The Campaign

Another Day, Another Adventure - the spirit and promise that the MINI Coupe and Roadster offer to China . . . .and the world. MINI China wanted to bring the spirit of adventure, risk, boundary breaking and danger to life for their Media stakeholders for the R58/R59 Launch and immerse them in the MINI spirit of irreverence, cheekiness, absurdity and style.. MINI needed to send a focused message to the media on what Another Day Another Adventure means to China and to MINI. The campaign dovetailed into an around the world drive by MINI ambassadors who photographed the world from, and with their MINI. Thousands of these framed photos of all corners of the globe converged on the walls of the MINI Launch site in Zhuhai, China, where over the course of a full day, media were introduced to real high stakes adventurers (an Air force Captain, a Department of Defense-Special-Ops-Trainer & the Hollywood Stunt Driver from The Italian Job. These adventurers were the personal coaches to the media teaching them high stakes driving maneuveurs and stunts on 3 custom designed adventure courses & a customized competition course. The evening was topped off with a full scale stage production, themed around the End of World and how your mini can save you as the Mayan Calendar ticks to its end. The products were formally revealed a midst a backdrop of MINI car stunts, a Space Shuttle (the ultimate adventure) the MINI executives in costume as adventures and explorers.

The Brief

The objectives were to bring the adventurers spirit of MINI to life. Raise the stakes of the brand in the media's eyes - the print, radio and TV media - from a stylish luxury product to a driver's machine that can help you achieve the unbelievable, break boundaries, take risks, find adventure in your every day. MINI's objective was to bring this idea of Adventure and Exploration to life in a way that would re align the way in which media communicates around these two products and the brand as a whole.

Results

The program's success is measured quantitatively by # views of the video content that was released of the gala (over 1,000,000 shortly after launch) , greater than predicted media hits (Client wont reveal the metrics) and greater than expected sales volumes.

Execution

The campaign unfolded over two days in February, 2012, and dovetailed a global MINI driving adventure where MINI ambassadors photographed their MINI in situ around the famous and esoteric places of interest. These images - over 1,000 of them- enveloped the media when they arrived at the R58/R59 launch. The plan unfolded over the course of 12 hours, in 6 chapters: 1. Arrival and briefings by the adventurers; 2. Adventure drive courses, 3. Timed competition 4. Gala reveal: End of Days, 5. Stunt show, 6. Adventure dinner. In the final chapter of MINI stunt drivers an a high impact moment to reveal the price point ends the celebration after which the Media enjoy a formal dinner cooked with meats and dishes made for adventurers in a room outfitted in National Geographic style.

The Situation

Situation: MINI believed their brand was becoming diluted and needed focus to bring the driving and adventurous spirit to life. Problem: How best to balance an authentic adventure and explorers' spirit, with risk and adrenaline and style and bring these two cars to life. Opportunity: Engaging with the media over the course of a day, to create a range of engagements and immersions, personal touchpoints with real explorers and adventurers - both behind the wheel of the MINI products or being coached or indulging in the cheekiness of the MINI Executive's role playing as a reminder of the brand values.

The Strategy

Bring MINI's adventurers' spirit to life by activating true risk takers, professionals who spend their time behind enemy lines, protecting the world's elites from kidnapping . . .and getting them out of tough situations, and who are proven entities to push MINI to its limits. We built an campaign around a decorated US marine, a Special Forces DoD trainer, and the Italian Job Stunt Driver. We created customized never-before-performed in China drive experiences (alighting a moving flat bed truck at speed). The Team of Adventurers lead the media through their real life adventure stories, trained the media how to control the MINIs in each custom courses. The campaign's capstone was a product reveal where the MINI executives role played as global adventurers took the Media through a narrative of an "End of Days" and a tongue in cheek narrative of how the MINI will save you when the world ends.