Uncommon Sense

It seems that ever since CP+B resigned MINI for the much larger Volkswagon Assignment, they have never been the same. Working with the Miami-based agency has created a stir within the company, and changed the way they run their agency selection process altogether. Normally, companies use a selection firm to manage the RFP process and then a select number of agencies are invited to pitch. After, the company selects their agency.

Run by Jim McDowell, MINI CEO, they began the selection process in the normal way, but once they had their short list they held an immersion boot-camp in which all the agencies had to perform in front of each other, including: a scavenger hunt, improv, and info sharing. By the end, one agency dropped due to 'chemistry differences', and this uncommon practice led to Butler Shine as their new agency.

McDowell put these agencies through this uncommon pitch process “… to get closer to how each agency thought, behaved, and went about their business when unexpected situations were thrown at them.”