BusinessWeek on MINI USA’s New Campaign

Sections: In the Press | Marketing Jul 21st, 2006 36 Comments

As MINI owners slowly discover the new “black box” campaign by MINI USA and their new agency BSSP, the mainstream press isn’t far behind. And in this case, they seem to be almost as giddy about it as most MINI owners. Here’s an excerpt from an article in next week’s BusinessWeek:

Why would an automaker spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising to reach people who already bought the car? Go ask Mini USA. In the next few weeks, the company will launch a series of ads in magazines ranging from Maxim to The New Yorker aimed just at their current 150,000 U.S. owners. Potential customers won’t even be able to read what’s on the page.

That’s because the ads will be encrypted, decipherable only by the cognoscenti. Mini is sending owners a “covert” kit — mocked up as a wizened-looking book — that will include special glasses, a decoder, and a “magic window decryptor.” Using those, owners will be able to find Web addresses in the ads that lead them to free prizes and invitations to events. Nonowners will just have to feel slightly jealous that they’re out of the loop.

[ For Your Eyes Only ] BusinessWeek

Written By: Gabe

Siddhartha

“More wacky than posh” describes every MINI owner I’ve met so far, including Penn Jillette.
Luis

I am still waiting for my “kit” but, It’s amazing how MINI gets to always raise the bar on terms of advertising strategy and marketing. Aproaching the “already owners” may be a risky move..But it could at the same time be a very brilliant move that will get more new enthusiast buying..buying or wanting to buy the cars.. To all the other automakers out there .. watch and learn!
http://www.gbmini.net Ian C.

Seems to me this strategy will only work properly if “we” (fanatical MINI owners) slowly reveal some of it to the non-MINI folks
EricR

Sounds plausible, Ian – definitely off the wall, but if it gets non owners to ASK owners what it’s all about…
Neil

Or if it gets non-owners to go to a dealer to find out more.
http://www.motoringphotography.com Dave

Seems to me this strategy will only work properly if ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œweÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚Â (fanatical MINI owners) slowly reveal some of it to the non-MINI folks

I already had one non-MINI owner write in to the “contact us” link on NAM asking what the ads said once they were decoded.
Art

I think it will pass under the noses of non-owners, just as they planned.

If it’s an add in a magazine, a non owner will just….

turn the page.
DELI

Actually, while the ad appeals to owners, it is a full-page photo shot from above of an indi blue MINI with racing stripes. The white roof almost looks grey from the coded message. The car looks great, so the brand is out there in front of non-MINI owners. It is by no means a waste…
Avitor

So, where’s my decoder glasses already?
O(=^=)OCapn

So, Shall we all keep an eye on this page so we know where to look for magazines that have the Ads?

So Deli, You first, which mag, which page?
Steve

Info is posted in the MINIUSA Owners Lounge:

New Yorker 7/24 Sports Illustrated 7/31 Blender August Business 2/0 August Maxim August Swindle August/September MC2 September/October
Theo

While the “secret web destination” was pretty cute, the thing that really caught my fancy was the pig latin in the magazine ads!

Theo
http://www.rogueminis.com stoopidgirl

Nope, I haven’t gotten my set either but I got an email saying I’m suppose to.

I don’t think Mini is off base targetting the people who already own Minis because a lot of people own more then one, want another one or are trading their current one in for a new one. Not to mention the people who truly are fanatics and will do this sort of thing are going to talk about it. I’ve sold over 6 Minis in the 2 years I’ve had mine, inspired a paint job of one and inspired a fellow Mini owner to get a 2nd one…I also have 2 more people who are thinking about buying, I just took one for a test drive on my lunch break. Mini is cool and unique in how they do things as a whole, they act like they want us around even after they have our money. Mini Rocks…case and point.
Ken

Got mine in the mail today. Just got home from a trip and haven’t had a chance to check it out yet. Something to look forward to tomorrow.
Teresa

still waiting patiently for my kit : )
WingNut

Some people in here have mentioned that they are second-hand MINI owners, won’t be getting a kit and would like one. Or are in Canada and would like a kit.

My wife and I both have MINIs and were sent two kits. Obviously we only neeed one. If someone who doesn’t have a kit would like a kit, send me a PM over at NAM and I will mail mine out to you… black box and all!

