The current BMW i online campaign is shifting its focus to the driving experience. So far, communications have concentrated on the BMW i brand and BMW i3 product. Now, the online platform www.TheBMWi3Experience.com allows users to accompany BMW i3 test-drivers on their maiden drive in an electric car. Unstaged situations and unscripted dialogue convey the authentic reactions and enthusiasm of drivers and their passengers.
“We realised right away, after the first test-drives, that we should utilise the excitement of BMW i3 test-drivers for a really authentic and unique form of communication,” explains Dr. Steven Althaus, head of BMW Brand Management and Marketing Services BMW Group. “The online campaign networks reality and marketing and provides an honest insight into the BMW i3 driving experience,” adds Althaus.
45 teams, with 107 people in total, were invited to test-drive a BMW i3 in Berlin, London and Madrid and filmed during the drive. Over 30 hours of film material were condensed into the best, most entertaining scenes and edited for use on the online platform. Further test drives are planned in Paris, Amsterdam and Oslo. The test-drivers are people with no prior experience of electric-powered vehicles: couples, families, friends, students and co-workers, aged between 20 and 65, not to mention a Hollywood star: American actor and producer Josh Hartnett, who was also filmed during his first BMW i3 experience.
Visitors to the interactive microsite experience the BMW i3 test-drives through randomly-chosen test-drive videos. They can change drivers at any time, modify the camera angle or skip ahead to the next team. The experience is just like a virtual test-drive. Questions on the BMW i3 or electro-mobility that test-drivers asked during their drive are also answered by an expert in brief video sequences. The campaign will focus on the interactive online platform with close links to the BMW i website and BMW i social media channels.
You can watch the clip here:
