Make BMW relevant and cool to young purchasers entering the luxury car market.Dispel notion held by too many people that BMW was a brand for "posers".We knew the BMW driving experience was suited for young people entering the market. Research showed younger people desired cars that were "fun to drive" at a rate of 12 points higher than that of the previous generation. Our challenge was to help them discover BMW as the cool, true Ultimate Driving Machine.Though BMW's recent growth had been steady, other icons of the auto industry (like Cadillac and Lincoln) stumbled because their brands lost relevance with a younger customer.Unfortunately, a growing number of young people entering the luxury car market didn't see BMW's as being for people like them. Many believed BMWs were for status seekers. More than 70% of adults 18-36 felt that BMW owners used their cars to impress others. 30% classified BMW as "for people who want to fit in," a rate 2x that of the previous generation.BMW also had new competition. Mercedes, Jaguar and Lexus introduced new products aimed directly at BMW's segment-leading 3 Series. These forces pressured BMW's 3 Series, the model most consider for ther first BMW purchase. The concept was to truly blur the lines between marketing and entertainment, and to turn conventional notions of media versus production budgets upside down. By using a medium that was essentially "free", the internet, we would afford to invest much more in production to insure that viewers were rewarded with a highly entertaining experience, Instead of quantity in traditional media terms, we went for a quality brand experience that engaged the viewer for several minutes.A dedicated website www.bmwfilms.com with enhanced interactivity was created to present the films, and to separate them from more overt marketing at www.bmwusa.com.At the center: a series of short internet films directed by and starring A-list Hollywood talent, inlcuding directors John Frankenheimer (Ronin), Ang Lee (Crounching Tiger Hidden Dragon) and Guy Ritchie (Snatch) and actors Clive Owen (Croupier) and Madonna.Each film revolved around a central character we called The Driver, the world's best when it comes to transporting people to things out of dangerous situations. The Driver's character traits - his youthfulness, integrity, passion and willingness to take risks - reflected both the brand and the target. We wanted our target to identify with and crave the Driver's experience. Each film featuered the Driver using a BMW to complete missions, showcasing BMW's performance in an entertaining way.To frame the films as compelling entertainment, our campaign mirrored the launch of an independent film: quietly generating buzz to build organic traffic, then capitalizing on that momentum with limited TV and print "tune-in" advertising.A guerilla PR campaign first seeded news of "The tire" with internet movie rumor sites, spreading the word to a trend setting, entertainment crazed audience. Movie posters were hung in hip, urban areas. postcards were placed in trendy clubs. VIP subscribers of Vanity Fair received the first two films on DVD before the official release, accompanied by an endorsement from Vanity Fair Editor in Chief Graydon Carter. A radio DJ program generated talk among a young audience. A screening at the Cannes Film Festival gave BMW films instant artistic credibility with leading film critics.Once the buzz started, we followed up with a limited number of film trailers tagged "Now Playing at bmwfilms.com" on A&E, Bravo and Independent Film Channel and in theaters. Ads appearing in newspaper movie listings got the word out to an entertainment-seeking audience. Ads in Hollywood Reporter and Variety targeted Hollywood influencers. Fallon Media employs specialists called Connection Planners who push the boundaries of traditional advertising and help clients find new and holistic approaches to communications needs. This team, working with other BMW staffers, uncovered the strategic insights that led to the BMW films idea.BMW's target spends little time in front of the TV; yet this is the place car manufacturers, including BMW, traditionally focus advertising efforts. Research revealed BMW's target to be sophisticated internet users with high-speed PC connections. 85% used the internet in their search for recent car purchases. It became clear that the internet could become a means to connect with our core target as well as the younger, internet savvy audience that's crucial to BMW's future success.We conceived of a dedicated entertainment website as a means to connect with our younger target. Our experience with www.bmwusa.com told us that they would seek out compelling content. And if what they found delivered a satisfying and uniquely BMW experience, they'd begin to see BMW as a personally relevant brand, not merely a status-seeker brand. From this thinking, BMW Films was born.Media also devised a communications strategy to ensure BMW Films were seen as entertainment, rather than rejected as advertising. The idea was to build credibility by marketing the films as an independent film release. BMW Films was the most talked about marketing story in the U.S. in 2001, and it was as much a revolutionary media idea as it was a creative masterpiece. TIME magazine called it "the ultimate in new media, high-end branding." It turned traditional car advertising on its ear, improved brand perceptions and set the stage for car sales.The resulting media coverage was worth an estimated $20 million and the films have been viewed, to date, over 12 million times.25-44 year old luxury vehicle intenders exposed to the campaign saw BMW in a whole new light. There were dramatic increases in important measures of performance and brand perceptions among that audience. "Is a brand for people like me" jumped (77%). "Has more responsive handling than most luxury cars" (85%). "Is a brand for those who want to get the most out of the driving experience" (+94%). Purchase receptively increased (+64%) and planned dealer visits soared (+550%) among this group.Despite no major product launches, BMW sales were up 13% during a difficult year (2001) for the industry, and sales of the 3 series jumped 37% during the four-month films campaign vs. prior year.38% of visitors to www.bmwfilms.com were qualified prospects - that translates to a number (808,500) four times BMW's annual U.S. sales!

Fallon Media employs specialists called Connection Planners who push the boundaries of traditional advertising and help clients find new and holistic approaches to communications needs. This team, working with other BMW staffers, uncovered the strategic insights that led to the BMW films idea.BMW's target spends little time in front of the TV; yet this is the place car manufacturers, including BMW, traditionally focus advertising efforts. Research revealed BMW's target to be sophisticated internet users with high-speed PC connections. 85% used the internet in their search for recent car purchases. It became clear that the internet could become a means to connect with our core target as well as the younger, internet savvy audience that's crucial to BMW's future success.We conceived of a dedicated entertainment website as a means to connect with our younger target. Our experience with www.bmwusa.com told us that they would seek out compelling content. And if what they found delivered a satisfying and uniquely BMW experience, they'd begin to see BMW as a personally relevant brand, not merely a status-seeker brand. From this thinking, BMW Films was born.Media also devised a communications strategy to ensure BMW Films were seen as entertainment, rather than rejected as advertising. The idea was to build credibility by marketing the films as an independent film release.