BMW Introduces X3 Sports Activity Vehicle With National Ad Campaign

Fallon Creates Ads to Showcase Versatility, Agility Through Four Seasons

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Dec. 15 -- Using a bold, four-quadrant template to communicate an active lifestyle and a versatile, agile vehicle, BMW launches its new X3 Sports Activity Vehicle with national television and print advertising, beginning Jan. 1.

With the tag line "Any weather. Any corner. Any pace. Any passion," the fast-paced creative mirrors the passion for performance of the X3 buyer, while reinforcing the X branding through a constant visual hook.

"With the X3, BMW is truly extending its reach. The X3 is built for people with an active lifestyle -- whether they are snowboarders, surfers, mountain bikers or hikers. The marketing campaign follows suit -- it's bold, agile, and all about the ability to move easily from one environment to the other," said Jim McDowell, vice president, marketing, BMW of North America, LLC.

"There were two things that led us to our creative solution: the versatility of the X3 and the visual sophistication of the younger target market. Because we wanted to create the effect primarily in camera, it was a monumental production, requiring a place, New Zealand, where we could capture the feeling of four seasons and four continents in one location," said Bruce Bildsten, creative director at Fallon Minneapolis.

The television commercial features the new BMW X3 driving down a road with a swinging X through the screen. Each quadrant shows a different weather element, from sunshine to ice and snow. The print mirrors this creative effect through photography shot in the same locations as the television.

The process involved an extensive shoot in New Zealand in July, which provided all four seasons in one place. The creative team was interested in minimizing the use of post effects, which required incredible technical precision.

The team from Fallon, Director Paul Street with Believe Media and effect company Digital Domain designed repetitive movement and used laser measurements with every shot that were then recreated at each location.

Developed by BMW's marketing team and Fallon Worldwide, the television campaign is set to break on January 1, 2004. The commercial spots will launch during college football bowl games starting on New Year's Day, and continue airing on network, cable and spot market television for three months. The print campaign will be seen in national daily newspapers and magazines, including news, business, adventure, music, technology and automotive outlets, beginning with the March issues. This will include placements in several publications never before part of a BMW campaign, including Backpacker, and Blender magazines.

The X3 campaign also includes BMW's largest on-line effort for a vehicle launch. The new television spots will be featured on-line during the first quarter of 2004 on a variety of sports, lifestyle and business sites. In addition, the BMW X3 Adventure game debuted on-line on December 1, available free at www.bmwusa.com/newX3. Experts say it is the richest on-line gaming experience any automotive company has ever created for promotional use, featuring three different in-vehicle driving experiences and outdoor sporting activities, including mountain biking, snowboarding and kayaking adventures. The game is designed to mirror the active lifestyles of the vehicles' prospective purchasers.

BMW X3 will also present the half-time shows at the Capital One, Orange and Sugar Bowl games on January 1. X3 signage will be featured in-studio during half-time commentary.

The campaign will also feature major digital advertising across the country, including on the Times Square NBC JumboTron in New York and the Sunset Strip JumboTron in Los Angeles. The X3 spots will also appear on the Macy's Herald Square video screen in New York, on the New York Midtown Tunnel Screen along the Long Island Expressway, and in high definition on 50 movie theater lobby screens across the country. Additionally, the television spots will be featured on CNN Airport Network playing in major airports across the country, as well as on Delta In-flight TV for passengers. A partnership with JetBlue Airlines has also played a vital role in the launch of the BMW X3. JetBlue travelers were the first to get a sneak peak at the on-line game while waiting to check in for Thanksgiving weekend travel at New York's JFK airport, starting Wednesday, November 26th. JetBlue and BMW team members held travelers' places in line so they could play the BMW X3 Adventure on five kiosks especially set up for JetBlue customers. The kiosks, as well as an X3 on display, will remain in the JetBlue terminal at JFK into January 2004.

BMW X3 kiosks, designed in the shape of surfboards, were one of the first components of the vehicle launch campaign. Featuring advanced wireless technology, an interactive touch screen and high-resolution video clips, and the kiosks were placed in public spaces throughout key markets, beginning in October 2003. The kiosks helped build buzz and familiarize prospects with the X3 model, as well as dramatize the X3 marketing themes.

In addition, to help build grassroots buzz about the new X3, BMW invited radio DJs from 21 stations from markets across the country to spend a day driving the X3 with driving instructors at a the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC, on December 11th, the DJs were then also provided with an X3 for their personal driving use at home through January 4th.

A key element that contributes to the BMW X3's handling prowess is the all-new xDrive all-wheel drive system, which sets new standards in agility for all-wheel drive vehicles. BMW's xDrive works proactively to enable infinitely adjustable and fully variable distribution of engine power between the front and rear wheels. The result is not only improved traction on poor roads and in poor weather but also more responsive handling in all driving situations.

The system works with input from the X3's Dynamic Stability Control System to immediately recognize any need for a change in power distribution and responds instantly, often before the wheels begin to lose their grip. On the road xDrive can even vary power distribution in order help the X3 regain composure in a corner when understeer or oversteer is encountered. The result is the outstanding traction one expects of an SAV combined with the handling, agility and safety that one expects from a BMW.

Matlock and Publicis, Sanchez & Levitan will be producing X3 advertising for the African American and Hispanic audiences respectively. Creative form these agencies will be seen nationally on primetime TV. Including Eve, Girlfriends and Enterprise to name a few.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Corp. in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 73 MINI passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.