Since 1923 BMW has been making motorcycles. Very good motorcycles. So good in fact, that when the Japanese first started moving hard into the higher performance bike market, the bike they dissected wasn’t a Harley- but a BMW.
Unfortunately, BMW Motorrad (that’s the motorcycle division in BMW speak) either:
1) doesn’t get advertising at all, or
2) their agency (that doesn’t get the bike or the rider) has some sort of magic potion that makes the people who approve the ads become stupid.
The headline in the ad is “You don’t need a hibachi to cook Japanese” the copy that follows is:
“So I’m riding through the city and I pass this guy over the bridge. Apparently, he wasn’t too happy about it because he wound up trying to pass me back. Guess he saw that BMW logo and decided to put me in my place. Well, that didn’t happen. Because I shifted up a gear, flicked the throttle, and there went Mr. Hot Shot Racer Boy, disappearing in my rearview mirror. I guess he didn’t know that I was packing 163 horsepower. But you know what? He knows now.”
This is an ad for a K1200 R- “the most powerful naked bike ever”- you can find out more at bmwmotorcycles.com (which isn’t working today)- but, here’s what I have to say to the micro-dick copy jock who wrote this ad: you suck.
The K1200 R is a $14,250 MSRP motorcycle. Hardly something that crotch rocket boys can afford- you can buy all kinds of “rice-burners” with splashy graphics, a seat that only someone who doesn’t value their family jewels can love (not saying BMW makes great seats either) and a high pitched whine that makes your head hurt- for about half the price of the K bike. Plus, this isn’t exactly a bike for beginners- no 1200R is.
Now, BMW has a slight problem with their line to begin with- with no true BMW bikes under 1100cc’s (the 650’s are all equipped with a non-BMW engine- and have a totally different feel). So there is no entry-level BMW competition for the crotch rocket crowd. But that shouldn’t stop the agency from understanding who should be interested in this bike- and how to craft the story that goes with it. The agency by the way is Merkley & Partners (who’s lame site fails to list Arby’s as a client since Sept. 2004 (update: Sept. 18 2005- they now list Arby’s and have Arby’s work on the site- too bad they still haven’t redone Arby’s lame site).
Update: Jan 30 2006- Arby’s site STILL SUCKS. But, Merkley and Partners is producing TV spots that cost 100x more than what it would to at least put up something close to relevant to the campaign.
So- what is the answer to this advertising problem? Well, at one time an agency wanted to win the BMW car business, so they sent out disposable cameras to 1000 new owners of Volvo, Mercedes and BMW- and asked them to take pictures of their cars- and send them in. Not a cheap research exercise, but really revealing. When they put the pictures up on the wall, the strategy became clear- and I believe it also applies to the BMW motorcycle messaging.
The photos were amazingly similar:
Volvo owners had pictures of the cars with their kids.
Mercedes pictures all were of the car and the house, on the curved driveway- with people dressed up- and BMW- well, those motorheads all took detail pictures of parts of the car: the BMW roundel, the gearshift knob, the logo on the back of the car, the engine. These people loved the machine. Hence- “the ultimate driving machine” came to be. At least that’s the story as I recall.
Back to the bad bike ads: the tag “the ride is on” means nothing. “The ultimate riding machine” means everything. The BMW riders I know, and the ones I see (when the weathers bad- that’s all I see) ride BMW because it is a technologically superior, reliable, responsive bike with things like ABS brakes and heated handgrips, that are there for one reason and one reason only- the ride. It’s not about being macho; it’s about being a rider who rides, who puts miles on the bike, who does it with style and confidence. Others get it, as evidenced by this dealer site: http://www.danburybmw.com/miscpage_002.asp. The BMW site, that’s another matter.
The BMW rider doesn’t need a 100 lbs of chrome to say, “I’m a biker” because they spend more time riding than polishing chrome. Actions speak louder than chrome. Next time you walk by a row of bikes- start looking at odometers, the BMW will be the one with the most miles on the newest bike almost every time.
Most of the time I ride past the rice-burner crotch-rocket crowd, they aren’t even on their bikes, they’re all milling around, posing. I don’t need 163 HP to blow by them; I don’t even need to shift out of second.
