BMW INTRODUCES X3 SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLE WITH NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN
Fallon Creates Ads to Showcase Versatility, Agility Through Four Seasons
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - December 15, 2003 ... Using a bold, four-quadrant template
to communicate an active lifestyle and a versatile, agile vehicle, BMW launches
its new X3 Sports Activity Vehicle with national television and print
advertising, beginning January 1, 2004.
With the tag line "Any weather. Any corner. Any pace. Any passion," the
fast-paced creative mirrors the passion for performance of the X3 buyer, while
reinforcing the X branding through a constant visual hook.
"With the X3, BMW is truly extending its reach. The X3 is built for people with
an active lifestyle - whether they are snowboarders, surfers, mountain bikers
or hikers. The marketing campaign follows suit - it's bold, agile, and all
about the ability to move easily from one environment to the other," said Jim
McDowell, vice president, marketing, BMW of North America, LLC.
Bruce Bildsten, creative director at Fallon Minneapolis added, "There were two
things that led us to our creative solution: the versatility of the X3 and the
visual sophistication of the younger target market. Because we wanted to create
the effect pimarily in camera, it was a monumental production, requiring a
place, New Zealand, where we could capture the feeling of four seasons and four
continents in one location.''
The television commercial features the new BMW X3 driving down a road with a
swinging X through the screen. Each quadrant shows a different weather element,
from sunshine to ice and snow. The print mirrors this creative effect through
photography shot in the same locations as the television.
The process involved an extensive shoot in New Zealand in July, which provided
all four seasons in one place. The creative team was interested in minimizing
the use of post effects, which required incredible technical precision. The
team from Fallon, Director Paul Street with Believe Media and effect company
Digital Domain, designed repetitive movement and used laser measurements with
every shot that were then recreated at each location.
Developed by BMW's marketing team and Fallon Worldwide, the television campaign
is set to break on January 1, 2004. The commercial spots will launch during
college football bowl games starting on New Year's Day, and continue airing on
network, cable and spot market television for three months. The print campaign
will be seen in national daily newspapers and magazines, including news,
business, adventure, music, technology and automotive outlets, beginning with
the March 2004 issues. This will include placements in several publications
never before part of a BMW campaign, including Backpacker, and Blender
magazines.
The X3 campaign also includes BMW's largest on-line effort for a vehicle
launch. The new television spots will be featured on-line during the first
quarter of 2004 on a variety of sports, lifestyle and business sites. In
addition, the BMW X3 Adventure game debuted on-line on December 1, 2003,
available free at www.bmwusa.com/newX3. Experts say it is the richest on-line
gaming experience any automotive company has ever created for promotional use,
featuring three different in-vehicle driving experiences and outdoor sporting
activities, including mountain biking, snowboarding and kayaking adventures.
The game is designed to mirror the active lifestyles of the X3's prospective
purchasers.
BMW X3 will also present the half-time shows at the Capital One, Orange and
Sugar Bowl games on January 1, 2004. X3 signage will be featured in-studio
during half-time commentary.
The campaign will also feature major digital advertising, located across the
country including the Times Square NBC JumboTron in New York and the Sunset
Strip JumboTron in Los Angeles. The X3 spots will also appear on the Macy's
Herald Square video screen in New York, on the New York Midtown Tunnel Screen
along the Long Island Expressway, and in high definition on 50 movie theater
lobby screens across the country. Additionally, the television spots will be
featured on the CNN Airport Network in major airports across the country, as
well as on Delta In-flight TV for passengers.
A partnership with JetBlue Airlines has also played a vital role in the launch
of the BMW X3. JetBlue travelers were the first to get a sneak peak at the
on-line game while waiting to check in for Thanksgiving weekend travel at New
York's JFK airport on Wednesday, November 26th. JetBlue and BMW team members
held travelers' places in line so they could play the BMW X3 Adventure on five
kiosks especially set up for JetBlue customers. The kiosks, as well as the X3
that is on display, will remain in the JetBlue terminal at JFK into January of
2004.
BMW X3 kiosks, designed in the shape of surfboards, were one of the first
components of the vehicle launch campaign. Featuring advanced wireless
technology, an interactive touch screen, and high-resolution video clips, the
kiosks were placed in public spaces throughout key markets in October 2003.
The kiosks helped build buzz and familiarize prospects with the X3 model, as
well as dramatize the X3 marketing themes.
In addition, to help build grassroots buzz about the new X3, BMW invited radio
DJs from 21 stations from markets across the country on December 11th to spend
a day driving the X3 with driving instructors at a the BMW Performance Center
in Spartanburg, SC. The DJs were also provided X3s to drive for personal use
until January 4th.
A key element that contributes to the BMW X3's handling prowess is the all-new
xDrive all-wheel drive system, which sets new standards in agility for
all-wheel drive vehicles. BMW's xDrive works proactively to enable
infinitely-adjustable and fully-variable distribution of engine power between
the front and rear wheels. The result is not only improved traction on poor
roads and in poor weather but also more responsive handling for all driving
situations.
The xDrive system works with the X3's Dynamic Stability Control system to
immediately recognize any need for a change in power distribution and responds
instantly, often before the wheels begin to lose their grip. On the road,
xDrive can even vary power distribution in order help the X3 regain composure
in a corner when understeer or oversteer is encountered. The result is the
outstanding traction one expects of an SAV combined with the handling, agility
and safety that one expects from a BMW.
Matlock and Publicis, Sanchez & Levitan will be producing X3 advertising for
the African-American and Hispanic audiences, respectively. Creative from these
agencies will be seen nationally on primetime television, including Eve,
Girlfriends and Enterprise, to name a few.
Note to editors:
Further information is available at www.bmwusa.com/newX3.
BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975.
ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW
Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial
service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE
brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the
country. BMW Manufacturing Corp. in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's
global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all
Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization
is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers,
327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 73 MINI
passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding
Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America,
is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet
at:
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address:
https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en
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