BMW Says Enough About Us, Let's Talk About You, Thanks to the Late Jack Pitney
BMW (BAMXF.PK) is talking less lately about what a BMW is, and more about what a BMW does for you, the driver. Namely, a BMW puts a smile on your face and makes you look forward to driving it, a theme that BMW calls Joy.
That's a big change for an automotive brand with one of the longest-running and successful taglines in the business, "The Ultimate Driving Machine." BMW still uses Ultimate Driving Machine, but it is also working "Joy" into its commercials.
The fact that BMW is willing to tinker with its image, even a little, shows that BMW is willing to take some chances. It's also a tribute to a longstanding business acquaintance of mine, Jack Pitney, who was vice president of Marketing for BMW of North America.
Pitney was tragically killed in late August when a tractor, of all things, flipped over on him. He was reportedly pulling out a stump at the farm in upstate New York where he spent as many weekends as possible with his large family. Friends described him as a happy do-it-yourselfer. He was also an avid skier and motorcycle rider. He loved motorsports and driving fast.
Pitney was only 47 when he died. In his too-short career, he launched the Mini brand in the United States, over the howling objections of some of his peers and even some of his superiors, who said it was impossible to sell a small car, or a hatchback, or a British car in the United States, let alone a car like the Mini, which is all three. Pitney proved them wrong.
More recently, he persuaded BMW -- BMW worldwide, not just in the United States -- that it should talk less about itself and more about the customer benefit of owning and driving a BMW.
Meanwhile, other brands wish they had a tagline as strong as Ultimate Driving Machine. Rival Mercedes-Benz (DDAIF.PK) has cast around for years to try and recapture the magic of its old tagline, "Engineered Like No Other Car in the World," for a while using a shortened version, "Like No Other."
People still identify the "Engineered" line with the brand, even though Mercedes-Benz hasn't used it in ages. Its latest try, The Best or Nothing, is a saying attributed to founder Gottlieb Daimler.
The BMW Joy campaign debuted in the United States earlier this year, as part of BMW's sponsorship of the winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. BMW world headquarters in Germany liked the "Joy" concept so much it hired Pitney's choice for a U.S. ad agency, GSD&M Idea City, Austin, Texas, as BMW's agency worldwide.
BMW confirmed after Pitney's death that it will stick with the "Joy" theme. That shows BMW has some willingness to nudge its brand image, which is probably a healthy thing. Along with seeing Minis on the road in the United States, it's also a pretty good tribute to Jack Pitney.
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Photos: BMW