BMW is not running a Super Bowl spot for the second year in a row, the brand confirmed today.
The brand last ran an ad in the 2015 game to tout the electric i3. The humorous spot starred journalists Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric, who were both confused by the i3.
Trudy Hardy, vice president of marketing for BMW of North America, said the timing wasn’t right.
Although the brand just officially unveiled the new 5-series lineup during the Detroit auto show preview today, Hardy said BMW is pushing the luxury sedans in other ways even if they don’t get the Super Bowl stage.
BMW gave fans a sneak peek of the three 5-series variants via Facebook Live on Sunday, a day before the press reveals. The stream received more than 113,000 views.
“It was a great moment for our fans,” Hardy told Automotive News. “One of our goals with our social media agency is to give our fans a sneak peek behind the curtain.”
In October, the automaker featured the 5-series sedan in a high-octane mini-movie called “The Chase” under its acclaimed BMW Films banner. It was the first BMW Films production since 2002.
“The Chase” has drawn 5.1 million views on YouTube.
“Our big opportunity with 5 series came with BMW Films. A lot of our views to date have all been organic and without paid media. We’ll continue to look for ways to lift BMW Films while incorporating the rest of the 5-series campaign,” Hardy said. “It shows that if the content is strong and the story is good, people will watch, people will share. That’s what we strive for.”
Audi, Honda, Kia and Lexus plan to run Super Bowl spots this year. Toyota, normally a Super Bowl staple, and Mini will not run ads.
