Hello MINI
MINI UK
Issue 29 | December 2013
Agency
iris Worldwide, London
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Shaun Mcilrath Deputy Creative Director Dave Newbold Jim Eyre Copywriters Dave Newbold Dave Feldman Art Director Jim Eyre
Production Team
Experiential Agency iris Production Company Koffecup Media Agency Vizeum
Other Credits
Account Director Nicola Malcolm Account Manager Sian Patrick Designer James Butt
Date
September 2013
Background
MINI's 'Not Normal' campaign was based on the insight that MINI drivers have a unique relationship with their car, which extends to a Not Normal relationship with the MINI community. In days gone by, this was illustrated by the fact that MINI drivers would salute each other with a flash of the headlights.
In September 2013, MINI brought back the MINI salute but with a twist. Now all MINI drivers driving down the Cromwell Road in London would be greeted by personalised, real-time salutes as they passed five giant digital posters.
Idea
A bespoke technical platform combined with specially trained spotters allowed MINI to tailor specific messages to the colour and type of the passing car. The spotters were tested to make sure they could identify each model in the MINI range from a distance and activate the two iPads which triggered the salutes.
As for MINI drivers, as well as being recognised on posters in real time, they qualified for rewards such as a free car wash, free petrol and free flowers for their other halves.
An app was constructed with 3G wireless connectivity, which recognised the different models as well as factoring in traffic conditions.
Over 25 different 'Salutes' were written which had to engage and communicate a simple message over the five sites and along half a mile of dual carriageway.
Results
This was a technical first. An idea where consecutive messages were deployed in real time across multiple poster sites had never been created before. Nor had any brand ever uploaded images of its fans in real time and displayed them only seconds later.
In one week, MINI saluted 1,942 individual MINI drivers.
Over 50,000 people shared the online film with no paid media support.
77 pieces of PR coverage were generated, including a Mashable article that was shared nearly 4,000 times.
During the week the activation was live, 7,000 new fans and followers were recruited.
Our Thoughts
‘Not normal’ is an outstanding positioning statement for MINI. For fans, it flatters them and acknowledges that they feel different to other motorists. For drivers of other cars it throws down the gauntlet. How dull are you really if you drive a Golf.
A great positioning doesn’t always lead to great advertising but here, I assume these were the questions the creative team asked themselves when they were briefed:
How can we turn a poster site into an event?
How can we have an advertising idea that makes the news?
How can we personalise the communications to each MINI driver?
How can we get MINI drivers to become active participants in the idea?
What sort of conversations can we start?
Where can we go with those conversations once they have started?
And so on.
Not normal questions. But not a normal brand. And an idea way beyond normal too.