This ad, on the inside front cover of Aug 2005 Playboy cost BMW sales. Here was the chance to explain why you don’t need a Harley for your mid-life crisis, you need to say, “I’m sophisticated, I’m different, I’m one who knows the best motorcycle on the planet” instead of screaming, I’m still a little boy with a little penis.
Someone needs to cook some agency creative ass. This ad is an embarrassment, and the dealers deserve better. Never mind the BMW faithful that always have to smile and tell people that BMW has made bikes since 1923, thank you.
What do you think?
added note: BMW (and any other major advertiser) should post their print ads on their web site. This post has been copied into biker forums where it is the subject of much (heated) discussion.
Seems that many “crotch rocket” riders are offended- these are the people that BMW might want to convert one day. Oh yeah, they do like the fact that the bike is popping a wheelie- a totally unsafe and unBMW type riding style.
I felt their mostly B&W ad campaign using real riders was on to something brilliant. Then they ruined it by doing something resembling “around the world with 80 different women” – and as far as i can tell, it’s been downhill from there.
Prime example for their lack of promotional teeth: their 80th anniversary event in Tahoe several years ago. Lots of prep, but very few ended up finding out about it. No one heard the tree fall.
I’m not in advertising, but I’ve been a BMW rider for 30 years – and I agree – BMW Motorad has lost it! See my perspective at http://www.epinions.com/content_4146897028
Wow.
On an innocent google search about BMW ads, I hit the jackpot. See, I’m the “micro-dick copy jock” who wrote this ad. (Your use of such terminology on your agency site brands you as the small time wanna be that you are, by the way.) From your rambling and desperate diatribe I’m not exactly sure why you loathe this ad so much. I’ll guess that you’re some kind of expert on motorcycle advertising. Funny, I didn’t see any examples of your expertise on your AWESOME site. Rather, I see ads for pet food stores and nothing baseball teams and other mega-accounts in the sizzling hot ad mecca known as Dayton, Ohio. (Nothing against the midwest, I’m from Indiana, but please get over the fact that you’re still stuck there.) Me? I’ve done ads for BMW Motorcycles for 5 years, winning all sorts of awards including being a Kelly Finalist. The work we’ve done has helped BMW’s sales triple during that time. Anyway, just so you know, the ad was intended to spark some controversy. (Mission accomplished.) Since BMW finally made a bike that can compete with the Japanese sport cycles, the idea was to aggressively challenge them with a hard-hitting ‘get under the skin’ communication. This bike has 163 horsepower so it has no problem hanging with anything on the road. Sure the copy’s puffed up, but who do you think rides sport bikes? Kindly old grandmothers? In the sport bike crowd it’s all about cajones. I know. I see dickheads in flip flops rocket by me every day and most of them are such shitty riders that they have to paddlefoot through traffic because they have no balance skills whatsoever. This ad was intended to position BMW to a younger, louder, adrenaline-fueled crowd instead of the typical BMW middle aged pipe-smoking gent that everyone associates with BMW bikes. Ever been to Daytona Bike Week? Ever seen how dorky BMW riders can look in their Kevlar suits and full face helmets while everyone else is dressed in leather with their arm pit hair waving in the breeze? Do you have any idea of the marketing situation BMW Motorcycles faces? If you did you’d understand why this ad was created, and how non-traditional it is.
Also: on the forums you provide a link to, most of the riders had no problem with this ad, and many of them actually liked it. So you’re wrong there in a big way. (Do your homework, ad god) And as for ‘The Ride is On,” which I also wrote, I can tell you exactly what it means. It means things happening. Stasis turning into action. Tactile excitement. Like when the green flag waves at the Indy 500 and the anncr says “The Race is On.” Which, by the way, is NASCAR’s line this year. So if it means “nothing” why did the 800 lb gorilla of motorsports rip if off so cleanly? Ah, well. I don’t suppose you know the answer to that one, either as you’re probably too busy crafting another industrial video for Mattress Barn.
Anyway, thanks for riling me up on a slow day. Keep up the small time, mean spirited, sour grapes, know-it-all routine I’m sure it’ll bring your agency’s billings up to 1.4 million dollars one day.
And as for the ‘micro-dick’ accusation, what can I say.
Eight inches of impossibly thick man-missle can appear hopelessly small sometimes.
