MINI USA Marketing and Pixels
Back in December, we wrote a [review]( https://www.motoringfile.com/2014/12/22/opinion-a-tricky-year-for-the-f56-and-mini-usa/) of MINI’s activity in the U.S. for 2014. One of the sections of this post, “Don Draper and a VP of Devil’s Advocacy,” reflected on MINI USA’s marketing efforts for the past year. The key takeaway on this topic was that MINI USA needed to name a [VP of Devil’s Advocacy](http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/27/the-vp-of-devils-advocacy/) to think with the assumption that everyone else is wrong when projects like the [Final Test Test Drive](http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniusa/en/FTTD/Final-Test-Test-Drive.html) and the [Motoring Tag](http://motoringtag.com/content/mt/en.html) are put on the table. Based on Adam Sandler’s latest movie trailer, [Pixels](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bGwrxp_VWE), it appears that MINI USA has yet to find this VP. Or worse, they haven’t even started looking for one.
According to [IMdb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001060/?ref_=tt_ov_dr), Pixels tells the story of how aliens attack the Earth in the form of classic video games characters. At this point, you’re probably asking yourself why is this relevant to MINI? As it turns out, one of the bad guys in this movie is the legendary [Pac-Mac](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man), which is kind of counter-intuitive if you ask me. To save the day, four ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde have to hunt-down and kill Pac-Mac. If you’ve watched the trailer, you know that these ghosts are four colorful F56 Cooper S MINIs.
Until critics watch the movie, if they have the strength to do so, we won’t comment on its content. However, Adam Sandler’s track record is not in his favor, and there’s a slight chance this might be yet another flop. Actually, chances are very, very high. And so we wonder why does MINI, and by extension MINI USA, sponsor something like this? What values could a Sandler production possibly have in common with the MINI brand? It’s even difficult to imagine the kids that are going to see this movie with their parents asking them to buy a MINI. Their world is dominated by Minecraft where Pac-Man and Donkey Kong are unknown entities.
With limited knowledge of the inner-workings of MINI USA beside what we gather from press releases, it is easy to criticize their marketing efforts. So instead of doing so, let’s see how this product placement compares to other campaigns the BMW Group – directly or indirectly – participated in over the past 13 years:
– The Hire (2001-2002)
– The Bourne Identity (2002)
– The Italian Job (2003)
– Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
– Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)
We’ve probably omitted some titles, but every movie on this list made enthusiasts fall in love even more with their MINIs or BMWs. And it is safe to assume that these features drove sales to some extent. Next to that, we’re not sure what Pixels could accomplish. So if anyone understands where MINI USA Marketing is heading, please let us know, because we have a hard time figuring it out.
If this doesn’t want to make you buy an M3, we don’t know what will.
<p>I hate to say it, but it totally makes sense. I mean, MINI ‘basically’ sold out with the latest Cooper to conform and be more like other cars. So why not continue that sell-out by being in a cheesy Adam Sandler flick? And no, I’m not ‘trolling’, It’s just my honest opinion. I love MINI, but until they change their way, I won’t be owning another anytime soon…</p>
<p>Mini sold out when they were bought by BMW. The r53s were too big, too soft, too refined, and way too luxurious to be a real Mini. Almost as if someone tried to conform a Mini to be more like other cars. Power windows? really??</p>
<p>I think the R50/53 were right for the times and the global market which includes the US. However what’s been happening since then is just sad.</p>
<p>“were right for the time and global market” if that is the phrase you want to use to describe the r53, well, according to increasing sales figures year after year, it would appear the changes they’ve gone through are also right for the times and market.</p>
<p>Or if the “true Mini” fans are sad about the MINIs getting larger and more comfortable then you just justified the classic Mini fans’ sadness derision of the r53 back in 2001-2002.</p>
<p>The 2002 MINI was a modern interpretation of the classic beloved Mini. BMW had to incorporate modern technology as well as safety standards. I am sure it could have been smaller but I doubt many people would be buying a car with a 1 or 2 star crash rating. I would point to the sales of the current Smart and iQ as an example.</p>
<p>Now the point is that more people would buy the r53 than the classic because of its advances? Guess what, more people bought the r56 than r53 and it’s looking like BMW will sell more f56s than r56s. So buy that measure the cars are getting better.</p>
<p>The point I’m getting at is you are always going to have people who hate change even when the change makes something “better” and more people will buy the new more than the old. Many of us may have an idea of how MINI should be that doesn’t jive with what’s happening but fact is the changes have been good “business sense” when measured by sales. For every diehard they lose they gain more than one new fan.</p>
<p>Good grief you’re a dog with a bone. I can’t tell if you are joking, serious or what point you are making.</p>
