Does America Love to Drive?

This week Ad Age published that BMW will launch an agency review in the US. The first thing that came to mind was what great advertising done by BMW in Spain with S.C.P.F. 

Why Spain? Well, I am from Spain, so I am closer to this story, but how BMW turned 180 degrees its communication and how that helped the company be more relevant in Spanish society (and sell more) it's a case study that everyone working in advertising should look at it.

Because BMW had great products. Great performance. Great engineering. Great technology. But had no soul. An the ¿Te gusta conducir? (Do you like to drive?) campaign I believe it showed the brand's soul for the first time. It showed that all the performance, engineering and technology had only one purpose: to make the driving experience a heavenly experience!

First ad of the ¿Te gusta conducir? campaign by S.C.P.F. 

And does America love to drive? That is the question that comes to mind after years of working with car brands and seeing how emotional is car advertising in Europe or Latin America and how rational is in the US.

Doesn't America love the feeling of slow ride in a mountain road? Doesn't America love the power of a Hemi engine shacking the car before the light goes green? Doesn't America love to take a road trip with your friends with no destination?

I know America loves to drive. So why 90% of the car ads you see today are basically the client's brief in images? 

Good luck to the agencies going after the BMW business. Hope they can bring the brand soul out!