Why would an automaker spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising to reach people who already bought the car? Go ask Mini USA. In the next few weeks, the company will launch a series of ads in magazines ranging from Maxim to The New Yorker aimed just at their current 150,000 U.S. owners. Potential customers won’t even be able to read what’s on the page.


That’s because the ads will be encrypted, decipherable only by the cognoscenti. Mini is sending owners a “covert” kit — mocked up as a wizened-looking book — that will include special glasses, a decoder, and a “magic window decryptor.” Using those, owners will be able to find Web addresses in the ads that lead them to free prizes and invitations to events. Nonowners will just have to feel slightly jealous that they’re out of the loop.

With a healthy dose of creativity and a sprinkling of convergence, MINI USA has launched it’s latest advertising campaign aimed at MINI owners. Earlier today MINI USA sent emails to select owners asking them to join the “pilot” version of a new program called Motorby. The program features the same interactive digital billboards we pointed out a few weeks back and are currently located around Chicago, New York, Miami and San Francisco. Unfortunately at that time we couldn’t go into details as to why they were going to be cool. Now we can.

The idea is simple, first give MINI USA some irreverent information about yourself (nothing too personal). Then MINI USA then sends out a special keyfob (4-6 weeks after sign-up) that identifies you to each of the Motorboards you pass. When the boards detect that you are about the drive by, they deliver a personal message based on the information you originally gave.


Look MINI USA to roll-out the Motorboard program to a wider MINI-owning audience later in 2007.

You can take a tour of the sign-up the process below. Click on the top left image and then simply follow the process by clicking on the “next button” or hitting “N” on your keyboard.

Official MINI UK Press Release: Six years after the start of series production, the one millionth MINI has rolled off the production line at Plant Oxford. This represents another milestone in the car’s history and highlights the continuing success story as rising global demand for the British-built car heads for new production and sales records.

Like all MINIs, the one millionth car was produced to customer order. In this case the ‘customer’ is BMW Group’s heritage division, Mobile Tradition. The colour of the landmark MINI Cooper S is Pepper White with a specially-developed paint for the roof, Almond Green, accentuated by a ‘million’ graphic extending onto the bonnet. The interior matches the roof with leather seats, steering wheel and gearknob all in Almond Green leather.