BMW steps on the gas with short films on the Internet
The German automaker is investing its online advertising budget in new concepts
The German automaker is putting its online advertising money into new conceptsBavarian Motor Works (BMW) has its own ideas about what marketing on the Web can look like. The site bmw films.com shows, not without success, how Internet advertising works beyond banners. The recipe for success of BMW's marketing site bmwfilms.com is as simple as it is ingenious. Take five successful directors and give them the task of making one short film each under the overall title "The Hire." The only conditions were that a BMW be featured in the film and that it always be driven by British actor Clive Owen. Everything else was left to the imagination of directors John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wai, Guy Ritchie and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
The films and not the car are in the foreground
The result is convincing. Three of the five short films, which by the way can only be seen on the Internet, can already be viewed online. The fourth film, directed by Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie, will be released on June 7. It is rumored that the pop diva will also play a role in it.
On the bmwfilms.com website, the focus is on the films and all the information that goes with them, such as cast, background information on the shoots and the like, and not on intrusive car advertising. The fact that this is a BMW site can only be recognized by the small logo in the upper right corner and the possibility to view information about the cars used.
Michael Kirsch, Head of Public Relations at BMW in Munich, explains the concept behind bmwfilms.com: "The whole thing is an innovative marketing project. After all, these are not commercials, but artistically sophisticated flicks for the medium of the Internet."
BMW seems to have realized that banner advertising on the Internet usually has no more or less effect than classic advertising in print products and is now trying to break new marketing ground with its short films on the web. According to online traffic measurements by Nielsen/NetRatings, the money invested by BMW in the site and the films already seems to be paying off.
Madonna to drive up the clicks
While 138,000 unique visitors were on the site in week 20, 214,000 were already counted one week later. On average, visitors stayed for more than six minutes. That's long enough to watch one of the short films. With the release of Guy Ritchie's flick, the number of visitors is expected to increase further. BMW's concept certainly seems to be working. Patrick Hediger
The films and not the car are in the foreground
The result is convincing. Three of the five short films, which by the way can only be seen on the Internet, can already be viewed online. The fourth film, directed by Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie, will be released on June 7. It is rumored that the pop diva will also play a role in it.
On the bmwfilms.com website, the focus is on the films and all the information that goes with them, such as cast, background information on the shoots and the like, and not on intrusive car advertising. The fact that this is a BMW site can only be recognized by the small logo in the upper right corner and the possibility to view information about the cars used.
Michael Kirsch, Head of Public Relations at BMW in Munich, explains the concept behind bmwfilms.com: "The whole thing is an innovative marketing project. After all, these are not commercials, but artistically sophisticated flicks for the medium of the Internet."
BMW seems to have realized that banner advertising on the Internet usually has no more or less effect than classic advertising in print products and is now trying to break new marketing ground with its short films on the web. According to online traffic measurements by Nielsen/NetRatings, the money invested by BMW in the site and the films already seems to be paying off.
Madonna to drive up the clicks
While 138,000 unique visitors were on the site in week 20, 214,000 were already counted one week later. On average, visitors stayed for more than six minutes. That's long enough to watch one of the short films. With the release of Guy Ritchie's flick, the number of visitors is expected to increase further. BMW's concept certainly seems to be working. Patrick Hediger
