The 2012 MINI Coupe is setting firsts all around – in design and in marketing. After making firsts for the MINI brand by being the first two-seater and first three-box design, the Coupe, known for doing things differently, couldn’t be featured in your average car brochure. Instead, the design team has created a sales catalogue that uses the story telling techniques of a graphic novel.
The graphic novel follows the MINI as it travels across landscapes and cityscapes and was created with pen and computer graphics. The travel-themed brochure has a feel for the fantastic, inspiring a whimsical sense of adventure and hinting at the fun travels drivers can have at the wheel of their Coupe. It’s certainly different from your typical drab, fact-filled pamphlets that most brands use.
“We were determined to do something that had never been done in the genre of sales literature,” says Creative Director Marion Heine of Plantage, the agency behind the concept for the graphic novel, “The ideas were delved into so deeply that it really felt like we were working on something a lot more ambitious and creative than just a car brochure. It really felt like we were making something truly unique.”
The travel-themed illustrations also take inspiration from the on-screen stories that had previously debuted. But fancy pictures aren’t the only thing in the brochure – it still displays the stats and features interested buyers need to know, it’s just displayed in way that’s more pleasant to look at.
Some of those stats include its 4-cylinder twin-scroll turbo engine, 211 horsepower, and customizable features. There’s a full spread dedicated to safety, and another that shows off the MINI Coupe’s interior design.
You can pick up the catalog at Your Penske MINI dealership, or view it online. If you like what you see, why not stop by for a visit and test-drive the Coupe?
