Serviceplan sends nearly blind writer on test drive
In the summer of 2018, the new BMW 8 Series Coupé was unveiled in Switzerland for the first time. Weeks earlier, Serviceplan Suisse had already drawn attention with a spectacular test drive. The driver: Michael Fehr, a writer who is nearly blind.
The test drive took place on a secure site at an airport in the Bernese Oberland. Michael Fehr, who is nearly blind and had never sat behind the wheel of a car before, accelerated the BMW 8 Series Coupé to 180 km/h. His drive was turned into a film in which Michael Fehr describes the experience in his own words. The poetic images were captured using camera technology developed specifically for the film. Michael Fehr notes: «Strangely enough, I wasn’t afraid.»
Michael Fehr has been 95 percent blind since birth. As a result, he learned early in life to rely more heavily on his other senses to navigate the world. With his unique way of perceiving the world and his artistic expression as a writer, he was able to describe the BMW 8 Series Coupé in an emotionally resonant way like no one else. «The new BMW 8 Series Coupé is, above all, an emotional experience. Michael Fehr has a gift for perceiving emotions with great sensitivity and putting them into words that touch the heart,» explains Raul Serrat, Executive Creative Director.
The film’s premiere took place near Zurich at the BMW Group Brand Experience Center in front of a hand-picked audience. Following the screening, guests enjoyed an engaging panel discussion in which Michael Fehr spoke with Art Basel Global Director Marc Spiegler about his experience as a blind test driver. Afterward, guests got their first live look at the new BMW 8 Series Coupé.
The campaign for the launch of the new BMW 8 Series Coupé was developed in collaboration between BMW Group Switzerland and Serviceplan Suisse. The short film was screened in theaters as part of the 14th Zurich Film Festival. Starting November 21, it will be shown in additional Swiss movie theaters and on social media channels. In addition, a short documentary will be released, offering even more insight into Michael Fehr’s thoughts before, during, and after his spectacular drive.
Responsible at Serviceplan Suisse: Daniel Hesse (Art Direction), Dieter Boller, Günter Zumbach, Michael Fehr (Copy), Simon Staub, Florian Birkner (Creative Direction), Raul Serrat (Executive Creative Direction), Edi Walker, Andrea Aegerter (Consulting), Nathalie Jakober (Art Buying), Marco Lutz (Director), Ralph Baetschmann (DOP), Shining Pictures (Production), JingleJungle (Sound).
