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Zuru in June released a “Gold Rush” edition of three dozen gold-toned rare minis. Previously it also released a toy minis line featuring miniature Crayola boxes, Frisbees, and other iconic toy brands. BMW’s Schwarzenbauer says that in addition to this design legacy, Mini’s brand principles are still guided by the minimising, practical instincts of Issigonis on the one hand, and the maximising, performance-driven approach of Cooper on the other. “The ethos is ‘maximise the experience – focus on the essential’,” he explains. Zuru’s strategy, Mowbray said, will be to continue to offer limited editions, and to maintain the right balance of product availability and scarcity that drives collectors to collect. Last month, in a graffiti-daubed former factory in central Berlin, executives from Mini’s owner BMW gathered to announce “the third chapter” in its 56-year history. Marketing Week received exclusive access to hear the story behind the brand’s latest reboot, including new designs, a new logo and a new positioning for its cars.
I can’t deny I’m entertained by my miniature groceries. I marvel as I compare the mini Dove to the real one. Yet as children’s toys, they are more concerning and you can’t help wondering where playtime ends and consuming begins. The Mini Brands craze shows no signs of slowing down, with the launch of the highly anticipated Disney Mini Brands Series 2 and Toy Mini Brands Series 3 keeping fans engaged and eager for more. These new series feature an expanded collection of beloved characters and popular toys, providing fans with even more ways to collect and trade their favourite Mini Brands. Toy industry experts Silver and Zahn both expect the Mini Brands popularity to continue through this year and beyond. We have more digitalisation, so all of a sudden people can get more information about everything and are keen to know what’s behind the brand and the shiny surface,” says Marc Lengning, head of brand management at Mini. This will provide the somewhat unusual spectacle of a piecemeal brand relaunch that reveals itself over time as each of the five models receives their new identity – a conscious decision by Mini as it looks to make consumers more aware of its different product lines.
THE MOST REFINED, SOPHISTICATED MINI EVER MADE.
Unilever in a statement to CNBC in 2019 said it liked the idea because “Partnering with a toy brand allows consumer brands to access the household shopper through the most influential channel of all – their children.” And that has huge commercial potential for so many adult consumer brands looking to expand their market. The toy took off as the world suddenly found itself nostalgic for grocery shopping, as the pandemic shifted a lot of supermarket trips to online. There must be something special about a brand if it can pass between six different owners in half a century and still be described rightfully as ‘iconic’. In the case of car brand Mini, that special attribute is its ability to reinvent itself.
The zeitgeist in 2001 was that we had just entered a new millennium and people were jumping into that with a lot of energy,” remembers Schwarzenbauer. “People were very willing to question conventions and the new Mini really hit right at the heart of that.” Mini plans to create separate identities for its five “superhero” models including colour schemes and aesthetic concepts The original in the premium segment of small cars has reached its 60th birthday – but it is even younger than ever. It was sixty years ago, to be precise on 26 August 1959, that British Motor Corporation proudly revealed the result of their development activities in creating a new, revolutionary compact car. Heavily branded children’s toys aren’t new. In 1994, Mattel released a Barbie McDonald’s Restaurant Set, complete “with talking drive-thru” and miniature menu boards. Around the same time, ride-on toy cars for children became popular, and BMW, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz wasted no time slapping their logos on plastic bonnets. Daniel Cook, a professor of childhood studies at Rutgers University and author of The Commodification of Childhood, says: “Consumerism has been a part of children’s lives for as long as there has been modern consumption,” roughly since the mid-1800s. He references Victorian artist Kate Greenaway’s picture books of the 1880s, which had a tie-in line of clothing for girls produced by Liberty of London. He also points to Campbell’s Soup’s range of dolls, first sold in 1909. The toys have become such a phenomenon that food brands that passed on the licensing request initially have since approached Zuru asking that their products be included in future editions of the toy.
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The Mini Brands craze has taken TikTok by storm, with over 5b videos showcasing creative unboxing, trading and customisation of the collectible toys. Zuru's miniature grocery store items have gone viral on Tik Tok, with videos featuring the toys ... [+] viewed more than 1.6 billion times. Zuru The key is constantly refreshing it,” Silver said. “Keeping it fresh to keep the consumer interested.”
Things are going extremely well for Mini, so why is it is reinventing itself now? To explain this we have to look at a comparison between 2001 and 2015. Society has changed dramatically – consumption is less of a priority [now] and people are questioning more and more the purpose of everything and the benefits [of products], for ourselves and for society,” he explains. “People are more focused on ‘the essential’ and I believe that no other car brand is better positioned than Mini to meet this new focus on things that count.” New grown-up attitude Lengning insists that despite this downbeat approach, Mini has not lost its gregarious, edgy character. This is due to reappear in some of the advertising for its other models as it rolls out in the coming years, he says. For example, the John Cooper Works – Mini’s sporty performance vehicle that accounts for around 5% of sales – would appear to lend itself to a more ebullient tone of advertising. Items that are not available in store will take 3-5 working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) to be delivered to your nominated store. Since the German manufacturer relaunched the quintessentially British car brand in 2001, sales have gone from strength to strength, rising 12-fold to reach more than 302,000 units last year. Yet Peter Schwarzenbauer, the BMW board director with responsibility for the car brand, declares that despite this success, Mini will have to embark on a new direction if it is to continue to thrive. However, Lengning says the strategy is indicative of Mini’s new resolve to move with the times. The rapid growth of brands like Airbnb and Uber has destabilised many legacy businesses, but rather than row against the tide, Mini is seeking to compete on its own terms by encouraging more people to experience its brand.The new brand identity will debut in advertising for the Clubman when the model goes on sale in October. A preview of print and outdoor ads shown at the launch event reveals a more sparse, sombre presentation in comparison to recent Mini campaigns, such as ‘Not Normal’ in 2013. The Clubman is simply photographed against a hardwood floor in an old industrial building as light streams in from a glass roof, with minimal copy underneath.
With our five ‘superheroes’ we want to make it very clear that each of those cars has its own character,” explains Lengning. “The Clubman is the most extreme example in terms of moving in a direction away from the past, but you should still expect a lotof fun from the different models as each character emerges.” Car-sharing service Zuru ‘s globally popular collectible toy line 5 Surprise Mini Brands is enjoying continued success in the United Kingdom & Ireland. Mini Brands was 2022’s No.6 item in the total market YTD, with Mini Brands Disney coming in at No.12 in October, as per NPD. In addition, Mini Brands has amassed over 5b views on TikTok. This success helped Zuru become the No.7 supplier in the UK YTD. In all sectors, digitalisation changes things and you have two choices: you just ignore it, which in my opinion is not a good idea, or you start playing with it and really shape the future. That’s what we’re doing,” says Lengning. The Mini heritageTake out the game components and read through the easy-to-follow instructions and you’re on your way through the market in the Mini Market Dash Game! Recommended for 2-4 players Alongside this new brand strategy, Mini is diversifying its approach to customer engagement by embracing the emerging ‘sharing economy’. At the Clubman launch in Berlin, the company announced that from now on it will automatically offer new customers the option to enter their car into BMW Group’s car sharing service DriveNow. In the rush to embrace digital change, Mini is also keen to avoid losing touch with its rich British heritage. The original Mini, created in 1959 by car designer Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Corporation, was a no-frills small car dedicated to making optimum use of space. The first version to go on sale even did so without in-car heating on standard models; customers had to request the installation of a heating unit if they wanted one. Mini Brands turned out to "have this incredibly emotive connection with people," said Zuru CEO Anna ... [+] Mowbray. Zuru
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