FCB New York and BMW of North America are launching a new spot on Earth Day, April 22nd, that imagines the coming together of sustainability, technology, and craft at its finest, and showcases the BMW iX as the future of premium mobility fueled by sustainable thinking. BMW debuted the iX in summer 2021; it is touted as the most technologically advanced BMW to date and the first Sports Activity Vehicle conceived as all-electric from the ground up.
The 60-second spot 'The Future Finds Us', portrays the interconnectivity of the BMW iX with the natural world around it, bringing to life the fine balance between beauty and progress that all consumers should come to expect from luxury automobiles of the future. Actor Chris Pine provides the film’s voiceover, taking the audience on a journey describing the pursuit of progress, while the soundtrack features both an original score from Squeak E. Clean Studios, and the actual electric motor sounds composed by Hans Zimmer.
To craft the spot, FCB New York, in partnership with FCBX, took to Yucca Valley to install a real-life BMW iX display. After 12 weeks of fabrication, consisting of designing and engineering, metal fabrication and additional car preparation, the iX replica was hoisted into the air and propped on its head atop a 12-foot tower of stone.
The installation was then captured as part of a live action film shoot as centerpiece to the 60-second spot. The shoot was produced under the creative banner of Lord and Thomas, live action and post-production company of FCB New York. Surrounding scenes were shot in biodiverse areas of Joshua Tree National Park and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs to bring together the film’s scenes of natural beauty. FCB New York and Lord and Thomas in-house director Adam Nelson partnered with production and technology collective Preymaker to bring to life the film’s unique visual effects.
“There’s a truth that unites the creative process, the process of engineering, and the progression of the natural world, said Laura Wimer, Executive Creative Director at FCB New York. All three evolve by way of cycles of making and listening: tinker, observe, respond, respect. And again, until something beautiful arrives as if out of nowhere. “The Future Finds Us” represents the thread between all three: engineering, nature, and art.”
The spot will run on digital properties including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and across BMW’s owned social channels.