Last August 19, 2007 BMW launched its ad campaign for the M3. It's a 50-second TV commercial showing BMW's M3 in flight. This TV ad is the only one of its kind created for the new BMW M3 worldwide.
The commercial is entitled "Test Pilot" and shows a man who seems to be training as a fighter pilot. This TV ad was created by Ireland/Davenport and was shot in Orlando, south of Johannesburg.
The hero in the commercial has undergone strenuous examinations with the final test to be conducted on a new BMW M3 with quality BMW door handle. The commercial ends with a pay-off line that states: "The new BMW M3. The Spirit of M. Unleashed by technology"
According to Philip Ireland, the bright mind behind the advertisement, "The BMW M3 is the ultimate performance vehicle but, more than just highlighting the pure brawn, we needed to emphasize the intelligent design and technology that enables the vehicle to do what it does. We wanted to show the IQ that went into the development of the new BMW M3."
John Davenport also said, "The BMW M3 has a performance heritage which is made possible by the extreme technological superiority and advanced innovation of the vehicle. With this in mind we thought the best way to convey the matchless driving experience of a BMW M3 would be through the intense physical and mental experiences that the driver would undergo to be able to cope with this type of driving experience."
The TV ad is just a part of the integrated campaign that includes print, outdoor, radio, online and other direct marketing campaigns developed for the promotion of BMW's new M3. Ireland/Davenport has also worked with BMW's digital agency, Aqua Online which makes sure that the whole concept and idea is taken to every aspect of the campaign. It was Kevin Fitgerald of Egg Films that directed the commercial.
In making the commercial the crew has met some problems along the way fortunately for them they were not severe so the shooting has gone ahead as schedule. Ireland was quoted by Marketingweb as saying: "During filming of the high speed shots we found that the tracking vehicle at its absolute top-speed was unable to keep up with the BMW M3 in order to film the shots. So, in the end, a second BMW M3 had to be brought in to become the tracking vehicle!"
Both of the BMW's above-the-line and below-the-line businesses are to be handled by Ireland/Davenport. And to further attract customers there would also be a "Star City Cosmonaut" online competition wherein one entrant will be given the rare opportunity to visit Star City, Russia which is a highly controlled military facility located north of Moscow where cosmonauts are trained at the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center since 1960s. In addition the winner will also get the chance to ride in a MIG fighter jet.
