MINI Turns Audiences Into Undercover Agents with Spy-Themed Cinema Takeover

British automotive giant, MINI has launched a three-month, nationwide cinema takeover to promote the new MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) range. The 'Agents of Fun' campaign, created by Monks and starring 'Slow Horses' star Jack Lowden, will hijack Cineworld theatres with a series of playfully redacted ads from intelligence agencies.  

With a spy-themed identity, the brief includes an on-screen hero film and blipverts, branded foyers and an online booking takeover. Furthermore, MINI has become the headline sponsor of Picturehouse’s Outdoor Cinema, delivering immersive activations set to draw audiences into the espionage.

It’s MINI’s biggest cinema partnership, made possible by Digital Cinema Media (DCM), The Story Lab and iProspect.

Fuelling the fun back into automotive

Instead of a black-tie Bond mystique, the campaign reimagines the thrilling car chases, stunts and getaways built for the big screen. At its heart lies a 70s hero film showcasing a series of stunts performed in the MINI John Cooper Works, highlighting the car’s versatility. In each example, the stunt is humorously “redacted” before being declassified in the behind-the-scenes footage.

A further three blipverts will be placed during across DCM’s entire estate, building intrigue between ads before the full hero is shown to audiences. To complete the takeover, MINI will brand Cineworld foyers and the online booking page with the ‘redacted’ Agents of Fun motif.

Hijacking Picturehouse Outdoor Cinema

For three months, Picturehouse’s famed, star-lit outdoor screen returns with MINI as the headline sponsor. DCM’s creative wing, DCM Studios, has delivered a series of activations to hijack the outdoor environment, including a repurposed MINI JCW doubling up as a photobooth for audiences.

Shifting the focus to the MINI exterior, DCM Studios will utilise advanced steam cam technology to recreate engaging shots behind a personalised backdrop. The built-in share station facilitates instant social uploads, connecting users to the action.  

MINI branded blankets, pillows, wristbands will also be available, with free popcorn provided to test drive signups.

Jeremy Kolesar, creative director, DCM Studios, commented, “MINI’s slick, spy-themed campaign uses cinema’s attributes to great effect, driving ticketholders along a series of touch points with an engaging visual identity. Great activations provide a new dimension to brands looking to harness the complete cinema experience, and we’re proud to put cinemagoers in the driving seat of MINI’s JCW.”

Eponine Atkinson, planning partner, iProspect added, "We were thrilled to work closely with MINI on this bold, cinematic campaign. From pitch to planning, our focus was on aligning every media touchpoint with MINI’s brand ambitions—injecting fun, energy and creativity into a fully immersive experience that brings the JCW to life on the silver screen in our biggest ever cinema activation.”