Fallon’s game-changing BMW Films interactive campaign inducted into CLIO Hall of Fame

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Screen shot 2011-05-21 at 10.26.36 AM.jpgFallon Minneapolis has been honored in the CLIO Awards Hall of Fame for its 2001 breakthrough interactive BMW Films “he Hire” campaign.

“The Hire” was a series of short Internet films produced for BMW featuring popular filmmakers like Ang Lee and stars such as Clive Owen, Madonna, Mickey Rourke and James Brown.

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On April 26, 2001, John Frankenheimer’s Ambush premiered on the BMW Films website and, two weeks later, was followed by Ang Lee’s Chosen. Soon after, director Wong Kar-Wai was tapped to make a third film entitled The Follow, a dramatic piece about a runaway wife being followed by “The Driver”. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and received rave reviews. It was followed by Guy Ritchie’s Star and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Powder Keg.

To qualify for the Hall of Fame, an entry must be at least five years old and have won a Gold CLIO, or its equivalent in a major show, such as the Andys, Cannes, D&AD, or The One Show. Generally, this is work that has redefined advertising for its particular category, or like Fallon’s BMW Films, virtually created the genre. A few past winners include Nike “Tag,” McDonald’s “Estate Agent, Alan Hansen, Plumber,” and PlayStation “Double Life.”

Screen shot 2011-05-21 at 10.55.26 AM.jpg“We’ve always felt that BMW Films was a campaign that pushed boundaries in any medium,” says Bruce Bildsten (left), executive creative director, Fallon. “To have that acknowledged with such an outstanding group of ideas is a real honor.”

Adds Jim McDowell, former marketing vice president of BMW of North America: “At the time it was launched, BMW Films was the most exciting content anyone had seen on their computer screen. Fallon crafted what most likely would have been a groundbreaking concept in 2005 and found a way to realize it in 2001. The films embodied the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ positioning in a far more convincing manner than would have been possible in traditional advertising.”

Client: BMW Films

Agency: Fallon Minneapolis

Creative Directors: Bruce Bildsten, Kevin Flatt, David Lubars

Art Directors: David Carter, Tom Riddle, Kevin Flatt

Writers: Joe Sweet, David Carter, Greg Hahn

Content Producers: Mark Sitley, Brian DiLorenzo, Robyn Boardman, Robert Van de Weteringe Buys, Kate Talbott, Ted Knutson

Producers: David Fincher, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Jules Daly

Production Companies: Anonymous Content and RSA Films

Designers: Tom Riddle, Brooke Possard, Mark Sandau, Nathan Hinz