MINI Partners with RAM for AR Future

MINI continues to promote the brand in unique and unconventional ways. Mini USA has created an on-the-move New York City activation in support of the 2022 Mini hardtops and convertibles. The NYC Looking Glass bus activation kicked off May 24 and runs through Memorial Day, May 31. For eight hours a day, the bus will drive around the city. The theme is “Who says you can’t find parking in NYC?” and the bus features a convertible inside the bus, wedged between two large SUVs. The BMW Group brand is also launching augmented reality digital creative for mobile devices. Consumers who search for Mini Cooper will have the option to explore the vehicle using AR. It will also be promoted via digital banners.

Mini has never before used an AR solution as part of its website or sales process, Rah Mahtani, brand communications manager, Mini USA says. 

“However, with the digital landscape ever-evolving and customer shopping research, we thought it was a perfect time to dive into this,” he says. "We want to show up where customers are at, and in this case if that means having a Mini show up in their living room, we’ll be there. It’s the perfect way for customers to explore the car and get a good sense of a Mini before they even get to a dealership.”

Universal McCann is also the lead on the AR solution. Free Range Games built it in partnership with the Google, using UNREAL Engine to bring it to life. The brand is partnering with Syracuse-based RAM Industrial Design, Inc. and Syracuse University students to develop even deeper AR capabilities in 2022, he adds.