<p>I hope my edit has made it clear that I’m just pointing out people don’t like change in something they love. Yes, I often have a sarcastic twist to my humor that might not be obvious.</p>
<p>Sorry I didn’t understand your first post was a joke.</p>
<p>If, by “other cars”, you mean cars people will actually buy, with seat belts, airbags, connectivity, premium sound, more horsepower and better handling, then I think they made the right move with the R53 by not trying to make cars that haven’t evolved much at all from the 1960s. Classics are very cool, but I don’t believe most of today’s MINI owners would suddenly have started buying classic Minis because just because BMW bought the brand – lots of improvements were needed.</p>
<p>I fully agree. The “improvements” are ongoing. Many old timers hate the countryman because it’s so big and doesn’t have the character of the early hardtops. However it was awarded “top safety pick” pretty much every year since it came out and MINI sells a helluva lot of them.</p>
<p>I lament the loss of “really small” and the purist go cart-mess character of the r53 but I’d rather drive my f56 any day.</p>
<p>MINI did a good job with the MINI Motoring Challenge Event, but it felt 70% complete. You went to it and it was fun, however it just felt like it was missing a foundation holding the whole event together. I left the event and not a single MINIUSA rep asked how the event is going or what my thoughts were, etc. So as a design/advertising student, I did a personal project based off of the MMC event theme of test track courses and developed an immersive event that would get people excited about the vehicles while also leaving a memorable impression on them. My peers really liked it but I don’t think MINI would care. Anyways, instead of spending so much money on commercials that don’t really connect with many people (i.e. all of the Final Test, Test Drive) they should be focusing on getting impressions on a personal level. They seem to do it with MINI Space but they could rekindle a whole community within MINI that they are slowly losing.</p>
<p>Would mind sharing in greater details what your project was about?</p>
<p>Hi Alex, I tried to abbreviate the project a little for the sake of posting within a comment.</p>
<p>“Rocketman – Ready for Launch” – An upcoming new model, the MINI Rocketman, needs an out-of-this-world launch event to get the public and current MINI owners excited about the car. Small, light, agile, it goes back to MINIs roots but with futuristic technology and character. Guests are invited to attend an evening/night event in the middle of a large parking lot that was transformed into a rocket launch site including astronauts, dance music, space-age food, and the guests’ mode of transport for the event, a Rocketman. Guests will be able to test drive the fleet of Rocketman cars on three space-themed courses: launching into space, orbit, and space exploration.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Parking lot: The parking lot will be set up to have several “docking stations” so guests can park their vehicles as if they are docking the space shuttle onto the ISS.</p></li>
<li><p>Entrance Gate: Guests will be greeted by event staff, which will check their credentials and make sure they are ready for launch. The entrance will be designed like a control room and astronaut preparation area.</p></li>
<li><p>Central Area: Central point of the event that connects the entrance to the three tracks. This area will include space-age food trucks, a DJ, and a NASA G-Force Training Simulator.</p></li>
<li><p>Tracks: Three themed tracks – launching into space, orbit, and space exploration.</p></li>
<li><p>Re-entry: Guests will “return back to Earth” at the end of the event and make their way back to the parking lot in a themed re-entry back to reality.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for sharing!</p>
<p>MINI does not have the heart and soul of mini. The brand continues to metamorphose into a beastly gargoyle. MINI should not attempt to be an “all-things-to-all-people” vehicle. It originally and should continue to occupy a specialty niche akin to Lotus. At the very least MINI should produce at least one model that retains its genetic blueprint.</p>
<p>Yes. Be unapologetically mini.</p>
<p>The business model isn’t working too well for Lotus.</p>
<p>Yes, Lotus has not experienced 20% of its brand potential. The company requires new management and more road cars with charisma and charm akin to the 60’s Twin-Cam Elite available in three performance stages versus race cars adapted for road use.</p>
<p>And at the same time MINIs business model is working quite well for them financially.</p>
<p>MINI already does produce one model that retains it’s genetic blueprint and it’s called the F56 MINI Cooper.</p>
<p>At the recent Geneva Motor Show, MINI’s chief designer, Anders Warming, said that the 3-door Cooper (NB not Cooper S) is the “Centre of the brand. It has a small footprint, it’s clever, it’s appropriate and it’s the right car for the money and the best blend of smiles and quality”. He went on to say that, “I’ve always found that the more heritage to a brand, the more natural it is to push it in new directions. Our sales have gone up, as have the numbers of happy customers. A MINI can be many things.”</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing your information, Nick.</p>
<p>Not at all, it was a pleasure. I hope the information was useful :)</p>
