• by Fern Siegel , December 13, 2024

This year’s BMW holiday campaign, titled “The Gift,”  is about the cool of a classic car, seen through the eyes of a grandson.

The creative, by JvM Hamburg, illustrates how the joy of driving connects generations — grandchild to grandmother — in various ways. It's all visual — no copy is necessary.

The 100-second spot opens in a city center, where 7-year-old Tim and his parents are shopping for the perfect Christmas gift for his grandmother. Tim rejects convention ideas, finding the ideal gift in a shop window: a BMW junior seat. 

Now, they can both enjoy the joy of driving in the vintage BMW 1500, introduced over 60 years ago.  Filmed in Vienna, the clip is set to the 1980s holiday song “Christmas in Hollis” by the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C.

The spot runs on BMW's YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram channels. In addition, the campaign has activations on Netflix in the U.K. and Germany. A 60-second version also airs during holiday programming on German free-to-air TV.