A slogan is the most important part of any brand, they're designed to capture the attention of your customers and tell them what the company stands for. They are usually very short and to the point. As a brand, BMW has had some of the best slogans around, but its "Ultimate Driving Machine" has become a classic.
BMW's slogan is one of the oldest around, they first coined the phrase in the 1970s as a way of targeting post-war baby boomers. Since then, BMW has tried to change it several times and failed. The BMW brand will forever be linked to this iconic slogan.
Eight years ago BMW launched an ad where they boldly claimed, "We don't make sports cars. We don't make SUVs. We don't make hybrids. We don't make luxury sedans. We only make one thing. The Ultimate Driving Machine." And that sums it up perfectly, BMW is the Ultimate Driving Machine. So, where does this slogan come from? And why is it regarded as one of the best ones around? Let's take a closer look.
"Ultimate Driving Machine" is the perfect phrase that explains BMW's automobile wizardry.
Update March 2022: This article was updated with a refreshed outlook on why BMW's iconic slogan has a secret origin.
Origin Of BMW's Iconic Slogan
BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine slogan was first introduced in the 1970s when Bob Lutz the former Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing teamed up with ad agency Ammirati and Puris to create their slogan. At the time, the ad agency that BMW chose to work with was still relatively unknown, but Lutz believed in their ability after seeing their work on previous Fiat campaigns.
This was seen as a massive gamble at the time, but it eventually paid off. The aim of the partnership between BMW & Ammirati and Puris was to redefine the company's brand. Their job was to focus more on BMWs traditional sharp and sporty qualities instead of trying to go head-to-head with luxury cars from Mercedes-Benz. And that is how the idea for the Ultimate Driving Machine campaign was born.
When you create a slogan, you make a promise. This is what our company stands for, and anything less is unacceptable! The success of your product depends on your ability to keep this promise. BMW was and still is so successful because of keeping its promises. After they released their ad campaign, they followed it up by making a lot of great cars or should I say, Ultimate Driving Machines.
Ultimate Driving Machine Ad campaign
BMW & Ammirati Puris AvRutick launched their Ultimate Driving Machine ad campaign in the mid-1970s. The goal was simple, to boost the BMW brand in the American market. The problem was, this was also around the same time American-made muscle cars dominated the U.S car industry. So 70s European cars were struggling to gain any sort of foothold in the American market.
But BMW managed to find a solution, as their Ultimate Driving Machine campaign was a huge success. This was mainly because of its timing. It was released around the same time baby boomers were entering the job market. So BMW decided to focus its ads towards them.
The campaign was centered around emotion rather than the actual product. People fell in love with BMW because of how they thought it would make them feel. Baby boomers found the idea of owning the Ultimate Driving Machine extremely appealing, so much so that BMW soon became their car of choice. It was a symbol of BMW's newfound success and independence.
The German manufacturer eventually stopped using the ad campaign in 2006 after its effectiveness had reportedly worn off. And their market researchers advised the carmaker that the ad no longer drove sales.
Evolution Of The BMW Slogan
In 2006 after BMW decided to stop running its Ultimate Driving Machine campaign they launched "Joy Is BMW". This new campaign was focused on safety and fuel efficiency. But the campaign was a total failure. This forced them to go back to their old slogan. Proving once again why you should never tinker with a winning formula.
BMW has now changed its slogan to "Designed For Driving Pleasure". This new phrase is an interpretation of the German carmaker's tagline, "Freude Am Fahren" which means Pleasure To Drive. Freude Am Fahren has been BMWs tagline since 1965, and now it's their new slogan.
BMW's Ultimate Driving Machine campaign ran for almost 40 years, making it one of the oldest slogans in the automotive industry. The reason for its longevity was that it was very effective at driving sales. Let's be honest, who doesn't want to drive the Ultimate Driving Machine?
It's unlikely that we will see any campaign from BMW achieve what that one achieved, especially now that BMW is losing fans. The Ultimate Driving Machine campaign was able to relate to different generations across four decades, so even though it isn't used today, it will always be associated with the BMW name.