i Drive

Experiencing and believing in a brand's mission is made a little easier when it's made tangible like this:

BMW 's PGA Championship title sponsorship and subsequent event experience at Wentworth on the weekend was something to behold if you're in the business of branding, brand journeys, and experiences. BMW has stated that it is "becoming a relationship brand", and looking at the attention to detail and care for both current owners and onlookers, too; job done.

In today's graphic age (well, on my LinkedIn bubble, at least), where seemingly every 'new' brand rollout is an indulgent cacophony of colour variation and energy-sapping visual forks in the road, this modernist and monolithic event expression of a vision to make electric (vehicles) the new normal - and its singular visual and verbal rollout across every and all touchpoint - just felt great to me.

Here are seven things I feel they got right as a 'total experience' assessment:

1?? Brand Messaging

'100% Electric', a finely-tuned verbal moniker, captured both the brand mission and the event's promise everywhere - supported by longer-form copy with a surefooted and clear tone of voice;

2?? Visual Identity

The BMW badge floated effortlessly across a deep blue gradient, evoking brand colour recognition and the natural hues of our planet's ocean and skies (I noted too how the primary BMW blue never appeared in this supporting colour palette, subtly reinforcing its eminence and status);

3?? Brand Hierarchy

Partner brands were all given the single white colour treatment placed onto said earthly graded blue field, never purporting to usurp the master brand's visual position;

4?? Typeface Choice

BMW Type Next, a clean and open typeface family, carried the DNA of a technically proficient yet humanist brand voice to aid with the modern brand presence;

5?? Teasers for the Future

Electric iX3 shuttle cars were a teaser for what to expect of BMW's electric future, as were complementary generator-powered car chargers at the current owners' parking lot;

6?? User-Friendly Digital

Seamless ticketing and mobile wallet downloads;

7?? End-to-End Experience

A Festival of Golf visitor experience with retail park, F&B, gaming, music soundstage etc., a perfect way to enter and leave and invigorate after walking the course's long yards;

BMW's commitment to its brand identity made a cohesive event experience. Such efforts not only engage current owners but also attract potential customers and reinforce brand image in the eyes of the public.I can go on, but you get my point - "a unique BMW ingenuity" indeed. It takes discipline, an appreciation for one's role in service of the journey, and some cash to pull this off so well. I've done a few event-brand programmes in my time, but this left me stunned.

Stunning.

Now, if you'll excuse me... ??♂? FORE! ?

#eventdesign #eventbranding #branding #brandidentity #sportsmarketing #sportsdesign #customerjourney #customerexperience

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