It has tied in its brand with the mysterious, action-oriented
visions of directors like Ang Lee and John Frankenehimer. It has
cultivated stars like Madonna and Mickey Rourke.
Now a visit to bmwfilms.com will introduce you to The Hire, a series of
net-exclusive short films launched in the spring, starring Clive Owen as
the driver, a mysterious man with extraordinary driving skills who
always delivers. But auto industry watchers say BMW is after more than a
Hollywood makeover with this initiative.
"Car makers are starting to realize that the high-income, highly
educated demographic is on the internet," says Dennis Virag, president
of the Automotive Consultant Group. "TV is not delivering the target
market for auto manufacturers they were once able to reach."
Virag, who has worked as a consultant for BMW and most other major
manufacturers, says TV has become too fragmented in its audience and
overpriced for its ad time. The internet, he says, offers BMW a medium
it can push consumers toward, making it a more viable medium, but not
one that will replace TV.
Virag says BMW is trying to build out its database. For example, to
watch Chosen, Ang Lee's contribution to the film series, users are
encouraged to download a BMW Player, although it is not essential to
viewing. To get the player, a user has to fill out a detailed
registration form, providing BMW with a rich database of sales leads.
.jpg)
.jpg)