EXCLUSIVE: BMW slams competitors in new ad campaign?

It seems they are refering to Audi, Lexus, Nissan, Acura, Jaguar. Not that great of a campaign.If that is all that they got, not to grat. Also, from that ad, what should we think about MINI.

BMW can tout its horn about its independence any time. They are simply telling customers their cars are created and engineered with one thing in mind, to build the ultimate driving machine. They are letting us know that "No" they don't have to trim corners or comprimse a design by building it off another plaform from a parent brand. I think this ad (curious as to where this ad appeared, it may target a certain audience....I have not seen this one in a ca mag) is BMW just telling it like it is. You can either buy a car that truely loves to design and engineer a great vehicle, or you can go to those who develop thier luxury cars as a second brand.

Obviously this Ad was targeted at all luxo brands that are under a parent company (Cadillac, Lexus, Lincoln, Chysler, Infiniti, Acura, etc). BMW has no parent company and does not share platforms with cheaper autos (i.e. Camry/ES300, Honda/Acura, etc). BMW IS a leader in design with a long list of innovation, those that disagree just are biased. I am a fan of cars and see it how it is. BMW is not as reliable as Lexus, but Lexus does not drive/feel like a BMW. Apples and Oranges my friends.

You write: "Some may not LIKE the new designs, but the fact that they are CRITICIZED for the designs proves the fact that they are leaders".

How is it that one that is criticized becomes a leader, just on that fact alone? ...Your argument has no validity whatsoever. The fact that the new LS and S-Class have similar looking rear ends to the ugly-looking (in my opinion) 7-series is also not a fact that proves that BMW is a design leader. It simply says that MB and Lexus have imitated BMW just as Lincoln copied the rear end of the VW Phaeton on its new Zephyr. This is another reason why I would not buy an LS or S-Class, they are simply not original and true to their brand. To me, technology and reliability do not make even 50% of the equation. This is something that Lexus lovers do not understand. Some people just prefer preformance, styling and even heritage over reliability and fancy gadgetry.

Some new original and cool looking designs of recent are the new IS, the new A6, and to a certain extend the not so new M45 (still a bit soul-less if you ask me...although great looking)... the CLS is an awesome design which has not only started a copy-cat frenzy but it has made many luxury brands jump into that new category (BMW can't come close to claiming that).

BMW may have nice cars with good performance but BMW owners will always be known as the Look At Me Club.

I guess you must be a very special fan and your view must be the only one that is true. Did you sign up somewhere to have this special privilige? bacause I would like to quickly sign up too and luckily grab the second spot and become fan #2 with the second most important and factual opinion of anyone out there.

Geesh! just when I though I had found an intelligent forum. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for opinions and passion for driving and loyalism but people that claim to know it all based on facts such as ... "I am a fan and i can see it how it is". Enough said.

As far as the Ad campaign, it seems to me that more and more brands are successfully taking away BMW's market share and BMW feels they have their backs against the wall. I would characterize this campaign as cheap and devaluing for the BMW brand. IF BMW is so great then why does it need to attack others? Is it really an advantage to not have a parent company? sure, in some ways, but it is also a disadvantage in many others. Just because BMW claims something bad about
parent companies it does not make it so. It is simply convenient to say. If I were to conclude something from this ad is that it is targeted at low IQ segments.

Point taken JC. So what you are trying to tell me is that no one on here is biased towards one brand or the other? I meant to state I call it how I see it, and try to make my opinions not biased. Sorry sometime I type faster then I think...lol. Anyways I do not believe BMW is targeting low IQ segment of auto buyers since they tend to not make as much $$$.

Sure, it will upset non-BMW customers.

But I think it just reinforces what BMW customers already believe, making them even more loyal to the brand.

Let's separate the wheat from chaf, shall we?

"No, we will not compromise our ideas" (Even when the world tells us we make ugly cars, and that iDrive is a Stupid Idea (TM), we will stick to our principles)

"No, we will not do it the way everyone else does" (BMW invented the "Asian" styling cues you see on today's BMWs)

Now if only BMW would learn to say "No" to defects, they could give Lexus a run for their money!

C'mon folks. BMW is about doing things "The BMW way." They have always made grea-driving, great-handling sedans. But their defect numbers have always been a sore point, except for the late 1990s when they were actually pretty average (BMW's finest period for "low" defect numbers). Their styling could be at best "quirky" (a la "2002"), save for the California Years, when their Californian design house lead the way during the 1990s.

