BMW Appoints FCB Creative Agency of Record in Canada

BMW Canada today announced a new partnership with FCB, a global, fully integrated marketing communications company with Canadian offices in Toronto and Montreal. FCB becomes the BMW brand’s new creative agency of record in Canada. They will begin working with the innovative automotive brand in August of 2017. The move marks a significant change for the BMW brand in Canada, which had been partners with its previous agency since 1995. 

“FCB stood out for several reasons,” said Sebastian Beuchel, director, BMW brand management, BMW Canada. “Their strong strategic competence really shone through; they presented truly inspiring creative concepts; their broad, multicultural knowledge and insights into retail marketing were exceptional; and their digital strength – a key pillar for us – was particularly strong. FCB Canada has a strong, highly committed team of experienced strategists, creatives and account managers, as well as outstanding agency leadership.” 

“The BMW Group celebrated its 100th anniversary last year,” continued Beuchel. “While we celebrated many milestones and achievements, the main focus of our centenary was ‘The Next 100 Years.’ At BMW, we believe our industry will see more change in the next 10 years than it has in the last 100. FCB is the right partner to join us as we step into a completely new era. Together, we will work to maintain BMW’s position as a pioneer in our industry, and beyond.”

FCB was one of four agencies asked to participate in the review. The extensive agency screening and selection process was executed in conjunction with the realignment of BMW’s brand and communication strategy. The objective: To enhance the brand’s strong position as a leading premium manufacturer in the Canadian marketplace, and to further its position as a leading innovator and cutting-edge marketer. 

The win represents the strong forward momentum exhibited by FCB Canada, which recently took home 10 Lions at Cannes Lions 2017, making it the most awarded agency in Canada at this year’s festival. Additionally, FCB Canada was named Digital Agency of the Year by Strategy magazine in November. 

“BMW is an automotive and performance icon that we have long dreamed of calling our partner. Today, we are honored and thrilled to have that dream come true, with FCB being selected as BMW’s creative agency partner in Canada,” said FCB Canada CEO Tyler Turnbull. 

The first project FCB Canada will tackle with BMW is the launch of the all-new BMW X3. While the agency will work on many important projects within the first few months of their partnership with BMW, the X3 launch is critical. Sport utility vehicles are an important industry segment, and the BMW X3 is one of the most important models in BMW’s Sports Activity Vehicle line-up.