Now I think I’ll stroll out onto the grimy streets of Manhattan and kiss the ground and thank baby Jesus that I got the hell out of the Midwest.
And girls, if you are intested in his “eight inches of impossibly thick…”
his e-mail is [email protected]
his visit info: he looked at 30 pages, 116 hits 2.23 MB bandwidth used 16 Sep 2005 – 17:49
and- for the record: we’ve never done work for a pet food store or a baseball team.
If anyone would like a poster of the infamous Hibachi
ad please contact me at the above listed email and I will send you one. Since BMW loves the ad so much they are printing a few thousand as give-aways. Dave, thanks for helping us spread the word and prove how effective
a good old fashioned aggressive headline can be.
These rants have been very interesting. GD Logo- you are a might touchy about your work. Didn’t realize that the BMW crowd came off as dorks. Anyway, here goes-
Sorry David, but the ad isn’t that bad. I kind of like it and will contact GD for a poster. I guess I’m a 20 to 30 something wanabee but in my 50’s. The Harley crowd doesn’t do it for me.
GD- maybe you got 5 years on the account, but being in Manhattan does not help your credibility. You may not even own a car, much less a motorcyle. Don’t slam the midwest- nobody is stuck here. Better than Manhattan.
Whew! That’s quite a pissing contest we have going on here, boys! And over boy-toys at that! It reminds me of the days when my brother played army and the boys would fight over who shot whom. I used to think that there was a lot of reincarnation going on in the battlefield! My mom got so sick of the fighting that she got out rolls of masking tape, applied it with the sticky side out across the chests of the kids and stuck fizzies on the tape…then she handed out squirt guns. When your fizzies were gone, you were dead. Funny though, after the novelty of the fizzies wore off, and other moms recovered from all the stained t-shirts, playing army just wasn’t as fun…it seems the real pleasure wasn’t the make believe battles – but rather the word war. So, what IS your addiction?
Now, regarding the anatomical commentaries… you guys really need to get a clue about what women want! Size does matter, but not when it comes to the anatomy. Really, if you guys keep ranting about each other’s family jewels, your fizzies may be gone too!
As far as the commentary about the midwest is concerned, bigotry comes in many packages…
Well, I am tbe 20 some odd target audience I suppose. I ride a R1100S and R1150 GS, and boy, are they fun!
I understand where David is coming from, but not so extreme. I can’t say I agree with him, but the response that came from GD Logo is pathetic.
The dorky guys in kevlar suits, and full face helmets? Please, it is all about safety. (although I do like to smoke the occasional crotch rocket on my kraut rocket..They never know what hit them.)
Basically, GD is totally unprofessional in posting his replies while attacking somebody who doesn’t like the ad. I almost feel like forwarding this post to his manager or something like that. If GD were to work for me, or represent me in any way whatsoever, we’d probably talk about profesionalism and behavior while representing said company.
I guess ultimately I think GD is an asshat, and his self-righteous Manhattan-ite ass needs to stay there, so I don’t have to run him over on my GS in another part of the country….
To David Esrati.
May I translate and bring your article here (“Why BMW riders hear “I didn’t know BMW made motorcycles” all the time.”) on my hobby website, or do you prefer a direct link?
I ask, because I’d like to translate the article into danish, since the main language on my website is danish.
Sincerely,
M. Andersen, Denmark.
Translate away-
but please have a link back to the original.
Thanks, and of course.
MBA, DK.
As a long time BMW enthusiast, I wasn’t the least bit offended by the ‘cooking japanese’ ad campaign. No more offended, I suppose, than when the Munich manufacturer decided to take a 4 cylinder motorcycle engine and turn it laterally in the frame like the japanese have been doing for about 35 years. I say it’s about damn time BMW produced a machine that can even hold a candle to the performance standards laid down by the competition.
As far as the war of words between David and GD Logo goes, you two need to get a life. The former needs to get busy finding new accounts and doing real work instead of seeding sour grapes about an ad campaign/account serviced by the competition and the latter needs to grow the fuck up. By belittling the riders of the client’s product in which his ad was targeting, GD Logo reveals his true opinion about BMW riders. An opinion that I’m most assuredly going to share with my Munich bretheren. Gee, perhaps with the help of your super cool influence and some penis enhancing drugs, I can someday lose my aerostitch and stand in the shadow of your awesome manliness. Not.
