MINIMALISM goes viral: The video June 19, 2009

When we found out that there was a "making of video" for our favorite new MINI viral we were hesitant to watch it. We like the original so much, we were scared that watching how it was made would ruin the magic. Kind of like when you find out how your favorite magic trick works...the mystery disappears. Upon previewing the "making of MINIMALISM" we became even bigger fans of this short, clever, and innovative little clip. It connected us to the original even more because it gave us a chance to see the real creative process and the people that go into making a video. A team of over 35 talented people were pulled together to make this video under the direction of Jochen Hirschfeld. MINI space caught up with Colin Conrad, the Creative Director of  "MINIMALISM" to get his take on the car, the brand, and what it takes to make a video go viral. Q: You reference this clip as a battle between David and Goliath, in other words, the little guy versus the big guy. How did you come up with the idea of using pens and markers to symbolize the MINI and bigger, gas-guzzling vehicles? A: We were asked to visualize the remarkable efficiency of the new MINI generation. So, when Jochen [the director] and I were brainstorming on this task we realized that the best way to create awareness on wasting something, particularly gasoline/oil, would be the image of wasting a great deal of ink. To underline this image, we used the "efficient" pens and "wasting" bold markers to symbolize the difference. Q: You are offering your viewers not only the viral video, but also a short "Making of" documentary. Is it important that the two videos be watched together to get an idea for what you're doing? A: It is not important to watch them together but the making-of video gives a better overall impression of the entire production process. And of course, it proves that it is 100% handmade since we did not use any 3D animation after the animatic was shot. Best of all, it gives you an idea of how much fun we had working on this video. Q: What is your opinion on how a video goes viral? It's "virability," if you will. What does it take to make one of those videos that viewers will want to watch again and again, and then send around to their friends as well? A: For me there the two main aspects for an engaging and contagious viral are: 1) The Main Idea- Is it strong enough, surprising, astonishing, clever, and has never been seen before? Because we are online we have to be more creative, more polarizing, wilder and ready to take more risks to surprise and reach the people who are so used to TV commercials and so bored of advertising in general. And we have to do all this without neglecting the brand. 2) Contagiousness/ What makes it addictive- The way the idea transports the message is important. And there are so many ways to do this: Fake, real, shiny, grungy, handmade, computer generated, high end, low budget, or animated. If you put all your love into the execution, viewers will appreciate it by sharing the clip with their friends. This is why we released the "making of video" because it connects MINI fans with our creative process and allows them to feel even closer to the brand.