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The values for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and energy consumption shown were determined in a standardised test cycle according to the European Regulation (EC) 715/2007 in the version currently applicable. The figures refer to a vehicle with basic configuration in Germany and the range shown considers transmission (automatic or manual) and the different wheels and tyres available on the selected model and may vary during the configuration.
The Mini Brands leverage three trends that rival toy companies were already capitalizing on: collectibles, surprise unboxings of small toys, and nostalgia. There had been plenty of earlier examples of toy companies using supermarket products in kid’s playthings, said James Zahn, deputy editor of the Toy Book, and senior editor of the Pop Insider.
The toy took off as the world suddenly found itself nostalgic for grocery shopping, as the pandemic shifted a lot of supermarket trips to online. According to author Simon Garfield, humans have always been drawn to tiny things. In his 2018 book In Miniature: How Small Things Illuminate The World, Garfield explains that minis both educate and excite us – “The miniature world embraces control,” he writes, arguing that children who play with miniatures get a taste of adult power. Toy industry experts Silver and Zahn both expect the Mini Brands popularity to continue through this year and beyond. Over Skype, seven-year-old Ava, from the west coast of America, plays with her Mini Brands and Shopkins. Her favourite Mini Brand is Bosco chocolate syrup, because she likes eating it in real life (she doesn’t like the strawberry syrup toy because she doesn’t like strawberry syrup). “I like how the boxes look real,” she says. The new Clubman, for example, is Mini’s largest ever car, measuring 4.3 metres in length. With about 100 litres more boot space than its predecessor, the car aims to attract more families to the brand and marks Mini’s first move from the small car market into the compact segment occupied by the likes of the Ford Fiesta. The Clubman’s focus on functionality and elegant design is reflected in the simple, cerebral imagery of the upcoming ad campaign.
Get ready to dash! Race around the market using one of the real Mini Brands collectable movers, gathering all the Mini Brands you can. Items that are not available in store will take 3-5 working days (excluding weekends and bank holidays) to be delivered to your nominated store.The brand moved between a series of British owners (see timelines, above), ending up at Rover Group prior to its acquisition by BMW. Today, most Minis are still made in the UK at a factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire and new models incorporate multiple design elements that speak to the car’s earliest iterations. For example, the new Clubman features horizontal double-doors on the boot in the same fashion as the 1970s version of the model. They're based in convenient locations including supermarkets, newsagents and train stations. Plus they're often open late and on Sundays. Alongside this new brand strategy, Mini is diversifying its approach to customer engagement by embracing the emerging ‘sharing economy’. At the Clubman launch in Berlin, the company announced that from now on it will automatically offer new customers the option to enter their car into BMW Group’s car sharing service DriveNow. The Mini Brands craze shows no signs of slowing down, with the launch of the highly anticipated Disney Mini Brands Series 2 and Toy Mini Brands Series 3 keeping fans engaged and eager for more. These new series feature an expanded collection of beloved characters and popular toys, providing fans with even more ways to collect and trade their favourite Mini Brands. With our five ‘superheroes’ we want to make it very clear that each of those cars has its own character,” explains Lengning. “The Clubman is the most extreme example in terms of moving in a direction away from the past, but you should still expect a lotof fun from the different models as each character emerges.” Car-sharing service
The original in the premium segment of small cars has reached its 60th birthday – but it is even younger than ever. It was sixty years ago, to be precise on 26 August 1959, that British Motor Corporation proudly revealed the result of their development activities in creating a new, revolutionary compact car. The Mini Brands craze has taken TikTok by storm, with over 5b videos showcasing creative unboxing, trading and customisation of the collectible toys. More than 1.5m followers and over 30m likes make Mini Brands the most liked toy brand on the platform. Mini Brands has also partnered with several TikTok creators to host giveaways and challenges, further fuelling the excitement surrounding the toy line. Lengning insists that despite this downbeat approach, Mini has not lost its gregarious, edgy character. This is due to reappear in some of the advertising for its other models as it rolls out in the coming years, he says. For example, the John Cooper Works – Mini’s sporty performance vehicle that accounts for around 5% of sales – would appear to lend itself to a more ebullient tone of advertising. Zuru’s strategy, Mowbray said, will be to continue to offer limited editions, and to maintain the right balance of product availability and scarcity that drives collectors to collect.
This will provide the somewhat unusual spectacle of a piecemeal brand relaunch that reveals itself over time as each of the five models receives their new identity – a conscious decision by Mini as it looks to make consumers more aware of its different product lines. The zeitgeist in 2001 was that we had just entered a new millennium and people were jumping into that with a lot of energy,” remembers Schwarzenbauer. “People were very willing to question conventions and the new Mini really hit right at the heart of that.” Mini plans to create separate identities for its five “superhero” models including colour schemes and aesthetic concepts We have more digitalisation, so all of a sudden people can get more information about everything and are keen to know what’s behind the brand and the shiny surface,” says Marc Lengning, head of brand management at Mini. BMW’s Schwarzenbauer says that in addition to this design legacy, Mini’s brand principles are still guided by the minimising, practical instincts of Issigonis on the one hand, and the maximising, performance-driven approach of Cooper on the other. “The ethos is ‘maximise the experience – focus on the essential’,” he explains. Take out the game components and read through the easy-to-follow instructions and you’re on your way through the market in the Mini Market Dash Game! Recommended for 2-4 players
Collect Action Cards throughout the game. Some cards help you, while others effect your playing partners. Things are going extremely well for Mini, so why is it is reinventing itself now? To explain this we have to look at a comparison between 2001 and 2015. Society has changed dramatically – consumption is less of a priority [now] and people are questioning more and more the purpose of everything and the benefits [of products], for ourselves and for society,” he explains. “People are more focused on ‘the essential’ and I believe that no other car brand is better positioned than Mini to meet this new focus on things that count.” New grown-up attitude I can’t deny I’m entertained by my miniature groceries. I marvel as I compare the mini Dove to the real one. Yet as children’s toys, they are more concerning and you can’t help wondering where playtime ends and consuming begins. Giant success: ‘I like how the boxes look real,’ says one young fan. Photograph: Saty + Pratha/The Observer
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The new brand identity will debut in advertising for the Clubman when the model goes on sale in October. A preview of print and outdoor ads shown at the launch event reveals a more sparse, sombre presentation in comparison to recent Mini campaigns, such as ‘Not Normal’ in 2013. The Clubman is simply photographed against a hardwood floor in an old industrial building as light streams in from a glass roof, with minimal copy underneath. Zuru in June released a “Gold Rush” edition of three dozen gold-toned rare minis. Previously it also released a toy minis line featuring miniature Crayola boxes, Frisbees, and other iconic toy brands. However, Lengning says the strategy is indicative of Mini’s new resolve to move with the times. The rapid growth of brands like Airbnb and Uber has destabilised many legacy businesses, but rather than row against the tide, Mini is seeking to compete on its own terms by encouraging more people to experience its brand. Mini Brands turned out to "have this incredibly emotive connection with people," said Zuru CEO Anna ... [+] Mowbray. Zuru And like the supermarket products it shrinks down, Zuru’s ongoing success with Mini Brands will depend on whether it can keep things from getting stale, Silver said.
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