Forget the ads. Where are the dealers? Anything man made can break. Dealers are folding faster than one can keep track. Perhaps the negative attitude at BMW Corporate has left a vile taste in the dealer’s mouths. BMW Motorrad needs to recruit dealers and customers with positive attitudes and realistic expectations.
And perhaps a “BMW” made bike under $10k and one low enought that a person 5’6″ can sit on the seat and be flat footed on the pavement at the same time would increase sales. Not every potential customer is a Nordic at over six feet tall and not everyone can spend fifteen thousand dollars plus for a toy that is not a necessity of life.
I liked the factoid that 50% of the bikes are still on the road because that number will decline when the engine and ABS computers quit after seven years and no one can fix the board let alone find a replacement. Long live a carb, plugs, points and a condensor!
Read more about this- on Chromeheads-
http://www.chromeheads.org/discus/messages/10/254509.html?1151425105
there are other discussion boards linking to this article- I’ll try to start posting the links.
I just discovered this thread, so pardon my tardiness. While I can certainly see both sides, there’s a third issue nobody seemed to mention. The demands of the client placed upon the agency. First, we have a product that IMHO is poorly placed – it’s a niche of a niche – the rider that wants the Hayabusa or ZX-14, but also wants BMW resale values – not a very big audience. The bike can’t really compete, and dilutes the corporate brand essence. While the bike is brilliant (and perfectly BMW) as the K1200GT, as the S model it loses face as well as mindshare. Conversely, the product managers on the R-bike side of Motorrad know what’s going on with their target market – witness the R1200S. To me, making an inline-4 that’s 50% more $$ than the competition, with sketchy technology and shaft drive is like a Jaguar estate – it answers a question the market didn’t ask.
So, you have an ill-placed product from a manufacturer that’s trying to broaden the appeal of their products to a wider base, using a product that doesn’t “do it” on any level. You just *know* that agency brief was a real dandy to work with. There’s nothing worse than a client who launches a product that’s not right for their market, and thinks they can be something else. BMW is proving successful in so many other niches, but it simply can’t compete here. Chances are, the brief already set the tone for the ad before a copywriter ever saw it.
I would cut any agency slack on this one – the job wasn’t one I would want.
It’s an awesome bike,(don’t like the headlight settings at all!) and today 08Aug2007, the new
model with a half fairing is a Perfect machine
for touring as well as racing…hands down.
More power to BMW! Japan for years has flooded the market with cheap disposable motorcycles. Many are non-original thinker models virtual copies of Harley Davidson or BMW. BMW riders demand much from the product and get a lot in return. I for one will never own a Japanese car or motorcycle. It is a combination of knowing I own the real thing, my preference for German quality and the durability and reliability of BMW.
I drive a Porsche 911 because no Japanese car has either the tradition, image, over-design or distinctiveness. I feel the same way about the bikes.
BMW motorcycles are typically owned by educated hard working folks, mostly men. A BMW is a mans reward for doing the right things in life. Pride and quality go hand in hand. There is no pride in owning a Jap bike with mediocre paint, no ABS, poor chrome and quality control.
I am proud to say that no Japanese vehicle is in my garage.
The K1200R is a fabulous bike. The add tells the truth. Live with it.
Keep in mind in the 1970’s Japan tried to put Harley under by flooding the market with cheap bikes. Than REagan for protective tarriffs. Also, cheap powerful Jap bikes are killing off our young men. No they can’t afford a 16,000.00 K1200R, but an 18yr old can get a cheap nippon crotch rocket with 130+ horsepower for half the price and go kill himself.
Good work BMW!
The bike can be great but a luxury…and like any other luxury you gotta have money to splurge…I stick my guns with the Japs and enjoy riding within my budget…
That story about the disposable cameras sent to car owners is one to grow on. Something like that could have saved Pontiac and helped GM define their other brands.
All arguing aside, my boyfriend has a K1200 and he really loved the “Hibachi” ad, even though he’s in his 50s and has been riding motorcycles since he was 12.
I just wish I could find one of those posters that Merkley printed up. Hell, I’ll even pay for it.
I tracked down “GD Logo” at his current location and sent him an email, hoping he’d still have a few lying about, but he couldn’t be arsed to even return my email.