MINI USA Holding Ad Agency Reviews
Love it or hate it, MINI’s advertising is usually memorable. Open up an Advertising Annual from Communication Arts from the past ten years and chances are you’ll find something from MINI featured. Many of the enthusiast old guard probably remember the USA brand launch from Crispin Porter & Bogusky. Since 2005, MINI’s advertising has been handled by Butler Shine Stern & Partners have lead the cheerleading efforts. Now Advertising Age is reporting that MINI USA has put out a Request-for-Information to a number of national agencies, including BSSP.
According to Advertising Age, MINI isn’t unhappy with BSSP’s performance. Rather, parent company BMW has a standing policy that advertising accounts must come up for review at certain intervals. Tom Salkowsky, head of MINI USA Marketing had this to say:
“Mini USA has been very satisfied with BSSP’s services. They have helped support Mini’s growth over the years with groundbreaking, never-been-done-before creative. We are simply adhering to BMW Group corporate purchasing procedures by going to RFP.”
Whether this means BSSP will come out on top of the review process remains to be seen. With only so many car brand accounts to go around, let alone one as fun as MINI, you’ve got to know the agencies under consideration are going to bring their best ideas to the table.
[Source: Advertising Age]
<p>Loved the work C P&B did not so sure about BSS&P stuff as I never seem to see much by them.</p>
<p>You noted that MINI had, over the years, many, many pieces that got into Communication Arts (CA) mag, true. I’ve been getting CA, and have have half my garage full of them, since the 1980’s but lately, since my retirement, I’ve just been thumbing, glancing through them. I’ll have to take a closer look as I really haven’t seen much MINI stuff. </p>
<p>Maybe a closer or retro look at MINI’s advertising would be a good piece for MF? But probably not as most here seem to just like more volatile issues.</p>
<p>bring back C P&B. BSS&P commercials don’t hold a candle to what used to be.</p>
<p>Anyone curious that wants to compare just stroll over to Youtube and have a ball!</p>
<p>That’s The Old Homestead steak house in the background. A great place to eat in NYC.</p>
<p>The Cram it in the Boot ad during last year’s Superbowl should have been the end of the BSSP contract. What a waste of valuable/expensive advertising time. </p>
<p>Being a HUGE NASA/Space Shuttle and MINI fan I LOVED that Coupe Shuttle stack! It was amazing and I wish I could have seen it in person!</p>
<p>The Crispin work defined the brand, and was superior in every way. Sorry, friends that have worked at BSSP but it’s true. But Crispin is also a very different agency than it was back then. I’d like to see someone young and hungry, like 72 and Sunny, get that account and see what they’d do with it. I feel like the original Crispin launch work had more of a soul. If they give the acct to Mcgarry Bowen, I’m driving my Mini Cooper into a pond.</p>
<p>Agree that C P&B really defined the brand well unlike BSS&P. BSS&P did the occasional decent effort though I think incredibly dull and boorish compared to the work of C P&B. In a great many ways MINI moved from being fun and quirky to relatively bland and mature though the years in the advertising. Have to call our the “Cram it in the Boot” fiasco as the biggest reason that I think MINI should move its account. I also agree in many ways it should not go back to C P&B either, find a young and hungry group that would love to dig their teeth into the heart and soul of the MINI brand again. </p>
<p>With campains like “Cram it in the boot”, can anyone be surprised that the old agency is on the way out? Really? They just took a car that I’ve loved for years and associated it, by numerous tasteless and very thinly veiled references, with anal sex? Yeah. If anyone wants to talk about ruining the brand, stop looking at the increasing size of the MINI model line and look to the ad agency that put out that campaign. </p>
<p>Most American beers associate their products with attractive women. Marlboro associates themselves with tough cowboys. MINI associates themselves with what? “Cramming it in the boot”? Good riddance!</p>