MINI: Getaway Stockholm 2010

After their recent Talent Poaching via Facebook Places campaign, Jung von Matt is back with the MINI Getaway Stockholm 2010 campaign.

The premise is a reality game that challenges you to do the impossible: stay at least 50 metres away from everybody else in Stockholm city between October 31st and November 7th 2010. If you succeed, you win the new MINI Countryman.

A city-wide game disguised as a launch

This is not a typical “watch and forget” film. It is a product introduction that behaves like a week-long public challenge, using the city as the playing field and social friction as the difficulty setting.

The mechanic that makes it feel impossible

Mechanically, the campaign turns distance into drama: the rule is simple, but enforcing it in a dense capital city is the whole point. Every street corner becomes a decision, and every near-miss becomes part of the story players tell afterwards.

In European automotive launches, turning a product message into a participatory public challenge is a reliable way to earn attention without leaning on price or specs.

Why this breaks through

Most launches compete on features. This one competes on behavior. It gives people a clear goal, a clear constraint, and a clear reward, then lets the public generate the content through their attempts to win. The brand becomes the reason the game exists, not the interruption inside the game.

The business intent behind the play

The obvious headline is the prize, but the deeper intent is talk value and repeated engagement over a full week. A launch that unfolds day by day creates more chances for people to hear about it, join late, or simply follow along as a spectator.

What to steal for your own launches

  • Build one rule people can repeat. If the mechanic fits in a single sentence, it spreads faster.
  • Use a constraint, not just a reward. Difficulty creates stories. Stories create sharing.
  • Make the environment part of the experience. When the city is the stage, the campaign feels larger than the media.
  • Stretch the reveal over days. A week-long cadence beats a one-day spike if you want sustained attention.

A few fast answers before you act

What is MINI Getaway Stockholm 2010 in one line?

A week-long reality game in Stockholm with one simple rule and a real prize: stay 50 metres away from everyone else and win a MINI Countryman.

Why does the “50 metres” rule matter?

It turns a basic challenge into something socially and logistically hard in a busy city, which creates tension, stories, and spectator interest.

What makes this feel less like advertising?

The campaign centers on participation and behavior. People engage with the challenge first, and the brand benefits as the enabler of the experience.

What is the transferable lesson for other brands?

If you want attention without shouting, turn your launch into a simple public game with a constraint that generates stories over time.

If God had an ad agency, this would be the TV commercial…

Here is a social campaign aimed at promoting education…created by New Moment New Ideas Company…a TV commercial for the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Ministry of Education and Science.

Headline of commercial: Religion is knowledge, too. Bringing religion back to school.
Headline of campaign: Knowledge is power.

Einstein, however, apparently never said those words. So, a lie well disguised.

JetBlue: Nothing to Hide

JetBlue’s ground rule for the sky

JetBlue has a new credo: “If you wouldn’t take it on the ground, don’t take it in the air.” The carrier’s first ads from Mullen were described at the time as using hidden cameras in Manhattan to illustrate the point. The clip that’s still available is the CEO version. JetBlue’s CEO, Dave Barger, has a lot to say and nothing to hide.

What this execution is really selling: transparency as a brand behavior

This is not a product demo. It is a credibility play. Putting the CEO front and center makes the promise feel like an internal standard, not just a campaign line.

When a service brand uses leadership voice in a short spot, it is trying to compress distance: less “corporate statement,” more “here’s what we stand for.”

In service categories where trust is fragile, a simple fairness test plus a human spokesperson can communicate differentiation faster than feature claims.

Why the credo works

The line is a mental model. If a behavior feels unacceptable in a taxi, store, or restaurant, it should feel unacceptable in an airplane cabin too. That reframing lets people judge the category with everyday rules they already believe in.

It also sets up a repeatable platform. Once you establish the “ground test,” you can attach it to almost any customer irritation without changing the core message.

The business intent hiding in plain sight

This is competitive positioning disguised as common sense. The brand is implicitly calling out industry behaviors customers resent, then claiming the moral high ground by promising not to play those games.

Even if you never remember the details of the ad, you remember the test. That is the goal.

What to steal if you want a promise people repeat

  • Make the line a test, not a slogan. If people can apply it to new situations, it travels.
  • Put a real human behind the promise. A credible spokesperson turns positioning into accountability.
  • Keep the claim grounded in everyday fairness. “Would you accept this here?” is easier than explaining features.
  • Leave room for multiple executions. A platform is only useful if it can produce many spots without getting weird.

A few fast answers before you act

What is JetBlue’s “Nothing to Hide” spot about?

It uses a simple fairness credo. If you would not accept something on the ground, you should not accept it in the air. In this clip, CEO Dave Barger delivers that message directly.

Why use a CEO in an airline ad?

It signals accountability and reduces corporate distance. The promise feels like a leadership standard, not just a marketing claim.

What does “If you wouldn’t take it on the ground” actually do for the brand?

It gives customers a fast rule to judge airline behavior. That reframes category annoyances as unacceptable, and positions JetBlue as the alternative.

Is this a campaign line you can extend?

Yes. The “ground test” can be applied to many service irritations, which makes it a reusable platform rather than a one-off message.

What is the biggest execution risk?

If real experience does not match the fairness promise, the line becomes a liability. The clearer the credo, the higher the expectation it creates.