Auto Trader Launches Creative Solution Department with BMW Campaign

BMW has utilised Auto Trader’s new creative offering to launch partners to launch its new 2 Series Active Tourer model. 

The partnership will enable BMW to target potential BMW 2 Series Active Tourer customers through the Auto Trader website, which hosts more than 11 million unique visitors each month. The campaign was initiated by the media agency Vizeum and born of a close cooperation between BMW and Auto Trader’s newly created creative solutions department.

“Auto Trader offers an integrated editorial content hub that creates a deeper connection to a car like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer,” commented Chris Ward, Director of Advertising at Auto Trader. “Our editorial content hub creates an environment that complements the editorial reviews and news stories, building confidence in readers and shining the spotlight on a brand.”

Former creative solutions director at Bauer Advertising, Hussain Chowdhury, heads the creative solutions department, bringing experience of working with blue chip clients including Audi, Nike, Adidas, Nintendo, PlayStation, Sony and Apple.

The 2 Series Active Tourer is BMW’s first foray into the compact multi person vehicle (MPV) space, while maintaining the brand’s premium appeal and strong driving dynamics.  It is aimed for an audience drawn to the appeal of the BMW brand, but who must also be able to accommodate the lifestyle of a busy family. For recreational use and long-drives for example, the car promises a package that combines performance, comfort, space and fuel economy.

For car makers like BMW, capturing the buyer early in the research process is key to influencing decision making. For 85% of new car buyers, the path to purchase takes just six weeks, and 63% of new car buyers initially turn to content-led websites (Kantar Research January 2014) to support their research.  According to a GfK study undertaken in July 2014, 93% of all people on car content sites turn to Auto Trader, three times as many as second placed What Car? And 73% of all people think that Auto Trader is the most influential content-led site.