With first two episodes slowly making their way out into the world via the web, it looks like media coverage of Hammer & Coop is about toe erupt. Here’s the first we’ve seen (from Marketing Daily):
>The films, which are directed by “Starsky & Hutch” movie director Todd Phillips and star Bryan Callen, are at www.hammerandcoop.com.
>Next month, Mini will release a faux music video for Eighties band Asia’s “Heat of the Moment,” which will be featured in the last film.
>The episodes parody Seventies action TV shows like “Mannix,” and are shot with a deliberately low-budget look. They follow the exploits of Hammer–who, in the first episodes, is being chased around L.A. by burly goons in a pickup truck.
>A national campaign supporting the Web films–via Mini USA’s ad agency of one year, Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners–includes trailers running in 1,900 cinemas through March; billboards in New York’s Times Square, on Sunset Boulevard and in Miami; movie posters, print ads; Internet campaigns on MySpace, YouTube, and accessories and merchandise for sale online.
>Mini plans a March-issue print push to increase visibility, given the brand’s history of favoring quirky and whimsical one-offs over spectacles. Instead of Mini’s slaloming around binding staples or careening around magazine margins–signature Mini advertising during Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s purview of the brand–Mini will run something of a print roadblock.
>Rolling Stone magazine will run an issue in March in which the Hammer & Coop films will be pitched on both front and back covers, and in 10 full-color pages within the magazine; an eight-page spread on the films, with a fashion theme, will run in March issues of Maxim, Stuff, and Blender; Premiere magazine will run a faux cover and five pages of “coverage” by staff; and Health magazine will integrate the campaign into its highly read monthly workout poster.
You can read the entire article here:
[ BMW’s Mini Launches Online Films ] Marketing Daily
<blockquote>The episodes parody Seventies action TV shows like “Mannix,†and are shot with a deliberately low-budget look. They follow the exploits of Hammer—who, in the first episodes, <strong>
is being chased around L.A. by burly goons in a pickup truck.</strong></blockquote>
If a MINI can’t out run a pick-up why buy it?
My feeling is if they would have used a chase car that was sporty, non discript, and a bit ricey the MINI would look more bad ass.
Any car on the road can out run a 28 year old pickup truck.
True, and the bad guy would have looked hilarious squeezed into a little lime green Civic with a primer grey body kit. :^)
Um… maybe because the 70s TV shows the films parody are chock-full of chases featuring goons in big vehicles? David & Goliath? When was the last time YOU felt threatened by a guy in a Honda del Sol?
and last night i just saw that movie mr. and mrs. smith which features a scene where a dodge/chrysler mini van outruns 3 BMW e39 5 series on the highway. rrriiiiight.
i think the real question is: How awesome is it to see Ogre from Revenge of the Nerds back in action?!?!
I am surprised that many of the MINI faithful that seem to dislike the R56 are not also objecting to this campaign. It seems like they are intentionally changing the Mini’s image, and I thought that would rub people the wrong way?
Previously the car was presented as a platform for people who loved to drive. Slightly quirky yes, but more serious and thought provoking value statement. A small and unusual british car.
This campaign is very tongue in cheek, making fun of itself, self consciously macho in an action hero kind of way. It parallels the design changes in the car – bigger, chunkier, cartoony, a characterization of itself – the B movie version of the Mini.
I thought the naysayers would be all over this like a cheap suit for “diluting the brand”, or making it “an everymans car”, “appealing to the masses” and all the other claptrap that has been thrown out as doomsday criticism of the R56.
So where are all those protesters? Never thought they would roll-over so easily for a treat.
Just remember… your talking about an era of television that had a private investigator keeping a low profile while taling people around in a RED FERRARI… on and ISLAND. It’s called suspention of disbelief and is required for the full enjoyment of most television and movies.
Right on!! msh441
<blockquote>When was the last time YOU felt threatened by a guy in a Honda del Sol?</blockquote>
LOL! Hey those del Sol’s are really creepy looking, and you know all the real bad guys had them as their backup cars!
<blockquote>Just remember… your talking about an era of television that had a private investigator keeping a low profile while tailing people around in a RED FERRARI… on and ISLAND. It’s called suspension of disbelief and is required for the full enjoyment of most television and movies.</blockquote>
While that’s true, the direction of the marketing is ok. But not exciting.
Amusing hokey-retro marketing pitch, but not exactly spell-binding entertainment. Just as I guessed, many of the scenes appear to have been shot in coastal communities such as Santa Monica. As lavadera states … “parallels the design changes .. B movie version of the MINI.” This style of hype may succeed to satiate the senses of the uninitiated but for those of us diehards — there ain’t no hype gonna change our disenchantment with the star of the show — “Arrgh56!”
Thank you Bud – I bet on you being first. Won the office pool.
A sci-fi version may have been a bit more compelling to watch in which MINI is scene motoring down Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway and is abducted by a crew of space aliens patiently focused on a distant ridge where MINI is sighted. The aliens cannot believe their Huge eyesballs and begin to dissect MINI on the spot like a Rubic cube where upon another UFO lands lowers its hatch we witness the emergence a “new” and improved R53. We cut to a breaking news flash in which a reporter is seen camouflaged
News flash! We see scores of aliens partying around a field of MINIs to celebrate their accomplishment.
You are most welcome lavardra. Now how ’bout a cut?
Please excuse the dangling participal in my script, I hit the send button inadvertently. The story line would have continued but what the heck … just use your imaginations
Time for all of you So. Cali ad wizards to steal my concept and add to your collections of Clios and Mobius awards. All ya gotta do is simply recalibrate/ adjust the positive pitch up and depict the aliens as being thoroughly enraptured — literally entranced by the advanced technology and mesmerizing aesthetic charm of the new MINI created by a superior earthling intelligence. Grab ya?
“New MINI Club Now Forming”
Parking lot of a very remote Area 51 drive-in eatery located on E.T HWY. We see off in the distance what initially appears to be a typical car club gathering. We see a fast approaching caravan of MINIs behind our news van apparently destined for the club meet. Nothing particularly unusual until they begin to whizz past our news van and enable us catch a glimpse of the “motorers” behind their wheels. We follow and stop to check out the scene to witness a sizable gathering of happy space alien motorers. As we raise our antenna to do a remote we spot a MINI hovering above ground with green mood lighting aglow. We galnce at our monitor to read a message — Become a Member, We Wecome You.
don’t quit your day job bud
Ain’t nothin’ like discretionary time to kill lavardera
Silent movie action-thriller sequence:
Steaming locomotive roaring down the rails plows into stranded R56 catapulting MINI into silent movie stardom. Sub-titled R.I.P 2007
How merciless am I 🙂
Silent movie action-thriller sequence:
Steaming locomotive roaring down the rails plows into stranded R56 catapulting MINI into silent movie stardom. Sub-titled R.I.P 2007
How merciless am I!
By the way lavardera don’t let ’em catch ya wasting company time viewing MF or they may suject you to subliminal mind-altering MINI advertising messages designed to transform your predilection while offering you a pay hike.
I think the H&C episodes and concept is really funny and quirky. Great job.