BMW Australia creates a TV Commercial for the 3 Series

BMW Australia brings five generations of the iconic 3 Series sports sedan to life on the screen

The advertisement traces the history of the iconic 3 Series from its genesis as the BMW 2002 in 1968 to the latest E90 3 Series Sedan, with all cars filmed on a race track, and seamlessly morphing from one generation to the next.

In creating the advertisement, BMW and its creative partner, Melbourne based Badjar Group, mixed the latest in computer generated imagery with awesome on track driving, and a unique 360-degree action pan shot of the current and previous generation 3 Series cars.

“We created this television spot to show how the BMW 3 Series has always been fun to drive, is fun to drive today and will always be fun to drive. That’s what you’d expect from the cornerstone of the BMW brand,” says Tom Noble, General Manager, Marketing at BMW Group Australia.

Jack Room, executive creative director of BADJAR Group created a 45-second television spot that embodied the spirit of the BMW 3 Series. Armed with a vital knowledge base of the 3 Series history, the BADJAR creative team focused on the payoff line: “In 1968 BMW invented the sports sedan and never stopped re-inventing it”.

In the TVC, the cars morph through their generations to the climax, with the evocative music of the Body Rocker’s song “I Like The Way You Move” playing strongly. With the help of CGI – computer generated imaging – the BADJAR team spent two days on site at the Eastern Creek race track in Sydney filming and then worked their magic in the editing suite.

BADJAR had not done anything like the 3 Series creative for BMW previously. “We’ve done plenty of television commercials where we have used computer generated imaging, but not to this extent. The unique thing about this particular piece is that we wanted to have an archival feel to it to start with and then, as the whole thing progressed, end up with a much more contemporary feel, when the E46 3 Series morphed into the E90”, says Jack.

To enable that seamless transition, a special rig was built for the money shot, which involved mounting a camera for a 360-degree pan around both an E46 and E90 as one morphs into the other. After the shoot and with the genius of computers in the editing suite, the creatives took some footage of the spectacular mountains around Queenstown in New Zealand to slip into the background.

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Mazda Roadster NR-A

Mazda announced that it will release the NR-A version Mazda Roadster for sale at its Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers throughout Japan in early April 2006. The Roadster is known as the MX-5 in overseas markets.

Designed with specifications that enable drivers to compete in NR-A category races after the addition of special racing kit, Mazda has been selling the base model NR-A Roadster since December 2001. Since then, the NR-A model Roadster has been favorably received by motorsports enthusiasts thanks to its reasonable cost and the added dimension of exhilarating driving possibilities that come with meeting the NR-A race requirements.

The new NR-A model Roadster is based on the third generation Roadster that underwent a complete redesign and launched in August 2005. Employing special equipment on the new Roadster NR-A model--height-adjustable Bilstein dampers, a torque-sensing 'Super LSD' (limited-slip differential), and front strut tower bars--makes this exciting new model more suitable for sporty driving.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the Roadster MX-5 NR-A model is 2,300,000 yen, including sales tax. It is only available in the Japanese market. The new NR-A model was designed to participate in the "Roadster Party" One Make Races in Japan. These events are sponsored by Mazda and will be held from September 2006.

Technical specifications of the NR-A Roadster

Model name and type		Mazda CBA-NCEC
Dimensions	Overall length/width/height	3,995mm x 1,720mm x 1,245mm
	Wheelbase	2,330mm
	Weight	1,120kg (1,100kg with factory-installed aluminum wheels)
	Minimum clearance	135mm
	Seating capacity	2 people
Steering		Rack and pinion
Suspension (front/rear)		Double wishbone/multilink
Brakes (front/rear)		Ventilated disc/disc
Tires and wheels	Tires	205/50R16 87V
	Wheels	16x6 1/2JJ
Engine	Model	LF-VE
	Type	Water-cooled inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16 valve
	Displacement	1,998cc
	Compression ratio	10.8
	Maximum output	125kW (170PS) /6,700rpm
	Maximum torque	189Nm (19.3kg-m) /5,000rpm
	Fuel supply system	EGI (Electronic Gasoline Injection)
	Fuel & tank volume	Unleaded premium gasoline / 50 liters
10/15 mode fuel economy (MLIT inspection values)		13.4km/l
Main fuel economy improvement		Variable valve timing
Minimum turning radius		4.7m

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