BMW was getting ready to launch the All-New X5. Then, the US president made a public speech criticizing German automakers—mentioning BMW specifically—and threatened to implement new import tariffs on their cars. Social media was filled with posts against BMW and in support of the idea. But what most Americans don’t know is that BMW’s biggest factory is in the US and that the X5—the brand’s best-selling vehicle—is, in fact, made in America.

To disrupt the LA Auto Show, we let the X5 do the talking. So instead of transporting the car in a carrier and listing its features, we drove it all the way from the factory in South Carolina, where it’s made, onto the event’s stage, essentially crossing the country from coast to coast. And to showcase the car’s capabilities, we drove in the straightest line possible. During the 3,027-mile, 10-day adventure, we tested the limits of the X5 through all kinds of challenges, such as thunderstorms, forests, treacherous terrain, cornfields and even a real-life demolition derby, turning the road trip into an authentic product demo broadcast on social media. When we finally arrived in Los Angeles, we opened BMW’s presentation with a video of the journey. And as soon as it ended, the all-dirty X5 broke onto the stage fresh from the road, driven by BMW North America’s CEO.

Our general audience for the entire launch campaign skewed male (59%). Successful individuals who no longer had children in the house and were willing to invest in a premium car. Our campaign also targeted the social media audience. We wanted to prove our critics wrong on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and reinforce BMW’s American roots despite being a German automaker. Additionally, the stunt at the LA Auto Show helped us reach the automotive press, car enthusiasts and influencers by showing the X5 in action instead of merely listing its features.

The campaign started inside BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina. We traced a straight line to the LA Auto Show and drove across America for 3,027 miles with one rule in mind: we would take detours only when absolutely necessary, overcoming the obstacles that stood in the way. The journey became an authentic product demo broadcast on social media. We also created Instagram, Twitter and Facebook posts celebrating America’s heartland and the places our straight line took us to. We turned the content captured along the way into an integrated launch campaign, made on the road, including TV, digital, social and print ads, as well as the video that opened BMW’s presentation, featuring the X5 in action. The journey ended with the CEO of BMW North America driving the all-dirty X5 onto the stage, surprising the audience and car enthusiasts around the world, who could stream the presentation live.

8 times more views than the average for a YouTube video

165% more engagements on Facebook

86% increase in visits to the product page