"We hope to really add some humanity to our brand" and show the diversity of buyers, says Jack Pitney, vp of marketing for BMW North America. The
"ultimate driving machine" slogan still appears in small print, but the focus is elsewhere in the automaker's first major ad push in the U.S in four years. In one spot, "Joy is
BMW," the text reads: "At BMW we don't make cars. We make joy."
"People now want to lead a richer life, rather than a life of riches," says Madelyn
Hochstein, president of DYG, a market-research firm that works with BMW. The campaign will evolve into a value message emphasizing the quality of the engineering, vehicle safety, a four-year or
50,000-mile free service package and the fuel economy of its diesels and hybrids.
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Meanwhile, Tim Higgins reports in the Detroit Free Press that Toyota dealers gathered in Orlando are excited about a major marketing push the automaker is launching in March. They're also happy about the fact that headquarters' payments to fix recalled cars and trucks will help offset lost sales.