BMW will return to the Super Bowl after a four-year break with a commercial promoting its all-electric BMW i3, the company said today.
The luxury automaker purchased a 60-second spot that will air during the first quarter of the game.
"As one in three Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, we are thrilled to use this platform to educate viewers on the importance of electric mobility," said Trudy Hardy, VP-marketing, BMW of North America. "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy."
BMW tapped KBS for the creation of the commercial, and UM is responsible for media buying.
"The i3 represents the most disruptive technology in the category and deserves a big stage. The Super Bowl is just that," said Ed Brojerdi, CEO, KBS New York. "It's been four years since BMW has been a part of the big game so we are really proud to be able to contribute and bring creative ideas to the brand that are as inventive as their product."
In 2011, BMW aired two spots during the Super Bowl, "Defy Logic" and "Changes."
It's only the second Super Bowl commercial for Lexus, which last appeared in the game in 2012.
BMW and Lexus join Nissan, Toyota, Kia and Mercedes, which have also bought commercial time in the big game.
But several other regular auto advertisers have decided to sit out of Super Bowl XLIX, which will air on NBC on Feb. 1. General Motors, Lincoln, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Honda and Acura, have all confirmed they will not run ads during the Super Bowl.
The last several years there seen a glut of auto ads during the Super Bowl, leading to questions about any brand's ability to stand out. In 2014 there were 11 different nameplates in the Super Bowl and the category accounted for over one-fourth of the total ad time in the game, according to Kantar Media.
