MINI sparks cheeky ad war with breakup billboards on traded-in cars

MINI Asia is putting a mischievous spin on the age-old “out with the old, in with the new” routine. Its latest campaign, “Ditched for MINI,” reimagines the moment drivers trade in their old rides for a shiny new MINI by giving those so-called “ex-cars” the last word.

Created in collaboration with MINI Eurokars Habitat, the campaign puts a breakup twist on trade-ins, with witty lines printed on the hoods of the cars left behind. The lines, written from the perspective of the ditched vehicles, turn each car into a mobile billboard for MINI, parked or driven on roads until their new owners pick up their MINI keys.

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Each car brand that gets traded in receives its own unique break up line such as "He said love isn't formed with three letters, but four", "Had the grip. And still he slipped away" and "All that mileage, yet we couldn't go the distance" amongst others. 

“Ditched for MINI” was born from a global MINI AG creative challenge calling for bolder ideas that stay true to the brand’s playful DNA. The Asia team saw a chance to revive MINI’s legacy of cheeky banter and classic ad spats, a bold move in Singapore, where direct comparison ads are usually frowned upon.

The campaign rolls out from 18 July to 30 September, with breakup cars showing off their heartbreak across high-traffic screens from bus shelters to mall lifts. Once the campaign wraps, the “exes” get a new lease of life through Eurokars Pre-Owned. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE understands that Kinetic and Starcom worked on the campaign as the creative and media agency respectively. 

In a market where direct comparison advertising is often avoided, some brands are now pushing boundaries with cheeky and clever campaigns to grab consumer attention.

A similar spirit of cheeky competition emerged in the finance sector last year, where Chocolate Finance and GXS Bank have launched an ad war vying for Singaporeans’ savings. After Chocolate Finance announced a rate revision, GXS Bank shot back with a “sweeter than chocolate” savings promotion, prompting Chocolate Finance to respond with a clever tic-tac-toe Instagram video highlighting its no-lock-in, no-hoops approach. 

Both campaigns — MINI’s playful car breakups and the finance brands’ witty sparring — show a growing appetite among Singapore brands to inject personality, humour and boldness into their messaging, while navigating the city-state’s advertising rules. For consumers, this means more engaging, relatable marketing that stands out in a crowded landscape. 

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