Wavemaker partners with Epic Outdoor to deliver on BMW’s sustainability ambitions

The new BMW X1 is here, and how do we know? Because SA's largest solar-powered LED roadside screen won't let you forget it. 

Since February 1 2023, commuters travelling northbound on the N1 between Allandale and New Road in Midrand, Joburg, have not missed the colossal 400m² screen advertising BMW’s latest family SUV.

The screen size and quality display are the most obvious features, but that’s not where the innovation ends. This screen is entirely solar powered.

“When we spoke to BMW about this launch, it was clear it wanted a digital screen that would have the biggest impact,” says Cheryl Dube, business unit lead at Wavemaker. 

“With its robust appearance and technological advances, the new BMW X1 embodies an authentic experience of freedom and independence in daily driving and on longer road trips. Our marketing method needed to reflect the ingenuity of the product.”

Wavemaker’s approach involved understanding and integrating some of BMW’s most important business criteria, such as innovation and sustainability.

“Our partnership with Epic Outdoor, a niche out-of-home media owner that specialises in large-format and high-impact advertising, allowed us to create an ad that is powerful and meaningful.” 

“We’re proud the final product is groundbreaking. This 100% solar-powered digital screen is a first, not just in SA, but globally. This aligns with what Wavemaker is all about: high-impact, hi-tech media.”

The screen is consistent with BMW’s ambitions to reduce its carbon emissions by 2030. It uses more than 925kW hours a day of renewable solar power.

While this innovation is in line with BMW’s ethos, it is also relevant to SA’s power struggles and with the global imperative to mitigate climate change. In eliminating the need for printed formats, BMW is also reducing waste and saving time, money and energy.

“To add to the always-on, solar aspect of the screen, its size and positioning makes it impactful and impossible to ignore,” says Rene Hedley, Epic Outdoor director. 

“This advert is not simply about a new vehicle, it’s about a new vehicle that lives up to what BMW is all about — in its car technology and in how it’s promoted,” says Dube.

Clever, tactical and meaningful placements get people thinking and talking. If properly executed, they affect brand perceptions, engender brand loyalty, and influence buying decisions. 

The next time you hit the N1 and are greeted by the BMW X1’s digital screen, remember that SA’s sunny skies are powering its display. 

This article was sponsored by Wavemaker.