In Japan, BMW is a well-known premium auto brand, but wasn’t as established as a luxury brand known for its craftsmanship as well as its involvements in the arts. While our target audience – high net worth individuals in Japan – were aware that BMW makes great cars, that alone wasn’t going to satisfy them in the hyper competitive luxury auto market. Instead, what they were looking for from luxury brands were more than just good products, but exclusivity, connection to culture and quality. To entice HNWIs in Japan to consider BMW for their next car purchase, we needed to create a tailor-made product and brand experience that hit the chord with the Japanese consumers.

To capture the attention and interest of our target audience, BMW partnered with Nishijin artists from Kyoto who create hand-crafted cloths known as Nishijin-ori. Originating in Heian-kyōto over 1200 years ago, Nishijin weaving is known for its highly-decorative and finely-woven designs, created through the use of meticulous and hand-crafted production processes. It is well-regarded for the high quality and craftsmanship of the resulting fabrics, commonly used for high-quality obi and kimono. By partnering with these traditional craftsmen, BMW could showcase its superior engineering and crafts as well as its commitment to Japanese culture.

The resulting BMW X7 Nishijin Edition adorned special paint in the exterior that was hand-painted by BMW craftsmen from BMW Individual, a studio created exclusively for custom-made cars, while the interior was designed with Nishijin-ori, including the front center arm rest and roof. Only 3 cars were made available online and launched in Japan across media to communicate BMW’s focus on craftsmanship, quality and respect for Japanese artists.

BMW X7 Nishijin Edition launched across channels in September 2021 with a press event announcing the product and BMW’s commitment to the Japanese market. In addition, paid media was placed across digital channels including social media, online video and programmatic to drive traffic to BMW’s own website where one could purchase the car online. Finally, emails were sent to existing and past BMW customers to generate interest for the exclusive product.

Furthermore, to highlight the unique and exclusive product experience, custom content (vidoes and articles) were created showcasing the meticulous production process and the craftsmanship that go into creating BMW Nishijin Edition. This content was placed across paid media as well as BMW’s own channels (website, social media, direct mail) to tell a more in-depth story and artisans’ philosophy behind the product as well as BMW’s commitment to supporting Japanese traditional art & culture.

The product launch generated significant buzz, with over 150MM JPY in earned media impressions. Paid media drove incremental awareness, generating over 28MM impressions. Website visitation to BMW soared and generated over 200K visits to the Nishijin pages. Finally, the campaign generated over 4,000 leads with the 3 custom products being sold out within a month.

More importantly, BMW X7 Nishijin Edition showcased BMW’s understanding and commitment to Japanese culture and helped establish BMW as the premier luxury brand in Japan.