• by Tanya Gazdik , 3 hours ago

BMW is breaking creative for its used vehicles unit featuring Common, who praises the brand for its “common sense.”

Two 30-second spots for BMW Certified launched on Sept. 1 from Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

The Grammy-, Emmy- and Academy-Award winning rapper and actor Common appears in “Intersection” and “Auction.”

While authenticity has always been a talking point in the category, the team at GS&P saw an opportunity to approach the subject in a cinematic and unexpected way, creating a campaign that’s equal parts thoughtful and entertaining, says Rich Silverstein, founder of GS&P.

“We really wanted to elevate the BMW Certified program,” Silverstein says in a release. “Genuine isn’t a new theme in the category, but with compelling storytelling, visual direction, and Common on the screen, this campaign strikes a refreshing new tone.”

BMW Certified is an entry point to the brand for those who wanted the luxury but couldn’t afford the price of a new vehicle.

The campaign extends online, and in social with further expressions of the common sense perspective, plus radio featuring the unmistakable voice of Common.

The automaker’s first spots featuring Common broke in October. BMW began working with him after Tim Sumter had a middle-of-the-night epiphany. He had recently come over from the brand’s social team and woke up thinking about his new assignment when it came to him: “Certified Pre-Owned. It’s Common Sense.”

“This campaign is unlike anything we've done for BMW Certified,” says Sumter,  senior pre-owned marketing specialist, BMW of North America, in a release. “Humor has always played an important role in our work, but this campaign explores the idea through a more elevated lens. Plus, with Common involved, we had the opportunity to create something genuinely distinctive.”