As mentioned previously, the start of the story goes back to BA (Hons) Marketing Engineering at Huddersfield University (then Polytechnic). It’s not surprising then that as well as a heavy dose of engineering, we should devote a little effort to exploring the marketing strategy of BMC in the late 1950’s.
The launch was timed to coincide with the Monaco Grand Prix on 20th May 1958. Subsequent multiple success in motorsports (for example, only four days after this launch date, D Wilson-Spratt won the SODC Millimar Rally) meant that the little car became a hot topic for enthusiasts wanting a fun inexpensive sports car. The price at launch £678.85. In the USA, the price was $1795.
Research has uncovered some fascinating elements of the BMC promotion strategy aimed at luring the American market. This section covers some of our favourite artifacts.
A motor show 1950s style. (Earls Court?)
Where do you buy one? BMC car dealership.
Sprites getting huge publicity from motorsport success.
Some US print media advertising. Just love the use of white space in the advertising, and we though Apple invented that!
A further method of promoting the new product in the USA was a public relations effort that encouraged reviews in periodicals such as Motor Trend which provided “Tests of New Cars from England”.
The single sheet foldout sales brochure designed by Aubrey Edwards was mostly drawn artwork. Asked what typeface (font) he used in one of the sections, he replied ‘What typeface, that’s my handwriting”. The colours and style a particularly evocative of the time. No photoshop in this days… or was there?
Frogeye 