BMW set a record for brand sentiment by tapping into British film-making - here’s how

Enter the BMW i7. Launched in 2022, the all-electric BMW i7 is the pinnacle of the brand, providing a complete reimagining of what luxury mobility means, with a rear seat drop-down 31” ultrawide passenger theatre screen. This is a car to be driven in.

We needed to convince our audience of progressively minded individuals - those drawn to brands at the forefront of luxury - that BMW is a leader in these spaces, by making the i7 famous and launching it firmly into the UK’s cultural conversation.

To meaningfully connect with the demographic, we wanted to go beyond the traditional advertising campaign and paid media. Rather than simply showing the incredible features of the i7, we needed to create something that would earn our audience’s attention - a story they could follow and feel invested in, showing them something they’d never seen before. We laid out our ambition in two ways:

- Generate fame for the i7

- Become a catalyst in modern luxury culture

Insight

The underlying creative thought behind the i7 centres around the joy of experiencing the future, and how that experience can radically change your perspective on the world around you. The ultrawide, 31-inch, 8K passenger theatre screen, combined with the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System is an embodiment of this, providing passengers with an unforgettable experience. This is a cinema on wheels!

With BMW’s 50-year history of supporting arts, culture and filmmaking, we understand the importance of driving creativity and inspiring innovation. The unique ultrawide screen presented a unique opportunity to create something completely new. After all, this 32:9 format is relatively new to the industry- largely championed by the gaming community for its immersiveness. So, known for breaking boundaries and bold creativity, who better than the British filmmaking community to embrace this format and show our audience of tastemakers something they’d never seen before?

Strategy

1. Assembling credible, pioneering partners.

We partnered with the BFI, the UK’s most highly regarded film institution, a champion of innovation in the industry, supporting filmmakers in taking creative risks and showing the world fresh perspectives.

Together, we created ‘The BMW Filmmaking Challenge, in partnership with the BFI’. This was an open call to the British filmmaking community to submit short film ideas, designed specifically for the i7’s ultrawide screen, with the winner premiering at the BFI London Film Festival in October. Five shortlisted teams would receive a £10,000 production budget and access to cutting-edge 8K cameras and mentorship.

To front the campaign and provide mentoring, we needed someone renowned within the industry who was also helping to break boundaries, and who could ultimately inspire cinematic bravery on the i7’s ultrawide screen.

No one embodied this more than Emmy Award-winning writer, actor and director, Michaela Coel, who had an extraordinary impact on the industry with her groundbreaking series ‘I May Destroy You’. Michaela is a bold creative risk taker, pushing the industry forward through her innovative approach to storytelling, perfectly aligned with the ethos of the BMW i7.

2. Inventive open call to filmmakers

Aligning around the theme of ‘Evolving Perspectives’ for our ‘open call’ to filmmakers, Michaela fronted our 70" launch moment. To truly embody the creative theme for the challenge, the film saw Michaela start with what felt like an ending, breaking the fourth wall to share her thoughts on ‘storytelling’ and ‘perspectives’, and finally, introducing the world to the competition through the i7 theatre screen itself.

The launch attracted a huge amount of media attention. Interviews with Michaela unlocked a powerful narrative around the vital importance of diversity in all creative industries in helping to show the world perspectives they haven’t seen before, especially in the realm of filmmaking and directing; “I never saw a black woman in a director’s chair growing up”. This helped to create an emotional centre for the challenge that carried through to the campaign’s culmination.

3. Inviting a judging panel

The following stages of the challenge helped to sustain and build upon this momentum, with the announcement of our esteemed judging panel, Ncuti Gatwa, Asif Kapadia, and Terri White. With further content created in and around the car, our judges played a vital role in continuing the narrative of innovation and creative risk-taking, through earned media coverage, conveying the gravitas of the challenge to our wider audience, and reminding them of the i7 screen’s opportunity for creativity in the challenge.

4. Five progressive films

By May, five filmmaking teams had been selected, based on their ability to tell a progressive story and make the most of the ultrawide format in unexpected ways. They were invited to experience the i7 firsthand, and with Michaela’s mentorship and support, further shape and refine their ideas around the theme of ‘Evolving Perspectives’. Once the five films were complete, judging commenced, where we filmed the panel experiencing the films in the passenger seats of the i7 on the ultrawide screen.

5. Making the reveal a moment in luxury culture

The challenge culminated at the 67th BFI London Film Festival, with participants, our mentor and judges chauffeured to the event in a fleet of i7s. With red-carpet photography and interviews with Michaela and the judges, and a panel hosted by Edith Bowman, the premiere of the winning film ‘We Collide’ was a moment of triumph for all involved, and felt truly in keeping with everything the BMW i7 represents.

Results

1. Generate fame for the i7

‘Evolving perspectives’ helped propel the BMW i7 into contemporary cultural conversation, achieving an earned reach of 116 million, smashing our target by 65%, and delivering 332.8m post impressions, an impressive 54.1m total engagements and driving 6,520 unique page landings.

The campaign transcended traditional marketing, with PR delivering an effective £2.90 cost per thousand. With 302 BMW i7 mentions and 193 campaign images used, we were able to highlight the car's role as the inspiration behind the challenge and get people talking about the i7.

2. Becoming a catalyst in modern luxury culture

Securing front pages and features in prestigious lifestyle and cultural outlets, positive brand sentiment climbed to an all-time high of 85% (Brandwatch).

But this campaign did more than just capture attention: it showed genuine support for the arts by dismantling barriers for emerging filmmakers. It tapped into the heart of cultural conversations and addressed the pressing issues of diversity within filmmaking and the funding crisis in art. This wasn’t just a filmmaking challenge; it was a platform to ignite discussions on diversity, creativity, and inclusion; resonating beyond the automotive industry.

With 382 filmmakers submitting fully-developed short film proposals, it demonstrated the campaign’s success in capturing the attention. Tickets for our LFF screening sold out in just 5 minutes, and our ‘Closing Gala of the BFI London Film Festival’ red carpet moment helped to solidify the campaign’s luxury credibility. Finally, after bringing to life five extraordinary films, the triumphant queercore ‘We Collide’ is now on its journey to becoming a TV pilot.

"Evolving Perspectives" wasn’t just a campaign; it was a landmark moment in automotive activation, reshaping how luxury cars engage with culture and creativity.

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Credits: Monks: lead agency - strategy, creative and concept. Wasserman: partnership management and activation. Popcorn PR: PR, campaign imagery and Editorial content.