I know that it’s the day after April 1st, but I just wondered whether you were fed up with all the car company japery?
Several days ago I had some embargoed press releases which made me feel a bit world-weary. I seem to remember that one was about an electric Allegro and China or something. Mind you BL managed to make just about every single day an April 1st with their less than amusing products throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s.
However, one company always did April fool’s brilliantly. BMW UK, employed an advertising agency that had one, WCRS, or Wright Collins Rutherford Scott.
Yes, for my sins, I used to work in the advertising industry adding yet another hated professional to my CV, which includes car salesman, merchant banker and journalist. Actually, when I was a car salesman it was BMW's peerless April 1st ads that put me on the frontline dealing with members of public who had been duped.
I took phone calls from customers who really did want to tick the option box for the left hand drive steering wheel from the glove box and the mini wiper fitted to the BMW roundel. I must say that letting them down gently was an art. You really didn’t want to make them feel too silly. On the whole they took it in good spirit and no one got indignant and upset. It was a very British jape.
These days though isn’t it all a bit tired? Shouldn’t we have a few years off? Or perhaps it does show that we have a sense of humour in this country.
So do you like to laugh with your motors?
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I can see where you are
I can see where you are coming from regarding dropping the whole April the first thing for BMW. The issue is that now-a-days we are constantly bombarded with so many bloody stupid ideas from the car industry that anything they come up with as a joke seems to be lost.
Was suckered!
Yep, I was suckered in on this. It seemed like something people would enjoy doing on/with their car! http://www.computerworld.co.uk
BMW's April Fools adverts
Yes James, I think it is time to can this tradition.
Like you I was running a BMW dealership in the 80's and this jolly jape was unique and looked forward to every year. It fooled so many people that we had to field at least thirty enquiries every year from those who had been duped enough to apply for more details.....despite enquiry forms being addressed to 'Uve bin Ad' and included self washing cars, and self inflating tyres which when enquired about resulted in a white can of air complete with unique part number!
It was quite brilliant, but no less than you would expect from WCRS, who made BMW the prized marque it is today in the UK.
Other brands have tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to emulate, but I think it has had its time now.