MINI USA Partners with HBO Series TRUE BLOOD for Vampire-based Campaign

[IB Adrian]

MINI USA, along with other select brand giants, is participating in the new vampire-inspired marketing campaign being launched around the second season premiere of HBO’s TRUE BLOOD®, a show about vampires who survive on mass-produced synthetic blood in a backwater Louisiana town. The campaign, which blurs the line between reality and fiction with a cadre of faux product spots, will immerse consumers into the fantastical, vampire-inhabited world of the popular series. The advertising, including MINI creative, will begin to run on May 25th, leading up to the second season premiere of TRUE BLOOD on June 14th.



The all-new MINI Convertible is positioned as the exclusive car for vampires and encourages them to “Feel the Wind in Your Fangs.” Another execution speaks to the MINI Clubman’s unique split rear barn doors, go-kart handling and popularity among vampires in “Type GO.” The MINI advertising and others in the campaign were created and produced by independent agency Digital Kitchen for HBO.



MINI-related vampire product stunts will appear as part of the TRUE BLOOD campaign in national print, online and out-of-home outlets. Print ads will run in US Weekly, AM New York, New York Observer and trade outlets. Online placements will include top sites such as Yahoo!, CNN, AOL and others, as well as the official TRUE BLOOD homepage on HBO.com and the TRUE BLOOD microsites: www.bloodcopy.com, www.fellowshipofthesun.org, and www.americanvampireleague.com. Out-of-home placements will run in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. All of the ads contain urls that lead consumers to the official TRUE BLOOD homepage on HBO.com.

[Ladidah]

I love True Blood! I don't really watch TV much and am not really a vampire fangirl (Twilight - ugh), but since I read all the Sookie Stackhouse books I have to watch this - even if the show is quite a bit different from the books. Cool about the MINI angle - but Bill drives a BMW!

[Riffster]

Ah haha! How funny is that! I think its kinda ironic that a Vamp would be driving a Mini, i don't know why though i just do. I think an all black Mini would be more suitable though, i understand the CR choice, but it would be cooler with a matte black and tinted windows i think.

I never read the books so I wouldnt know... but doesnt a convertible defeat the all known fact that Vampires cant go out in the sunlight?? Hmmm....

[Ladidah]

Maybe they only drive them at night!

[bart5467]

Thats awesome! i love that show cant wait for the season Premier

[PA-MCS]

Originally Posted by Ladidah

I love True Blood! I don't really watch TV much and am not really a vampire fangirl (Twilight - ugh), but since I read all the Sookie Stackhouse books I have to watch this - even if the show is quite a bit different from the books. Cool about the MINI angle - but Bill drives a BMW!

I was hooked on the first season....loved it!! Then when Twilight came out on video I was disappointed. It was almost the same, like a True Blood for Kids. Cant wait for the second season!!!

[Carlisle]

I LOVE TRUE BLOOD! Jason Stackhouse makes my knees buckle. The one waitress from Merlots that died on the show was in Wolverine! She played Wolverines wife... she is beautiful.

I have yet to see a MINI on the show though. Hopefully because of this partnership one of the main characters will be driving one this season!

[Ladidah]

Jason?!? He is such a SLEAZE! But, I like the Jason of the TV show better than the Jason of the books.

[Carlisle]

I have not read any of the books YET,... but I have purchased the boxed set of paperbacks on two occasions now as birthday gifts for friends and they LOVE them.

In some ways it is good that the show is different from the books. My biggest problem when I went to the theatre to see Twilight was that I felt like the movie was too much like the book and that made the movie very stagnant. The script was quite awful to be honest.

I love the way Bill says Sookie's name: "Soooooooooookieeeee." (hushed whisper)

[th3118]

[PA-MCS]

So does this mean that Sookie will be cruising around Bon Temps in a Mini Conv?

[ravenofskys]

I am pretty happy about this.

I am a goth chick with a MINI and I adore True Blood.

I even have a deal on the back of the MINI that says "vampire pride"

[wandrur]

I [heart] vampires.

[JoshEEE]

I thought there was some sort of limited edition car that was going to come with little vampire bite marks on it or something...

[Pinky Demon]

Oh wonderful, now we'll have idiots driving around hissing at people when they get cut off.

[wandrur]

I do that already.

[Pinky Demon]

Originally Posted by wandrur

I do that already.

I prefer a string of creatively combo'ed profanities with key gestures.

[wandrur]

[Carlisle]

My preferred profanity always contains a reference to inbreeding and questionable interactions with livestock when someone pisses me off on the road. I also gave someone's grandmother the finger for coming within inches of t-boning me because she didn't bother to check for oncoming traffic before zipping out into the intersection in her toyota camry. I would have given her a pressed ham under glass had I not been driving and reaching for my asthma inhaler after narrowly escaping with my life.

Oh-- back to main topic. Chili red with vampire fangs would be super cute!

[Pinky Demon]

Originally Posted by Carlisle

My preferred profanity always contains a reference to inbreeding and questionable interactions with livestock when someone pisses me off on the road.

My only problem with this ad campaign, is that you will have the morons out there that take is way TOO seriously.

[wandrur]

People in MINIs taking their cars too seriously?

Surely you jest.

[BLAUGRANA]

As a fan of the show and a Clubman owner I LOVE this campaign.

[bigsoup52]

I also applaud this campaign. My 2 sons & I are big True Blood fans & of course we dig the MINI big-time. Curious about the demographic target of the ad campaign, hope it boosts MINI sales. (I understand the red mini in the ads, but black would be appropriate too.

[Ladidah]

Originally Posted by wandrur

People in MINIs taking their cars too seriously?

Surely you jest.

::Paints her car red::

[revkirk]

I think we need fanged badges for the grill!
Love True Blood!
Love my Mini!
Rock on...