MINI USA has partnered with creative agency Pereira O’Dell to craft a new campaign – and cultural moment – in tandem with its Countryman.
“Don’t Fence Me In” will become available as a full-length, studio-recorded song for MINI-drivers and more to listen to when they seek inspiration on the road. MINI and Pereira O’Dell gave Labrinth full creative control over its creation, so as not to “fence him in,” so to speak. Promotional premiums related to the song are also being pursued (i.e. vinyl record) to be employed at local dealerships and beyond. In addition to the song, the campaign includes behind-the-scenes social and video, print, digital, and social. Both MINI and Labrinth, both British-based, aim to heighten recognition among North American audiences through this campaign.
Nick Sonderup, Creative Director at Pereira O’Dell:
Tell us about your role in the creation of this work.
As Creative Director, I oversaw the entire process from concept to execution.
Give us an overview of the campaign, what is it about?
This is a campaign about space – physical space and headspace. The story is about a musician - singer/songwriter/producer and mega pop-star, Labrinth – in search of an inspirational spark. So, he does what many of us do in that situation. He goes for a drive. And since Labrinth is driving a MINI Countryman, MINI’s largest model, Labrinth has the space he needs both inside the car, and on the road. As he drives, the chaos of the city dissipates and he can just be by himself, in his own space, with his thoughts. And that’s when a moment of inspiration strikes. He’s inspired to sing the Cole Porter’s “Don’t Fence Me In” – a classic song about exploration and the freedom to roam.
In addition to the song being performed in the commercial, we also worked with Labrinth to create a full length, studio recording of this classic song. We’re also pressing the single to vinyl for premium giveaways. Taking the cultural impact of this campaign from just a TVC to piece of pop cultural that will live on forever.
Music plays a very important role in this campaign for two reasons. First, the song is central to the storytelling and theme of the campaign. Secondly, music is a very relatable and impactful way to reach a creative-minded audience. MINI as a brand has always been an iconic, and pop culture-relevant brand – everyone from Madonna to the Beatles have been proud MINI owners – so the use of and connection to music is authentic.
Tell us about the details creative brief, what did it ask?
The main brief line was two simple words: Make space. We were asked to portray the MINI Countryman as an oasis to a chaotic and busy city life. It was a brand level brief intended to evoke a feeling rather than hard-hitting product benefits.
Which insight led to the creation of this piece of work?
The strategic insight from the brief was that the urban-minded audience is in need of a moment of peace and headspace, an oasis from the chaos of the city. But that doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the city to find it. This audience loves where they live and work, so we didn’t need our story to take us out of the city. In fact, it sends a stronger message if our hero finds that peace and space within the city limits.
The creative insight we leaned into was how creative people need space to think. And one way to do that, is to take a drive. To get a moment away, open yourself up to the space around and let inspiration strike.
Can you share with us any alternative ideas (if any) for this campaign? Why was this idea chosen?
We also had a similar script on the table that featured a chef that was again, seeking out a moment of inspiration. We see him driving around different parts of a city, seeking out different ingredients. We aren’t sure what they had to do with one another until the end, when he arrives back at his restaurant and briefs his kitchen on the special for that day.
Again, we would’ve worked with a real, influential chef and created an additional cultural moment – like the actual recipe or a video of the chef creating it – to show off the creative process and deliver something that goes beyond advertising.
But ultimately, we felt like music, and “Don’t Fence Me In” in particular, would evoke a stronger emotional reaction, be more memorable, have a longer shelf life – and hopefully, get stuck in your head.
What was the greatest challenge that you and your team faced during development.
We had some challenges - securing the rights to the song, to finding the perfect artist who was not only available, but willing to be on camera and had some acting chops. But the biggest challenge in the end was the limited time we had to pull it all off, once we had everything lined up. It had to be shot in December, and finding an American, urban city with good weather and long enough days of sunlight, during a short window of time our talent was available, and production partners available leading right up to the holiday break – was a herculean challenge. And the actual production was only part of it. Our shoot was Dec. 8-10 and then we had to deliver final assets by Dec. 21 before the holiday break. So, everything had to go according to plan, and lucky for us it did.
What did you enjoy most about seeing this campaign through? Did you learn anything new from the experience?
The entire campaign was a pleasure to work on. Our partners at MINI were fantastic, as was Search Party, Sony, Reset an Exile - and everyone helping bring this thing together.
But for me, the most enjoyable part has to be the creation of the full-length song with Labrinth. That takes the campaign beyond advertising. A true cultural piece of art that will stand the test of time. When you look at the iconic artists that have put their own spin on this classic song over the last 80+ years – like, Bing Crosby, Roy Rogers, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, David Byrne, even the King of Soul, James Brown. To be part of adding to that legacy was incredibly rewarding.
Something that I didn’t necessarily learn, but was great to be reminded of, was trusting the process. And how when you hire talented people, and let them do what they’re great at, you get a great result. There was trust going both ways between us and MINI getting this idea off the ground, and ultimately when we brought Labrinth into the mix. We trusted him to create the version of the song he wanted to make. That meant he was invested, and truly made it his own, and loved the process and output.
Where do you see this campaign going in the future?
I see this campaign kick-starting an even stronger commitment to and use of music as a main storytelling driver, and relatable cultural touchpoint for the MINI brand. As I mentioned, music and pop culture have always been important to the brand’s heritage, but this campaign will help evolve that commitment and hopefully create more opportunities where artists want to work with the brand.
So, whether it’s part of this actual campaign or just part of the brand’s efforts moving forward, MINI and music are more of a natural fit now than ever.