BMW have a decent history in Australia of tying their marketing activities to the arts. There were BMW Art Cars and BMW Films, and then there was that time that they dabbled with the black arts, or black hat SEO to be precise.

So in line with this desire to position BMW as the car that creative people drive [really?] BMW have recently collaborated with Aussie synth jockeys The Presets.

To promote the release in Australia of the 1 Series, BMW has asked The Presets to remix one of their hits, Are you the one? and in startlingly mundane press-release fashion, this event is described as ground-breaking. How many more times does the ground have to be broken?

Julian Hamilton of The Presets had this to say:

“Its cool that this project with BMW has allowed Jonathan (Zawada) and Collider the creative freedom and scope to create something so forward thinking and fresh, like an art project that will stand alone on its own merits”

And Tom Noble, Australias general manager of marketing just couldnt stop himself:

“This is a unique partnership for a unique car, which we haven’t seen in Australia before. We realised that the 1 Series has much to offer a new generation of BMW customers who are not going to be reached through traditional advertising methods. Successful, creative people under the age of 40 are discovering and consuming music and other entertainment products through new technology and integrated lifestyle experiences. Those are the people that we want to speak to in a way that excites them. By sharing the stage with The Presets, BMW wants to get across the message that driving the 1 Series is fun and accessible for those individuals who believe they are the one.”

So BMW wants to shill more cars to a market other than the baby boomers and The Presets just want to make something beautiful. How does this kind of marketing benefit either brand really?

Call me cynical, but the Newshound cant help but feel that this partnership is approximately one part sell-out and one part cash-in.