To re-establish BMW as a leader in automotive luxury, we help the brand tell better stories about the BMW difference—the soul of BMW's premium status. The all-new 8 series was the perfect opportunity to do just that. It's the kind of emotional, brand-shaping vehicle that luxury drivers seek out—a hard to please group. Luxury drivers expect unique, impeccable craftsmanship, but, more than ever, their sights are shifting. They still love expensive things, but they demand exclusive experiences, too. A category-leading vehicle like the 8 series, therefore, needed a category-leading experience. To make it happen, we partnered with Nonotak Studio to make innovative social videos that abandoned the norms of automotive social content (like static photo galleries) and delivered a visceral, interactive experience of luxury.
8 series drivers have old-school ambition and a work-first mindset. They want to look good, feel good, and play well—and they want experiences that deliver those same feelings. Conventional social media content isn't often their thing—a constant barrage of attention-draining messages that shout, wink, boast, and pose from every angle. For them, tuning out the noise and feeling luxury in a new way is all the more welcome.
The sound and feel of the BMW 8 Series gives luxury drivers the ultimate sensory release—our starting point. We partnered with audiovisual artists NONOTAK Studio to create a dream-like environment of sound and light that simulates the ineffable feeling of driving the 8—with a soundtrack that was entirely composed from actual sounds recorded from the BMW 8 Series. We brought the idea to life through dynamic social content on Instagram and Instagram Story hacks that let users exert control over the sound and lighting effects around the car as they tap through the stories.
Social films and an interactive event at Pebble Beach sparked 90% net positive sentiment and reached over 160,000 Instagram users. Posted films far exceeded our benchmarks for impressions, reach, and engagement rates. And conversation around the 8 series was overwhelmingly positive, with users describing the visual design of the series as both beautiful and striking.
