In 2001, BMW launched one of its savviest marketing campaigns ever: The Hire, produced by its then new BMW Films arm. Instead of producing boring commercials, the company commissioned a series of short films specifically for internet distribution, all helmed by well-known directors and with Clive Owen starring as an anonymous driver for hire. BMW is now preparing to launch an all-new 5-series, so it tapped Owen to revive his role for a new film, The Escape.
The Escape, directed by Neill Blomkamp of District 9 fame and also starring Dakota Fanning, premiered on BMW’s YouTube channel earlier this week. Without spoiling too much, this film has a crazy sci-fi plot and all the explosion-intensive action you could hope for. As is the case with earlier BMW Films products, The Escape is masterfully conceived and executed.
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Ram 1500 SLT V-6 8-Speed Automatic
- Instrumented Test: Ford F-150 SuperCrew 4×4 EcoBoost V-6
- Photos and Info: 2013 Ram 1500
The original BMW Films productions were so good that you forgot you were watching a commercial for a new car, and this new entry succeeds in the same way. We have a feeling this won’t be the last in the series. Watch it below:
A version of this story originally appeared on Road Track.