Last fall, BMW and Soho House announced a global partnership across all of twelve properties in Europe and North America. As Soho House Group’s global automotive partner, BMW i was engaged to provide i3 electric vehicles for driving experiences for members and guests at many of its sites and cultural events.
The idea was to develop a partnership involving two brands that share the same interests. “Both Soho House and BMW i strive for innovation and creativity in design,” says Allison Wagner, Communication Director for Soho House North America. “Between the multiple Soho House locations and strong BMW relationships with major fairs (i.e. Frieze in London, Paris Photo and Art Basel Miami etc.), the opportunities to co-create thrilling content are manifold,” Wagner said.
The partnership kicked off on October 14, 2014 at Shoreditch House in London, with an exclusive art talk between the photographer Juergen Teller and Chris Dercon, director of the Tate Modern: “The Naked Truth? Nudity, fashion, and the photographic image today.”
According to Soho House and BMW, the goal of this collaboration was to co-create experiences focused on automotive engagements, contemporary art, innovation and design. Soho House aims to provide a premium experience to guests, whether they visit an European or North American site.
The i3 electric vehicle was seen as the ideal car to shuttle around guests or display at various events. “BMW i3 is the ideal vehicle to be incorporated into the program, as it is best suited for dense, urban areas,” Wagner said. “Furthermore, the BMW i3 offers visionary design, ground-break vehicle architecture, dynamic performance and innovative connectivity, mirroring the mission of the BMW i and Soho House partnership.”
Nick Jones, Founder and CEO of Soho House further explained the partnership: “We were drawn to BMW because they share our passion for innovation across art and design. Our membership will see a range of co-curated members’ events and cultural celebrations such as Art Basel Miami. The launch of BMW i marks an exciting new era for electric cars and we are delighted to be able to offer our members and bedroom guests the opportunity to be among the first to drive them.”
Each House is slightly different depending on its location, but the same philosophy applies to each one of them: to create a comfortable home for a community of like-minded, creative people, wherever they are.
