MINI USA Launches New Online Film Series: 'Hammer & Coop'

MINI USA Launches New Online Film Series: 'Hammer & Coop'

Six action-packed viral videos featuring young Hollywood talent to debut over the next month

NEW YORK, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a number of mysterious appearances on movie screens and billboards across the country, today MINI USA finally offered an answer to the burning question: Who are "Hammer & Coop"?! MINI USA officially unveiled the project - a highly stylized series of web- based films about a new action hero ("Hammer") and his souped-up sidekick ("Coop") - on the website www.hammerandcoop.com. Each webisode promises action, adventure and intrigue, and is sure to keep online audiences riveted to their computer screens. All six films, which will be rolled-out over the next month, were directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, Starsky & Hutch) and starring actor Bryan Callen.

The first two "webisodes" of the viral series debuted online today to coincide with the launch of the new 2007 MINI. Over the next month, the following four will be released - in addition to a mock music video for Asia's "Heat of the Moment," a popular 80s song featured in the last webisode of the series. All of the films were approached with the same level of enthusiasm as any Hollywood endeavor - hiring a cast and crew of over 70 people, including top actors, a world-famous director, and professional stunt men. From February 22 through March 23, cinema trailers will be showing in nearly 1900 theaters nationwide.

"MINI is so much more than a brand; it is a lifestyle," said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA. "MINI enthusiasts embody the same sense of creativity, passion, fun, and lust for life that went into the making of these films. MINI owners are also a highly interactive online community, so we are looking forward to the reaction from people around the country, who will undoubtedly enjoy these films and share them with friends."

The nationwide campaign also includes an array of unique and fun creative components. In addition to the visually engaging billboards that will be unveiled in Miami, Los Angeles and New York City, the creative team of Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners (MINI USA's ad agency) has worked with MINI to create movie posters, print ads, a MySpace page, YouTube strategy, and a number of fun accessories for purchase online - including iron-on logos for tee-shirts, vintage lunchboxes, and gear inspired by the series.

"Working with MINI USA allows us to stretch creatively and expand on concepts that other, more conservative companies might shy away from," said John Butler, Executive Creative Director and Founding Partner at Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners, MINI USA's ad agency. "The result is always very fun and interactive. In a nutshell, very MINI."

The "Hammer & Coop" campaign also involves groundbreaking media partnerships, including a Rolling Stone flip-issue due to hit newsstands in early March. The magazine's first-ever flip-issue will feature "Hammer & Coop" on both the back and front cover, in addition to 10 full-color pages within the magazine. The March issues of popular men's magazines MAXIM, Stuff, and Blender will feature "Hammer & Coop" in an 8-page fashion spread, styled and shot by world-famous fashion director Stan Williams - and in addition, Premiere magazine has also created a faux cover for their March issue, including 5 pages of editorial coverage written and designed by magazine staff. And for the first time in the magazine's history, Men's Health will integrate the campaign into their highly-read monthly workout poster.

"For the next six weeks, as the webisodes launch and more of the plot is revealed, audiences will get to know the real story behind Hammer & Coop," said Trudy Hardy, Marketing Manager for MINI USA. "The goal is to effectively engage consumers in the brand by offering an ongoing, interactive dialogue that will keep them coming back for more and interested in future MINI projects."

The campaign will also have a prominent place in the viral community, leveraging unique partnerships with digital media in addition to print and broadcast. Starting this month, "Hammer & Coop" will have a solid presence on popular online sites Second Life, MySpace and YouTube. The characters will be incorporated into Second Life's "online society" on March 15, the trailer and video components will be available on YouTube after February 20, and a custom profile has been created for "Hammer & Coop" on the popular social networking site MySpace. In addition, advertising content will be available on podcasts and mobile phones (through iPod Infuse and Mobile Video on Demand).

MINI in the US

MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 models and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car centers, 334 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 80 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:

www.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Source: MINI USA

CONTACT: Sara Vicendese, Rubenstein Communications, Inc.,
+1-917.620.3908

Web site: http://www.hammerandcoop.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: www.press.bmwgroup.com.

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