The Marketleap Report
Vol. 1 - Issue #7 - May 4, 2001

A stiff gate can push you back. Conversely, a frantic ride into the night, dodging road hazards like a guided missile, can really pull you in.

It was a strange image, waiting on the web like I would in line at the cineplex for the new BMW film series. Having read some of the coverage about the premiere of five short films featuring award-winning directors like Ang Lee, John Frankenheimer and Guy Ritchie, my anticipation was high.

The films were designed to highlight each director's style mixed with the driving power of some very high-end BMW toys. They promised to deliver on what the web does best: a mixture of information and media not found in other mediums.

While remembering the amazing driving sequence from Ronin, directed by Frankenheimer, my expectations suddenly hit the brakes. On Monday night, waiting outside for the doors to open, the same message kept appearing with each attempt to sign in for the film's premiere.

After several hours of surfing and going back to the site to see if the movie was ready for screening, my patience gave out. Resolving to head back into my house, the thought, "A few minutes means a few minutes!" rang in my mind.

The next day it worked fine. No messages, no distractions, just pure paved excitement driven in the finest form. The driving was amazing, the pacing perfect, the car a subtle reminder of excellence. Frankenheimer's film Ambush delivered as promised.

The new commercial is born. Sitting somewhere between HBO and late-night prime time, these films fit the technology well: product placement in the extreme as the race to capture the mind evolves. Not confined to a thirty second spot that needs to be glamorous, the five and a half minute film conveys emotion just like a blockbuster movie or compelling TV show.

Browsing the site after viewing Ambush, the preview for the new Ang Lee debut on the 10th of May generated renewed interest in returning. Reading about the production, you feel as if you are witnessing the marriage of the web, advertising and Hollywood.

The writer of Boiler Room is assisting in tying all the stories together. The director of Seven and Fight Club is the executive producer. Over five weeks, five of the industry's finest get to shine alongside BMW.

Smart companies are turning to the web to create a new vision of their products and image. No longer restrained to a fantastic Flash site or amazing front end design, innovative content for the web is being created that pushes the boundaries between advertising dollars that fund most everything and consumers prepared to eat it up.

Creative minds are being given the challenge of using products in ways they have never been able to before. The bullet-riddled BMW at the end of Ambush is no longer an object of beauty. But as the viewer, you understand that doesn't matter, considering that you made it to hell and back without a hiccup.

VW.com has been showing films on its site from a partnership with AtomFilms, but their content neither features nor highlights their cars. That difference speaks to the sophistication of the different approaches. VW is aligning itself with creativity and independent filmmaking. BMW is letting award-winning talent tell you why you always wanted a BMW.