Cheers Ken
lTZMTOR

NADA here! As Clara Peller once said.. sort of, “Where’s the Book?”
Ian F

Sort of plays on the “I have one and you don’t” theme.
http://www.rogueminis.com stoopidgirl

how about “I don’t have one and some of you don’t either!” :P I wonder what time the mail comes today? We have 2 Minis…I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeed my book…so I can promptly add it to my piles of Mini memorabelia (sp?)
DELI

I got mine in the August Blender. Don’t know what page…the magazine came in the mail, I ripped out the MINI ad and threw the mag away.

It was one of those promotional subscriptions that began when we moved into a new house. I don’t read the thing…I just read it for the MINI ads!
FUEGO

Just walked in the door – ours came in the mail today so now its time to see what we got ;) Ya gotta love a company that spends marketing $$ on those of us who already ‘saw the light’ :)
http://06mcs.blogspot.com o-ron

Aside from spreading the “secret” news to our fellow non-MINI (but soon to be!) owners, I think it is also none-too-coincidental that MINI is rekindling excitement in all the current owners as the new ’07 model begins to make an appearance…
mr.abulia

Any chance of some news on what the ads say for us Canadian mini wanna-be owners? :)
GadgetGav

I think o-ron has it right. How many people who have MINIs are thinking about trading up to an 07..? Maybe not that many (yet) and maybe many of then rushed to buy the last 06s (GP anyone? Ian..?) I’m not even sure if this campaign is featuring the new model or the current one because I haven’t got my kit yet, but it can’t hurt to make current owners feel part of an exclusive group just before a new model is launched…
gokartride

Clever…edgy…buzz-generating…just what MINI campaigns are known for.
fdavid

I have the kit…in the garbage already, it feels quite cheap and unnecessary clutter it is an incredible amount of paper trash heading to the recycling center.
lmaxey

…and think of all the wasted electrons spent complaining about paper use. go hug your precious tree and let us enjoy MINI’s latest
http://MINImeet.ca Robert

WingNut: You have a PM on NAM!

=R=
Jenn

I wonder if the ads in all the magazines are the same or different? They mention web sites (plural) so does each magazine get a different ad? Inquiring minds want to know!
agranger

This campaign is kinda focused on MINI owners, as we may think “such a cool company and car… maybe I’ll buy a second (or third) one…”

I would believe that it is deeper than that. It’s a cool concept that is targeted at FRIENDS AND AQUAINTENCES OF MINI OWNERS… those people who know we drive MINIs, but who just haven’t been in them or gotten the whole sales pitch. It’s generating buzz, not about the car, but about the campaign so that even non-auto-enthusiasts might approach us and say “Hey… what’s up with this secret message ad” and we, the true MINI nuts that we are, reply with “It’s cool! Look at all this stuff my cool car company sent me! Did GM/Lexus/Toyota/Ford send you something cool lately? No? Wanna go for a ride in my cool MINI? It’s so cool!”

How many MINIs have each of us sold? I know of at least 2 people who have gone to the dealership just from a quick conversation with me and a look around the car. I think that it’s more of a conversation starter about our fun little cars than MINI trying to sell us anything… their campaign turns US into their marketing materials, and we probably make beter adverts than anything MINI could put into print.
WingNut

Just a note to all. My kit is headed down under! Sorry again Robert!

Cheers! Ken
http://www.deolink.com wirelessdeo

Kit came in today, no luck finding the first mag. hope the local libary has it. all the bookstores had was the july 31st copy….
Frank

Absolutely brilliant! Finally received my kit yesterday in the mail.
http://bravo5.org/blog blalor

It’s pretty nifty, that’s for sure. There’s all kinds of little sub-jokes stuck in the material, too!

Now, does anyone know where I can find some waterproof inkjet sticker paper? The one linked to in the ahem documentation is no longer available. :-(
Avitor

Got my kit tonight! Well, during the day Thursday, but I didn’t check the mail until 10pm.
TSizemore3

The only drawback I have found so far is that the “secret” website requires a broadband internet connection and the latest versions of Quicktime and Java to work properly. Because I live in the backwaters of the Internet, I can only get dial-up service at home, and was unsuccessful in getting the website to work properly. I had to go to the library and connect to their broadband network via wi-fi and download the latest version of Quicktime before I could properly view the site. Of course I was kinda neat once I jumped through all those hoops.

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