In this week’s edition, Industry stalwart Adweek takes a look at what lead MINI USA to create the Hammer & Coop webisodes over a typical TV campaign. Here’s an excerpt::
>For Mini, the question was how to promote a 2007 model that has few improvements on the outside and major upgrades on the inside.
>”Television and print ads do a better job of showing the exterior of a vehicle than they do explaining less obvious interior upgrades, such as a start button, and performance features [like] fuel efficiency and improved handling,” says Hardy.
It’s an interesting article if your a student of branding or just a fan of the product. It’s also worth noting that dealer leads are up 60% since the launch of the campaign. That certainly jives with what we’re hearing at MF from dealers around the country.
You can read the entire article here:
[ Mini Cooper Retro Webisodes ] MotoringFile
A couple thoughts:
<strong>RE: Dealer Leads</strong>
Dealer leads being up significantly is probably more a sign of the fact that there is a new model available than anything to do with Hammer & Coop. Hammer & Coop may be a cute set of youtube videos, but I think they are more a case of preaching to the choir than intoducing new potential motorers to the new model. <em>That’s not to say that Hammer & Coop isn’t a success</em>, just that Hammer & Coop isn’t the driving factor behind dealer leads being up (JMO).
<strong>RE: Showcasing Features / Specs</strong>
Maybe it’s just my take, but the overall cuteness of the episodes dominates so much that the little interludes where features are discussed don’t make a lasting impression.
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
The 2003 remake of the Italian Job was the most successful ever campaign to raise awareness of the new MINI.
Hammer & Coop is fun and all, but it pales in comparison to a full feature motion picture. Heck even the BMW flicks of a few years ago were better made and had better story lines than H&C.
It seems to me H&C is an effort to try to reach out to generation Xers that remember all the cheesy action TV series of the late ’70’s and 1980’s.