<p>I love MINI, even during these years of change. MINI, to me is iconic. It gives me the feeling of driving my own personal race car. The size, who makes it or what movies it plays in, will not change how I feel when I drive one. Like any brand, it has to change and progress. Not everyone has to like it or agree. I think the reason it chose this movie was to reach the old school video lovers out there. I am 38. I grew up playing Pac Man, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong. Adam Sandler has made some crap movies lately, but it won’t stop me from seeing it and cheering on the MINIs.</p>
<p>The only thing I can think of….</p>
<p>Someone thought that getting into an movie based on video games would plant the MINI brand into kids before they could buy a car.</p>
<p>The person who green-lit the project isn’t from the USA, may not even speak English, is well over 50, and has no kids to know what kids care about now. (And maybe is an Adam Sandler fan….)</p>
<p>Other than that, I got nothin….</p>
<p>But on more general marketing message. The Euro pitch of the hip urban city dweller isn’t as good a play here in the US. I think they should get back to pitching a practical, premium small sporty car pitch. They really need someone in the tent to be a reality check, and like the original story says, there is no evidence of its presence in MINI USA headquarters.</p>
<p>Growing sales is quite a statement about the quality of the car in the face of such poor marketing.</p>
<p>Good points, While I remain optimistic on sales, the numbers we’ve seen so far in 2015 could turn out to be deceiving (i.e. not “real” growth given where sales were at the same time in 2014 and 2013).</p>
<p>It is entirely possible that it’s the other way around, that the production wanted to use Minis and possibly even paid Mini a certain amount to do so.</p>
<p>I’m just going to assume whatever the case, Mini “got” to do this for either very little budget expenditure, or someone got wined and dined rather well.</p>
<p>Maybe wined and dined but I would have asked for the check right after hearing “Adam Sandler will be starring…”.</p>
<p>Say what you like, but Adam Sandler movies are seen by hundreds of millions of people and make obscene amounts of money. His production company, Happy Madison, is one of the most profitable in the world. Might not be your personal preference (or mine) in a movie, but from a marketing standpoint, it’s probably a good move for MINI in the long term.</p>
<p>Obscene amounts of money, sure, but when your brand has a reputation for being more hip and sophisticated (relative to other automakers) you have to think about how moves like this will impact brand reputation.</p>
<p>Of course it could also be a thing where the movie plays to nimbleness, handling and such a la The Italian Job, in which case I can see why they might bite.</p>
<p>I work in marketing. You’d be pretty amazed at the terrible proposals that get signed off on purely because of internal politics or some weird perk or just the need to blow budget at the end of a quarter to preserve budget for the next quarter.</p>
<p>I think the best overall marketing in a Movie for the BMW/MINI was the Italian Job (2003). Really show cased the MINI and it’s fun and sporty side. The looks were “iconic”, the way they used the in car in action scenes were great. I wonder how many folks either went out and bought a MINI or thought about buying one after that movie.</p>
<p>Many of the other media advertising used between 2002-2005 were also very good. Then MINI USA changed the marketing company and for me the quality slipped.</p>
<p>On the subject of variants that MINI has, it really doesn’t bother me that MINI has a Countryman, Paceman or other styles that aren’t perceived as being a real MINI. MINI is a business and to stay in business they need to sell cars.</p>
<p>What I think ideally MINI should do is follow the Porsche Model. Their top selling vehicle is the Cayenne but because it sells so well, they are able to keep making the 911other other similar models for the enthusiast.</p>
<p>MINI should keep making the Countryman, Paceman, Clubman, 4 dr Hardtop but then make a MINI that is very very close to the R50/53 (I’m not a fan of the Rocketman and some of it’s design, i.e. Union Jack tail lights – really??!!! NO.).</p>
<p>Keep it to the size of the R50/53, don’t overload on high tech stuff and make it sporty and fun. Sales of the other high volume variants will allow MINI to make the “Classic”.</p>
<p>On the advertising, that’s really tough. What one age group segments likes and thinks is good, another group dislikes. On post from Sub R, wrote about project that he put together. It used a space them and astronauts, etc. Now for me, I’d hate it. I’d find it silly and it certainly wouldn’t get me excited about MINI as a brand or the company. But that’s me. For someone in age group of 20-35, they might love it.</p>
<p>I think one of the most brilliant advertisement peices MINI has ever done (besides Italian job) was the counterfeit MINI ~10 minute long “PSA”. Wish I could find the full length version again. YouTube only has snippets and MINI doesn’t sell the disks anymore. B</p>
<p>Plz shoot me a message if you know where I can get a copy.</p>
<p>While this is not the 10 minutes PSA, it’s about the PSA.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dp7eqX1nI4" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dp7eqX1nI4</a></p>
<p>yup, seen that while hunting for the video before. It has some of my favorite scenes from the PSA. MINI <em>REALLY</em> screwed up letting VW outbid them for the advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. That agency was incredible. MINI’s advertising has never been anywhere near as good since CP&B left.</p>