For February’s 6 Nations, RFU sponsor BMW has launched a brand new vehicle model: the Tamiya BMW GT3 – also known as #TweetChariot.
The BMW Tamiya is actually be a camera car which provides exclusive pictures and footage of the England players as they prepare for the tournament – right up to the moment they run out onto the pitch.
The content, which is posted on BMW’s Twitter page, effectively positions the car as a behind-the-scenes roving reporter providing rugby fans with a unique, insider perspective and a fresh angle on elite England rugby.
This new layer of the existing campaigns sees the premium German auto maker, along with agency Synergy, integrate an innovative new technology into its ongoing RFU activation and #TweetChariot also uses the latest GoPro cameras.
The new car and the #TweetChariot social strand is a new part of the German manufacturer’s existing ‘Sweet Chariot’ England Rugby marketing campaign.
The miniature cars can also be seen at England home matches at Twickenham as part of a racing car circuit where England Rugby matchday fans get the chance to race the Tamiya cars with the winners getting a lift home from the game in a brand new BMW X5.
These fan ride home ‘BMW Sweet Chariots’, first launched last year, are once again carrying lucky fans home. This year sees the car manufcaturer using its X5 vehciles in the activation (which comes complete with online video support back in January).
Rugby fans and car consumers going to game don’t have to race the new models to be in with a chance of getting a BMW lift. Instead they can simply file their details online to enter the chauffeur driven ride home (for 4 passengers) competition.
Comment
With echoes of BMW’s brilliant MINI in-stadium model vehicle work at London 2012
this England Rugby activation, which began in 2012, connects its vehicles to the England team’s familiar (although slightly unlikely) fan anthem – Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
The song, an old American Negro spiritual song was first recorded in 1909 at Fisk University (Nashville, Tennessee) and wasn’t associated with England rugby until 1988.
After a fairly long poor showing and a distinct lack of tries in what was then the 5 Nations, England thrashed Ireland with six tries and in the crowd a group of boys from the Benedictine school Douai took up their school tradition and started signing ‘Swing Low’ each time a try was scored. The rest of the spectators quickly took up the song and a tradition was born.
Since then the England team have used itr several times as an official World Cup song. Indeed, it even returned from the 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia on a plane renamed ‘Sweet Chariot’.
BMW Group UK became the Official Vehicle Partner for the Rugby Football Union in September 2012 and, in addition to using its rights to engage rugby fans, and BMW/MINI customers through the RFU’s digital channels and at Twickenham, the brand also invests in various levels of the elite game and as title and shirt sponsors of England’s age grade development programme including the Under-16, Under-18 and Under-20 squads.
Links
BMW England Rugby Twitter
@BMWRugby
BMW Website
RFU
