BSUR's Jason Schragger and Joost Perik on specialisation and Brand DNA

I've long had this idea that globetrotters, and international people make the smartest advertising people as we are used to "hacking culture". I meet Jason Schragger who fulfills this idea to perfection with his history. Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe of all places, he leaves for Australia in the early 80s where he started his ad career before BBH dragged him to Singapore. He moved to Amsterdam in 2003, went with MINI to Berlin for a bit, and is now back in Amsterdam as the International Creative Director for BSUR. With us at the table is also Joost Perik, the Executive Creative Director of BSUR.

We end up speaking a lot about MINI, and the idea of specialisation in advertising today. I usually say that specialisation is for insects, but this festival is giving me a completely different point of view. "You need specialists" interjects Joost Perik "we use them, but you also really need the people with the helicopter vision, the eye on the overall picture of the brand. That we can do."

Jason explains further about MINI: "It's in MINI's brand DNA to be a very personal car, people have this view that their MINI is a little bit like their accomplice. There's a statistic that maybe 80% of MINI owners name their cars. This stems from the design back in the 50s which made very creative use of space, and people would personalize them, add a little bit of irreverence to them."

The MINI has evolved, and it's never been a car just for getting from point A to point B, but what BSUR want to add to the brand, which already has high design chic factor, is to add a bit of exitement to the brand. To move away from only doing funny things, cheeky ideas and move it toward more of an action feeling. "MINI drivers have both hands on the wheel, while other car drivers have one hand, are more relaxed. It's that feeling that we want to get across, the two hands on the wheel, in every billboard or film that we do." says Jason Schragger.

This ad shows an entire stadium (including the monster truck driver) worrying about the faith of the poor MINIs that the truck is jumping over. God Forbid we ruin even one.

The MINI Rocketman concept car welcomes MINI to the future, by going back to its design roots in the 50s.