BMW MINI CUNNING. CLIENT: PROJECT: BMW MINI MINI Launch

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Elwin Turner
6 years ago
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BRIEF An interesting and unusual aspect of the MINI launch was that it did not follow the usual car launch practice of big media spend up front with TV and posters.

1 BMW MINI CLIENT: PROJECT: BMW MINI MINI Launch BACKGROUND CUNNING worked with MINI for four years from launch as their retained brand experience and ambient agency. In that time, we created award-winning activity that broke the traditional car advertising mould and set new standards in car marketing. BRIEF An interesting and unusual aspect of the MINI launch was that it did not follow the usual car launch practice of big media spend up front with TV and posters. Instead, it followed the adoption curve : Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and lastly Laggards. However this was not due to a limited budget. It just fit perfectly with the overall strategy of creating desire around the car, launching as a style brand with style influencers. WCRS had already created the brand positioning of It s a MINI adventure. CUNNING s brief was to find an approach that reinforced that positioning whilst going beyond what was expected - to capture the imagination of style influencers and the nonmotoring media to direct traffic to the website, to generate leads and to ultimately drive sales. S #1. Adverteasing - Matchbooks, Notes & Photo Packs #2. Adverteasing - NCP Car Park Wallpaper #3. Guerrilla Parking #4. Fetish MINI #5. MINI@Festivals #6. MINI Sandcastle #7. MINI Christmas Tree WIDER CAMPAIGN S As part of the wider MINI campaign, devised by CUNNING, many of the marketing activities received consumer press coverage. In total 7.1 million impacts were achieved in a variety of titles including The Sun, Creative Review, BBC News, Evening Standard and Auto Express. The launch year activity gave MINI huge word-of mouth with the style-influencers target audience and the work was a huge success. The work is now taught in BA Marketing programmes in both the UK and the US.

#1. ADVERTEASING - Matchbooks, Notes & Photo Packs CUNNING undertook nationwide underground activity leading up to the launch.

The campaign started with tease and reveal fly-posting. The idea was to seed the iconic shape of the new MINI, then reveal the car at a later date.

Targeting style bars and parked cars in these cities, we carried out the following activity to drive traffic to the new MINI website.

The photos featured a group of mates larking in and around a MINI. Branding was very subtle and was restricted to a MINI URL on clothes worn by the models or, for example, on the wall behind.

2 #1. ADVERTEASING - Matchbooks, Notes & Photo Packs CUNNING undertook nationwide underground activity leading up to the launch. While WCRS was making cinema and outdoor ads, CUNNING busied themselves spreading the word and taking the MINI brand to the people at style influencer hotspots around the country in 10 key cities. The campaign started with tease and reveal fly-posting. The idea was to seed the iconic shape of the new MINI, then reveal the car at a later date. We also supported this activity with similar stickers across the same 10 cities. Targeting style bars and parked cars in these cities, we carried out the following activity to drive traffic to the new MINI website. Authentic Snappy Snaps photo-packs, filled with teasing photos, were left on tables and bars as if someone had left their holiday snaps. The photos featured a group of mates larking in and around a MINI. Branding was very subtle and was restricted to a MINI URL on clothes worn by the models or, for example, on the wall behind. In clubs and bars, matchbooks (65,000 in total) were slipped into people s hands with a handwritten message and a phone number saying: You look gorgeous, give me a call! On calling the number, a cheeky voice message revealed the admirer to be MINI and callers were directed to to Get to know me better and view some of my photos. Similar activity ran on the streets with handwritten Post It notes pushed under car windscreen wipers. As part of the media launch 100 journalists were sent limited edition picture viewers to herald the launch of the new MINI. Tapping into the MINI adventure theme, CUNNING produced the Seven MINI Wonders of the World in gloriously kitsch and colourful 3D picture viewers. This three-pronged activity, aimed at directing people to the website, achieved a very high response rate of 11.2%. We estimate that with at least three people seeing each Matchbook and Photo Wallet and Car Park Note 202,000 people would have come into contact with MINI.

CUNNING. #2. ADVERTEASING MINI Cooper S Launch NCP Wallpaper CUNNING created bespoke MINI Wallpaper featuring the MINI Cooper S. The design included the MINI colour range in stripes.

Each area was at the entrance of the car park (and often the exit as well) to ensure that all drivers saw the wallpaper.

Each car park selection was based on its central location and high percentage of shoppers LONDON: Number of Spaces - 344 Average usage per week - 16,000 Users - 60% shoppers, 30% business & 10%

3 CUNNING. #2. ADVERTEASING MINI Cooper S Launch NCP Wallpaper CUNNING created bespoke MINI Wallpaper featuring the MINI Cooper S. The design included the MINI colour range in stripes. The wallpaper was used to cover internal areas of National Car Parks (NCP) across the UK. Each area was at the entrance of the car park (and often the exit as well) to ensure that all drivers saw the wallpaper. The wallpaper was rolled out over a 2-week period starting with the first car park in London in May, running for 3 months until the end of August. Each car park selection was based on its central location and high percentage of shoppers LONDON: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 16,000 Users - 60% shoppers, 30% business & 10% tourists TOTAL - 16,000 x 12 weeks = 192,000 GLASGOW: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 3,400 Users - 60% local business & commuters, 40% shoppers TOTAL - 3,400 x 12 weeks = 40,800 SHEFFIELD: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 5,000 Users - 60% shoppers, 40% business and commuters TOTAL - 5,000 x 12 weeks = 60,000 LEEDS: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 5,000 Users - 70% shoppers, 30% business TOTAL - 5,000 x 12 weeks = 60,000 NOTTINGHAM: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 7,500 Users - 80% shoppers and 20%business TOTAL - 7,500 x 12 weeks = 90,000 LEICESTER: Number of Spaces Average usage per week - 5,000 Users - 50% shoppers and 50% business TOTAL - 5,000 x 12 weeks = 60,000 (Source: NCP statistics)

4 Based on the figures and information provided to us by NCP we know that every car entering the car park HAD to pass by the wallpaper and 50% of the cars had more than one person inside (for the purpose of the exercise we have assumed 2 people). Therefore, the total Opportunity To See over the 3 month campaign was: 12 Week OTS = 754,200 people This activity recieved consumer press coverage in a variety of titles including: Nottingham Evening Post Readership - 214,442 Scottish Daily Express Readership - 285,000 Sheffield Star Readership - 177,996 Marketing Week Readership - 102,000

#3. GUERRILLA PARKING CUNNING devised a unique way to showcase the MINI and called it Guerrilla Parking.

