SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 29, 2025 – Before YouTube, before TikTok, and long before Instagram reels dominated brand storytelling, BMW North America pulled off something revolutionary: a cinematic marketing campaign that made people choose to watch car ads—and even rewatch them. The groundbreaking short film series The Hire didn’t just sell cars—it reinvented the rules of how cars could be sold.
A brand story told like a blockbuster
In the early 2000s, BMW was riding a sales high in the U.S. but found itself at a crossroads. With no new models to launch in 2001, the company needed something bold to keep the buzz alive. Enter The Hire, a collection of short films starring Clive Owen as a mysterious, professional driver navigating cinematic stunts in BMWs.
What set this apart wasn’t just the slick production—it was how the films turned the car into a character. Think The French Connection meets The Matrix, but your co-star is an E39 M5.
Behind the wheel of innovation
BMW didn’t play it safe. Instead of going the traditional TV ad route, it took a risk on the still-nascent internet, debuting the films on its website—years before YouTube existed. Fallon, BMW’s ad agency, even had to build a custom video player to make it all work.
It paid off. Despite the slow download speeds (AOL users waited overnight), interest exploded. The campaign drew millions of curious viewers, especially after the hilariously unfiltered Madonna episode, Star, directed by Guy Ritchie.
Why this campaign still matters
The Hire wasn't about engine specs or leather stitching. It was about vibe, attitude, and aspiration. And it worked:
- Sales surged past 213,000 in 2001—up 9% from the previous year.
- The campaign reached over 100 million viewers.
- BMW was enshrined in pop culture, and even earned a spot in the Museum of Modern Art.
Editorial Extra: What Made The Hire So Groundbreaking?
Here’s how BMW’s short films outran traditional car ads:
Traditional TV Ads:
- 30–60 seconds
- High cost per viewer (think Super Bowl)
- Passive watching, often skipped or ignored
BMW’s The Hire:
- 5–10 minute films
- Released online—free, on-demand, shareable
- Big-name directors like Ang Lee, Alejandro Iñárritu, and John Frankenheimer
- Emotional storytelling with the car as hero—not billboard
In McKenna’s words: “Jim said it was like a great Western movie where BMW was simply the horse.”
A new way to dream
The real genius? BMW wasn’t selling specs—it was planting dreams. “At least 75 percent of the people who came to the site were prospects,” said Jim McDowell, VP of Marketing at the time. “Our goal was to plant the seed of future BMW ownership… and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of viewers who have immediately purchased vehicles after seeing the films.”
Still accelerating today
Even decades later, The Hire is referenced as a masterclass in content marketing. It proved that people don’t just tolerate good advertising—they’ll seek it out when it’s smart, entertaining, and emotionally charged. BMW set the bar, and few have managed to clear it since.
Want to experience the thrill that redefined digital marketing? Dive into the original films at bmwfilms.com.