Mini to Take on Monster Truck in "3D Slow Motion" [VIDEO]

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The ad, created by Amsterdam-based ad agency BSUR, was shot at a packed Las Vegas stadium and features slow-motion footage of a crowd rising to its feet, dropping hotdogs, beverages and jaws to the floor in the process. There are also lots of slow-mo shots of the truck tires nearly grazing the roofs of the Minis amid an explosive barrage of pyrotechnics and a rock opera soundtrack.

The ad will appear in 90-, 60-, 30- and 20-second versions and will begin hitting theaters later this month. A 2-D version will also roll out for TV.

To build anticipation for the spot, Mini has released two teaser spots on YouTube. One (below) shows a muscular woman lifting a couch as she vacuums and then being visibly taken aback as she sees the spectacle on TV. Another features a Japanese family having a similar reaction.

Mini, which launched in the U.S. in March 2002, has frequently taken advantage of its somewhat offbeat image by using non-traditional media to try to maximize its marketing budget, which is small, by auto industry standards. In 2007, the brand launched a YouTube-based series called Hammer & Coop that satirized 1970s TV cop shows like Starsky & Hutch (and owed a debt of gratitude to the Beastie Boys' iconic video for "Sabotage.") That year, the brand also sent out RFID-enabled fobs to Mini owners which, when activated, transmitted personalized messages on Mini billboards.

Teaser Video