Before the official launch of the car, CUNNING suspended MINIs in bizarre and breathtaking positions.

from a crane. In all scenarios the MINIs were tantalisingly close... but just out of reach.

Passing vehicles and footfall for the Guerrilla Parking sites are as follows: Screen on the Green, Islington.

5 #3. GUERRILLA PARKING CUNNING devised a unique way to showcase the MINI and called it Guerrilla Parking. This activity was a fundamental part of the teasing phase, which really bought the MINI Adventures theme to life. Before the official launch of the car, CUNNING suspended MINIs in bizarre and breathtaking positions. The first location was on top of Islington s Screen on the Green followed by Millennium Square in Leeds, where the MINI was suspended from a crane. In all scenarios the MINIs were tantalisingly close... but just out of reach. All the installations received significant press coverage. Passing vehicles and footfall for the Guerrilla Parking sites are as follows: Screen on the Green, Islington. Two weeks from 4th July - 1,832,000 (Islington Council) Millennium Sq, Leeds. One week from 7th July - 515,000 (Leeds Council) Guerrilla Parking was also featured in a variety of titles including: Yorkshire Evening Pos Readership - 99,199 ES Wheels Readership - 433,095 Marketing Readership - 40,000 Media Week Readership - 21,119 Islington Gazette Readership - 7,000

#4. MINI EVENTS - Fetish MINI Following MINI s initial launch, CUNNING implemented a number of activities with the emphasis on allowing people to

CUNNING also identified the importance of the gay community in style leadership and our work included a partnership between MINI and the gay nightclub

We dressed a Fetish MINI in a leather bondage costume and installed a huge sound system to lead the Pride March Parade (usurping the official sponsor

6 #4. MINI EVENTS - Fetish MINI Following MINI s initial launch, CUNNING implemented a number of activities with the emphasis on allowing people to experience MINI in the flesh at carefully selected calendar events. CUNNING also identified the importance of the gay community in style leadership and our work included a partnership between MINI and the gay nightclub Heaven. We dressed a Fetish MINI in a leather bondage costume and installed a huge sound system to lead the Pride March Parade (usurping the official sponsor Ford Focus, which was decorated with two rather sad looking balloons) and stealing all of the Press limelight as well as at GayFest in Manchester. With 200,000 people lining the street, we estimate that with MINI leading the Pride procession most people would have seen the car. At GayFest, Fetish MINI was driven in the parade throughout Manchester, where it would have been seen by 160,000 people.

CUNNING. #5. MINI EVENTS - MINI@Festivals MINI also did the summer festivals. CUNNING produced a Sound-System MINI, which had the boot taken out and a large 4K Sound-System installed.

In addition, hundreds of MINI inflatable tyres were distributed in conjunction with Pirelli, which were well received as a place to crash out.

Pascha. We even produced a pocket-sized guide to the island called MINI Misguided to Ibiza and gave away 20,000 across the island.

This gave the impression that this was a private party rather than a marketing exercise, further establishing MINI as being endorsed by the right people.

7 CUNNING. #5. MINI EVENTS - MINI@Festivals MINI also did the summer festivals. CUNNING produced a Sound-System MINI, which had the boot taken out and a large 4K Sound-System installed. This allowed DJs to mix and pump out tunes to passers by. In addition, hundreds of MINI inflatable tyres were distributed in conjunction with Pirelli, which were well received as a place to crash out. In Ibiza we teamed up with Ministry of Sound to ensure that MINI was seen at all the right spots; chauffeuring DJ s around, guest appearing in photoshoots and entertaining crowds outside Pascha. We even produced a pocket-sized guide to the island called MINI Misguided to Ibiza and gave away 20,000 across the island. At Notting Hill Carnival we arranged for the Sound System MINI to be parked in someone s driveway outside a house on the carnival route. This gave the impression that this was a private party rather than a marketing exercise, further establishing MINI as being endorsed by the right people. With the MINI positioned at the only entrance to Knebworth and V2001, it is estimated that 80% of attendees (110,000 people) would have come into contact with the car. 10,000 MINI branded hats were given out at both Knebworth and V2001, as well as 12,000 MINI Tattoos and 675 oversized branded tyres for people to sit on. According to organisers, Notting Hill Carnival had over 1 million visitors lining the streets of Westbourne Grove. We estimate that of these visitors, 20% would have seen the MINI with a total hit of 200,000 people.

8 #6. MINI SANDCASTLE Forget castles, moats and little flags, if you want to impress on the beach this summer, you better start practising! CUN- NING has been to work with a bucket and spade and produced a life-sized MINI sandcastle.

Across the festive season for two weeks the tree travelled up and down the

9 #7. MINI CHRISTMAS TREE CUNNING created a 50ft floating Christmas tree made up of the fibreglass cars used in guerrilla parking. Across the festive season for two weeks the tree travelled up and down the Thames to the delight of passers-by and the media. Even Tower Bridge opened especially for us.

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