But love 'em or hate 'em, no other sedan drives like a BMW. Mind you, the Lexus IS series is pretty damned good, and you'll be seeing your mechanic less often. And Lexus *IS* Asian, instead of just looking it, like BMW. So for many people, that will be reason enough to say "NO" to BMW.

Let's separate the wheat from chaf, shall we?

"No, we will not compromise our ideas" (Even when the world tells us we make ugly cars, and that iDrive is a Stupid Idea (TM), we will stick to our principles)

"No, we will not do it the way everyone else does" (BMW invented the "Asian" styling cues you see on today's BMWs)

Now if only BMW would learn to say "No" to defects, they could give Lexus a run for their money!

C'mon folks. BMW is about doing things "The BMW way." They have always made grea-driving, great-handling sedans. But their defect numbers have always been a sore point, except for the late 1990s when they were actually pretty average (BMW's finest period for "low" defect numbers). Their styling could be at best "quirky" (a la "2002"), save for the California Years, when their Californian design house lead the way during the 1990s.

But love 'em or hate 'em, no other sedan drives like a BMW. Mind you, the Lexus IS series is pretty damned good, and you'll be seeing your mechanic less often. And Lexus *IS* Asian, instead of just looking it, like BMW. So for many people, that will be reason enough to say "NO" to BMW.

This is an attempt at not only making BMW owners of the new models feel better about the cars they drive at the same time making themselves feel better for the critical slamming a lot of the cars have received. Personally I really like the 6-Series, the 5-Series and the new 3-Series coupe (Not so much the sedan, though the sport kit makes it viable)...

They would never have released an ad like this if they were 100% happy with the reception of the product. This is a childish reaction to the drilling their design methodology has received. "Well WE like it so NAH NAH NA NAH NAH"

I say give it time, the new looks will be altered and changed over time, evolving until it hits the right note. Merc had this with the first E with round lights (which didn't look great, but rather different) This ad in the meantime makes BMW look childish. Eloquently childish.

...I see a lot of people calling the "Bangle Butt" a new design. You have got to be kidding me, I've seen Hyundai's with the butt years before the 7/Bangle butt came out. It's a very old design that he's brought back into fashion. Much like Mercedes has done with the indicators on the rear view mirrors. If I'm not mistaken Citroen has those in the 70's.

Design is the same whether it's in fashion or in automotive design etc. It represents the society at the time of the design, where they are and what they're experiencing. Scoff all you want, do yourself a favour and study it. It's very interesting. Car design is all very post-modern at the moment moving forward but deconstructing elements of the past and shaping it into something new. Look at the Ford Shelby GT for example...You can get much deeper into the philosophy of design and how a companies perceptions are translated through their cars...but we won't...suffice it to say BMW did not come up with the "Bangle" Butt, that's like saying BMW invented wheel arches...

The only real innovations these days happen beneath the skin. Engines, technology, build quality etc. We have a few hybrid cars coming out that mix two types of cars but essentially it's still nothing new. I think the french are the only ones who think outside the box design wise and it's not always very successful...but at least they're trying...

Yes, BMW cars handle well and all that but I really don't care which competitors they are aiming at. I only read ads that are highly technical and prove with drawings, specifications, and photograps that a superior product is being offered. I am not interested in pure marketing hype that makes unsubstantiated claims.

Right now my dream cars are the new Mercedes S-class and the new Audi Q7 SUV.

I think this ad works. It speaks to the exclusivity of the brand (one of the last great independent auto-makers), which is actually why most people in the US buy BMWs. Exclusivity of brand.

Yes, there are people like us on this forum that love BMW for their driving characteristics, but look at how many are on the road and who you see driving them--not always the stereotypical male age 25-55 with leather driving gloves on, is it? Even for us, though, it is clever. Why should we drive vehicles compromised by shared platforms, price targets, or what is preferred in foreign markets? Just because one of the auto conglomerates offer better price for more HP (for example) doesn't mean the car will drive as well as a BMW because they are autonomous enough to build a car around a driving concept, not around some common chassis shared with a station wagon... See? It really does work. I'm already thinking I need to trade my Mercedes in on BMW next time to help support independent auto-makers retain their autonomy...

OK, I'm exagerating a little, but that is the kind of subliminal message this ad sends. I think it's the right time for an ad like this also.

BMW is now and has alway been a second rate German Car. With their General Motors type attitude(build it and they will sell) towards the consumer, they will remain a second rate German car. As we XBMW owners know, BMW mean very simply "Bend Me Over the Workbench"