BMW Creates a Folk Hero for the Modern Age: the Unstoppable, Mysterious Ol' McLanden

GS&P turns the obstacles of a daily commute into an odyssey

Inspiration meets innovation at Brandweek, the ultimate marketing experience. Join industry luminaries, rising talent and strategic experts in Phoenix, Arizona this September 23–26 to assess challenges, develop solutions and create new pathways for growth. Register early to save.

For the launch of the X7, its first standard seven-seat vehicle, BMW catches viewers with a whale of a tale—a poem about a new folk legend: Ol’ McLanden.

This fictional, larger-than-life character comes alive in “Legend,” a 75-second spot created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, BMW’s agency of record since April 2018.

Star Trek actor Chris Pine, the voice of BMW for years, reads a poem about badass McLanden, who “outraced the rogues around Razorback Ridge and the trolls who dug holes on the Barnaby Bridge.”

The poem has an old-timey tone, while the ad is set in present-day, over-the-top traffic scenarios.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber

View Subscription Options

Already a member? Sign in