Several edgy, young prides of advertising lions were up for the account, but in the end Mini picked Sausalito, California's Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners as its new agency of record. The BMW brand was forced to replace the company that gave it its "Let's Motor" ethos, after that company, Crispin, Porter + Bogusky, left for the far greener pasture of Volkswagen's $400 million account (plus, they were likely pissed not to be allowed to bid on the larger, BMW parent account). Compared to VW, the Mini account is literally that: a mere $30 million — mainly in print and online buys. Butler, Shine beat out creative houses Strawberry Frog and Mother New York, for the opportunity to dial back the cuteness in Mini's image for a more performance-oriented orientation.
Butler, Shine Wins BMW Mini Account [Adweek]
Related:
Volkswagen Chooses Crispin Porter as Ad Agency of Record [internal]