Tuesday, April 21, 2009

MINI Goes Vernacular


The new MINI has commanded attention all over the world with its revolutionary styling, excellent handling and great ergonomics for such a small car. All of which probably sounds familiar to loyal MINI drivers who would remember the debut of the original MINI in 1959. The iconic MINI brand turns 50 this year and continues to capture the pulse of popular culture and social relevance. MINI’s global advertising effectively reflects the value of the brand and has elevated it to the point where it is setting trends worldwide.

In a first for the BMW Group, the new MINI campaign has ventured into local South African vernaculars, using Setswana, Sotho, Xhosa and Isizulu. The advertising now speaks the language of its growing target market of youthful, professional, ambitious, and vibrant individuals. The genius of this campaign is that it uses popular South African kwaito songs. Thebe’s “Buti Bula Boot” was changed to “Buti Bula Roof” to suit the launch of the MINI convertible. This gives a great insight into the market and reflects the strategic accuracy of the campaign, making it fresh and culturally relevant. MINI utilized TV, radio and print to make this the largest vernacular-based automotive campaign in the history of South African advertising.

Via Automotive.com

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