Don't speak.

June 5, 2003 5:52 PM

This mildly salacious Mini commercial showed up halfway through the Canadian broadcast of The Amazing Race tonight. But the French version seems to work even better with the subtle use of captions and slightly louder gasping. Cheap production trick for the bilingual Canadian market or Gallic subtlety? (Quicktime required)
posted by maudlin (11 comments total)

Oh. An ad.
posted by scarabic at 6:18 PM on June 5, 2003

Cool! Not only was it utterly unique but it was almost as classy as a typical beer ad! It's so refreshing to see BMW finally show some class in its advertising, especially when trying to appeal to a bilingual market. ;-)
posted by catfood at 6:47 PM on June 5, 2003

bi? lingual?

oh, never mind.
posted by alms at 7:30 PM on June 5, 2003

The Lexus Minority Report Experience

Maybe Lexus should get Jose Padilla to be their spokesman.
posted by homunculus at 7:34 PM on June 5, 2003

I want one. Actually I'll take them both.
posted by Space Coyote at 7:56 PM on June 5, 2003

the volkswagen beetle was a car for the masses - a mass-produced classic that gave people freedom that would otherwise have been unaffordable. the mini was the same. now both have been re-incarnated as flash cars for rich kids, with advertising to match. whoop-a-doop.

why have design for the proles when you can make more by re-selling it as cool to the elite?
posted by andrew cooke at 6:13 AM on June 6, 2003

Have any of you actually seen a new mini?

If ever there was a word to describe it 'mini' ain't it.

Bloody Germans...
posted by twine42 at 8:58 AM on June 6, 2003

why have design for the proles when you can make more by re-selling it as cool to the elite?

The Koreans have pretty much got the low-end market cornered anyway.
posted by kindall at 12:01 PM on June 6, 2003

the volkswagen beetle was a car for the masses - a mass-produced classic that gave people freedom that would otherwise have been unaffordable. the mini was the same. now both have been re-incarnated as flash cars for rich kids, with advertising to match.

I'm eagerly waiting for somebody to do the same thing with the Yugo.
posted by wendell at 12:13 PM on June 6, 2003

I'm eagerly waiting for somebody to dothe same thing with the Yugo.

You mean, like, the ZMW? Not exactly targeted to the rich, but... sorta.
posted by jammer at 1:15 PM on June 6, 2003

Since I am awaiting delivery of my MINI Cooper S, I may be a tad bias, but they are a blast to drive and not bargain-basement once you add all the options.
posted by sillygit at 5:52 PM on June 6, 2003