Spike Lee directs for BMW. Short film about new 3 Series Touring / Preview of the "Making of" at the 58th Cannes Film Festival.

Munich./ Cannes./ Buenos Aires. BMW is once again setting standards with
an innovative advertising campaign. The director of the latest
advertising film for the new BMW 3 Series Touring is the famous
film-maker Spike Lee ("Malcolm X" 1992, "Do the Right
Thing" 1989). The American moves away from the classic advertising
spot where the product messages take centre stage. Instead, the
critical director is focussing on another target: he is working with
philosophical questions, which are intended to make the viewer think.
The result is a richly atmospheric short film. With this approach, BMW
is following on from the tradition of the internet short film project
"The Hire" which has been running since 2001 with, in total,
eight works by Hollywood directors (John Frankenheimer, Ang Lee, John
Woo, Alejandro González Inárritu, Wong Kar Wai, Guy
Ritchie, Joe Carnahan, Tony Scott). These films, each starring two
characters - a BMW and the driver, played by British actor Clive Owen -
have been seen so far by more than 75 million visitors to the
www.bmwfilms.com website. Spike Lee's short film also innovatively
combines elements from advertising and entertainment at a high level.
BMW is thus fulfilling its role as a premium brand in showing a clear,
authentic profile based on the modern lifestyle of its customers in its
advertising as well as its products. Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Director
of Marketing and Brand Management BMW, underlines the importance of
using innovative concepts to appeal to customers in advertising too:
"For the creative implementation of the project, we found a
director who finds unusual approaches exciting. Spike Lee is a
film-maker who has already stimulated the industry considerably."
In addition to his films, in which he often appears himself, the
48-year-old American also directs music videos and advertising spots.
"His experience and his philosophy", emphasises Torsten
Mueller-Oetvoes, "formed the ideal basis for BMW to open up a
pathway for a new model outside the box of classical advertising
messages, and to focus on the emotional qualities of the BMW
brand." Spike Lee feels it is important to tell stories. This is
also reflected in his BMW short film. "It was important for us to
focus on our customers' own living environment", says Torsten
Mueller-Oetvoes. "We are picking up the questions and concepts
that touch them personally." Advertising must keep renewing itself
and must process developments in society in order to remain credible.
Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes: "We react to these - not only in the
development of our products, but also in our advertising." As a
preview of the short film about the new 3 Series Touring , BMW is
showing an exclusive screening of the "Making of" on 18th May
2005 at the Cinecittà Holding Terrace, located at Noga Hilton
Salon Croisette, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on the occasion of the 58th
Cannes Film Festival. Cinecittà Holding is hosting the screening
of the "Making of". From September 2005 on the advertising
film will then accompany the market launch of the 3 Series Touring in
Italy. The preview shows Spike Lee, the entire team and Director of
Photography Matthew Libatique, famous for his unusual visual imagery,
during filming in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buenos Aires was selected as
ideal location for the shooting, thanks to its contemporary and
cosmopolitan atmosphere, a mixture of modern and classical architecture
and melting pot of different cultures. Further information on the BMW
Group's commitment in the area of film as well as photo material from
the shooting are available in the BMW Group PressClub at
www.press.bmwgroup.com. For questions please contact: Corporate
Communications Jörg Schweizer, Public Relations, Film. Placement.
Entertainment. Telephone: +49 89 382 23250, fax: +49 89 382 20697
Michael Kirsch, General Manager Public Relations Telephone: +49 89 382
25111, fax: +49 89 382 26972 Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
e-mail: presse@bmw.de