The Broad Brushstrokes of BMW

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This week BMW and ad agency GSD&M revealed a campaign for the automaker’s new Z4 sports car. “An Expression of Joy” is maybe the first campaign this year that makes overspending on an unneeded luxury seem like a good idea.

Art and luxury are often placed in the same category and it’s safe to say most people are avoiding the temptation to buy either these days. But BMW has done something unique. Somehow, they’ve placed the Z4 in both categories while making it more accessible to the general public—that is, people who might appreciate the BMW brand and art but only when it hits them in the face.

With the help of contemporary artist Robin Rhode and filmmaker Jake Scott, BMW did what every kid would want to do with a car. They laid down massive sheets of paper, sprayed the Z4 convertible’s tires with paint and let a driver loose. The result is a video and exhibit that anyone can enjoy.

Who wouldn’t want to take an expensive sports car and cover it with paint? To me, the consumer, that’s the point. All the commercials with zippy cars cruising down wet highways are meaningless if we can’t buy them.

The foundation of luxury is exclusivity, but with the economy in turmoil, luxury transcends cost and becomes a tool for reminding the masses of what they can’t have. By making this car a piece of art, or rather, a tool for creating art, it becomes something we can all enjoy.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people