The upcoming BMW i vehicles are very futuristic looking. But amazingly, they’ll be seen on the road as soon as late 2013. To build awareness of the new BMW i sub-brand and reinforce the message that the future is closer than you think, we invented and built a digital BMW i Window Into the Near Future.

This installation turned a street-level window into a digital reflection of New York City traffic, transforming passing cars into BMW i3 and i8 vehicles. This effect gave passersby a glimpse into what the near future will look like.

The Window into the Near Future showcased BMW i's upcoming all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles just as they would soon be seen—on the city streets. Our use of innovative technology was important, as it underscored the innovative nature of the vehicles themselves. By positioning the Window adjacent to the BMW i Born Electric Tour event, we were able to drive people directly inside, where they could see the vehicles themselves. This would help enhance the brand impression even further.

With 3 cameras, 80,000 lumens and over 250,000 lines of unique code, we built digital car-tracking technology that transformed 248,368 cars into BMW i3 and i8 vehicles over one week. We also documented the process and brought more than 500,000 views to the BMWUSA YouTube channel. Media channels like Google Creative Sandbox, Creativity online, plus more than 800,000 passersby got a glimpse into the near future.