The Ultimate Driver - CES Showdown
BMW has had a presence at CES since 2014.
2014 - The BMW i3 launched along with an autonomous drift.
2015 -
BMW featured a highly autonomous driving experience.
2016 -
BMW debuted the i8 Spyder Concept.
2017 -
BMW debuted the Inside Future Autonomous Concept.
With an increasing number of auto manufacturers debuting futuristic technologies, new powertrains and new vehicle concepts that would significantly impact our view of “mobility”, standing out from the crowd at CES was becoming increasingly difficult.
The Problem:
BMW had no new emerging technology, no major innovations, and new vehicles to debut.
Making your problem, your opportunity.
Instead of seeing this lack of “new news” as a problem, we saw it as an opportunity to make a brand statement about the industry as a whole.
After investigating the latest technologies, themes and trends from previous CES events, it became evident that virtual reality, gaming and e-sports could be categories for us to explore and leverage in effort to maintain relevance for CES’s tech focused audience.
Learn. Master. Compete.
BMW’s ongoing Ultimate Driver Contest, a nationwide competition where participants in 5 cities had the opportunity to “Learn. Master. Compete.” with the latest BMWs, could serve as a platform for this event, where we would challenge participants with a driving experience like nothing they’ve ever had before.
But before CES attendees could jump behind the wheel of a brand new BMW, participants would have to earn their spot to compete in real life by first competing in Virtual Reality.
A partnership with PlayStation was formed to provide guests with the best possible virtual driving experience through the latest edition of the world-renowned Gran Turismo racing simulator, offering a brand new and unparalleled VR racing experience.
As it turns out, this would be a match made in heaven, as Gran Turismo founder Kazunori Yamauchi has professionally raced behind the wheel of a BMW M6 GT3 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2016.
The Competition.
Each day for three days at CES, participants would compete virtually on the PlayStation Gran Turismo virtual race simulator. The top fifteen finishers would then compete on track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, hosted by BMW drivers Bill Auberlen and John Edwards.
The driver with the fastest lap behind the wheel of a BMW M4 would be crowned as CES’s Ultimate Driver, receive a trip to one of BMW’s Performance Driving Centers, and be forever immortalized with their name emblazoned on the M6 GT3 in the Gran Turismo Sport video game.
Rounding out the event were other elements including:
A speaker panel discussing The Future of Racing.
A custom liveried BMW M6 GT3 that would be featured in Gran Turismo Sport with the winner’s name.
An unforgettable, jaw-dropping and ear-shattering hot-lap drift experience.
A 15 - 20 minute self-guided test drive through Las Vegas in one of BMW’s newest vehicles.
Results:
With a total of 635 test drives, 4,824 drift participants, 855 PlayStation VR contestants, and 6,566 event registrants, BMW managed to create a relevant and energizing experience at CES. Of major luxury automakers at CES, BMW had the highest amount of mentions on social media, with 11% more volume than our closest competitor Mercedes-Benz. Even with inclement weather on the first day of the show, BMW exceeded total 2017 event registrations by 22%.
Despite a lack of new emerging technology, major innovations, or new vehicles , KBS helped create a unique and relevant presence for BMW at this important event.
Role: Senior Brand Strategist
ECD: Chris Polychronopoulos
ACD: Nigel Gross
ACD: Ben Cascella
Art Director: Sarah Arrington
Copywriter: Victor Rivera
Strategy Director: Tim Wilson-Brown
Group Account Director: Socrates Papazoglou