which became too complacent (and therefore let BMW gain on them) BMW is already investing for its future success with advertising campaigns such as this 'creative class' campaign (and also the link that Eni' posted above - have a read, everything will become a lot more clear to those of you who cant comprehend the message of the article at the start of this thread).
As i said earlier.. BMW dont rest on their laurels.. the whole company's is about Innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership...all of which incorporates continual change, continual ideas, continual ways to improve & enhancing how things are done..and continual ways to defy industry trends and assumptions (so as not to fall into the 'maturity trap' of strategic convergence).
BMW will not simply 'give up' their number 1 spot to its competitors.. it's invested too much time, money and effort to get where it is today.
They say " it's one thing to get to the top, it's a different thing to stay there " ...and that's is very true, but BMW is innovative, they are dynamic and they are inspiring... all of which work well for the sustainability of growth, sales, profits and overall success of BMW AG.

Audi sure has the room to grow more.. and it's global sales growth is proof of that. Mercedes.. well, they're on the way up again so the future is promising for both Audi and MB... but don't expect BMW to just let these two car companies catch up and surpass them. If either of them do, it's going to be because they were more clever than BMW and had a more sound corporate strategy, not because of some shortcoming on BMW's part (as was the case with MB).

BMW is different..... and to be different, you have to think different. Good management is an intellectual discipline as much as a behvioural one...and that's the main point of this article.... how BMW management aims to be different, unique and dynamic in an industry which is relatively mature in its nature.

 

[LaArtist]

well me personally cant see BMW holding the top position the way MB held it for years..
time has changed.. competition is stiff.. i think the top spot will change every 3 or 4 years between the brands..

 

[Deutsch]

BMW developed it's reputation over many years, not over night. Audi is still a fairly "new" company w/ a "multiple brand under one umbrella" past that still hasn't built a solid reputation and credibility w/ the public. It will be sometime before Audi can actually overtake BMW IMO, although new and thoughtfully developed product will help, to outsell BMW consumers will actually have to acquire some unique benefit indigenous to Audi, and "quattro" most definately isn't one of them, even w/ a rear wheel bias.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

well me personally cant see BMW holding the top position the way MB held it for years..
time has changed.. competition is stiff.. i think the top spot will change every 3 or 4 years between the brands..

I agree about how BMW won't being able to hold its place for the extended period of time that MB did,..but as you said, that's simply due to the ever-changing dynamics of the moden day industry with an increasing number of competitors.
Over the next 10 years or so, it might change every 3 or 4 years as each company brings out a wave of new and improved products..but after that 10 or so year period.. I think we will see the emergence of a clear number 1 leader between BMW, MB and maybe even Audi.
BMW has already carved out an individual identity, MB is rebuilding its identity..and Audi is still trying to create one.... so after that 10 year period, I think the strategies being implemented today by these three companies, will see one of them emerge as a clear market leader down the track....and because BMW has such clearly defined values and goal.. that's why I believe that BMW will be the market leader after the current see-saw sales battle washes over. Also, as I said above, BMW already have their identity created...while MB are still trying to patch up past issues and Audi is still trying to establish itself in a global-sales perspective. BMW is best positioned to capitalise on its current global market position..but it sure will be interesting to see how BMW sales do now that its bread and butter 3er and 5er models are well and truely into the market, while MB is yet to bring out its new C and E class...and Audi's all new A4 is set to come out soon too.

All these short term factors should lead to a fascinating scales battle..but the real battle will be who can sustain their growth for an extended period of time. In my opinion, the strategic innovativeness and well-defined values that are present in BMW management will be the defining factor in BMW AG emerging as the number one premium car company in the world.



** P.S. When I mention 'the number on premium car company in the world', I am only referring to global sales. As Deutsch has mentioned below, the "number one winner" in the eyes of the consumer is purely dependent on their perception of each brand and the relative value the brand offers to them.

 

[Deutsch]

There will never be a "clear number one winner", that's up to the individual and what they view in their eyes as "the best". To add, the market is an ever changing place, as we already know, anything can happen providing the conditions are right. One day there could be a huge worldwide demand for minivans. As far out as that sounds, if the conditions are right, meaning people of all kinds find the majority their needswants/etc. boxes ticked in the mini van, they will buy.