BMW hasn’t made an appearance on the Super Bowl since 2015, when it ran an i3 spot with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel, and it won’t come back this year either.
The decision is official, as AutoNews reports, so those expecting so see the latest 5-Series in an ad will be disappointed, as the executive sedan won’t be marketed on the Super Bowl stage, despite the success of their mini-movie called ‘The Escape’, which ran late last year, under the BMW Films banner.
“Our big opportunity with 5-Series came with BMW Films. A lot of our views to date have all been organic and without paid media. We’ll continue to look for ways to lift BMW Films while incorporating the rest of the 5-Series campaign. It shows that if the content is strong, and the story is good, people will watch, people will share. That’s what we strive for“, said BMW of North America’s VP of Marketing, Trudy Hardy.
By choosing not to run ads during the event, BMW has joined other large names in the automotive industry that will follow the same path, including their MINI brand, and Toyota. On the other hand, Audi, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have all announced their presence at the Super Bowl LI.