LOS ANGELES A new spot for the BMW Series 3 breaking tonight furthers the brand's creative goal of making its advertising "more emotional and expressive," said Mark Ray, group creative director at Omnicom Group's GSD&M Idea City in Austin, Texas.
The 30-second spot ("We Built the Car") shows the BMW Series 3 in Soweto, South Africa, where enthusiasts "spin" cars as a sort of underground street sport. The commercial also shows pop artist Roy Lichtenstein applying Ben-Day dots in his studio and cuts to a completely treated beamer. It uses a clip of Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald necking in the headlights of a Series 3 in Pretty in Pink, and shows a simulated BMW in the Gran Turismo 4 game.
A voiceover says, "We didn't intend to be a part of any subculture, or pop culture. We didn't set out to play games, or to start a religion. We just made the car. The BMW 3 Series: Another expression of independence from a company built on it."
Jay Russell (art direction) and Wade Alger (copy) worked under gcds Ray and David Crawford.
Dana Christiaansen, Plum Productions, Santa Monica, Calif., directed.
"The strategic objective is to take what BMW is aboutthe brilliant vehicles, the dynamic high performanceand present it in a new way," said Lee Newman, GSD&M svp, account director. "Though the 3 Series is highly considered in the segment, we're positioning it as an iconic vehicle with a storied past, celebrated in different ways."
Added Ray, "We will continue to amplify the emotional power in our advertising, not just for the 3 Series but in the first hydrogen-car work. We're using television to its best advantage."
It's a funny thing you posted tis article. I was watching TV last night and saw that BMW commercial. I had TiVo so reround it. And there we see Andrew and Molly in the scene from Pretty in Pink standing in front of the BMW.
The only problem with TiVo is you can't record only one commercial. You have to record the whole program so needless to say I didn't bother. I do agree i despise most auto commercials. Even worse if they are used car lot auto commercials who use their own employees instead of proffesional actors.
Wow! Andrew appeared a Toyota motor commercial! When was it?I hope he appears any commercicals in Japan. CurrentlyTommy Lee Jones appears a Japanese canned coffee commercial. There must be a chance here in Japan.Silly me.
