Following last year’s well-received debut, BMW is bringing back its viral innovation campaign with five new social media films, each pairing genuine technology with a comedic setup.
This round centers on the first Neue Klasse model, the BMW iX3, alongside the brand’s electric flagship, the BMW i7.
Bernd Körber, Senior Vice President BMW Brand and Product Management, said the campaign is meant to show how intelligent technology fits into customers’ everyday lives — going beyond pure function to become something closer to a companion, which he says is the whole point of the tongue-in-cheek videos.
BMW Symbiotic Drive Takes the Spotlight
Two of the films focus on BMW Symbiotic Drive, the assistance technology introduced alongside the iX3. What makes it distinct is that the driver stays in the loop even with the system engaged — accelerating, steering or braking manually doesn’t automatically switch the assistance off.
BMW Panoramic iDrive’s clear interface keeps the whole thing intuitive, and the same philosophy carries over to active safety features like Lane Departure Warning.
The “Co-Driver” film leans into this with an overbearing front-seat passenger who won’t stop dishing out warnings and unsolicited advice — the kind of friction BMW Symbiotic Drive is designed to eliminate, making every drive noticeably less stressful (helped along, in the video, by the driver eventually telling the passenger to get out).
A second spot, “Coffee-Brake,” shows the same tech working so smoothly that a coffee cup left on the iX3’s roof somehow survives the entire drive intact.
AI Voice Assistant Gets an Upgrade
The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, also debuting in the iX3, now runs with added Amazon Alexa+ AI technology, letting it hold broader conversations and tie them directly into vehicle functions.
The “Rome” clip plays this for laughs: a husband mid-midlife-crisis, dressed as a Roman soldier, misattributes “all roads lead to Rome” to Cicero while his wife navigates to an Italian restaurant — only for the assistant to quietly correct him.
Fast Charging Leaves Barely Enough Time to Eat
Charging speed is another focus. The iX3’s battery supports up to 400 kW charging, meaning a 10-minute stop at a suitable High-Power Charging station adds up to 372 kilometers of range — a shift from the long charging waits drivers used to plan around.
The “Pit-Stop” film runs with this idea: a restaurant kitchen, knowing no BMW has ever charged this fast, scrambles the moment a guest arrives, rushing through prep and plating so the meal is finished right as the iX3 is ready to leave.
And When Time Actually Drags
By contrast, the “Clips” film slows things way down. A manager gives a colleague a ride, only to get trapped listening to an extended monologue about paper clips — until the standard BMW Passenger Screen in the i7 comes to the rescue, letting the passenger switch to films and shows on the 14.6-inch display instead, giving both driver and passenger a far more enjoyable ride.