The Billboard Battle Of BMW Vs Audi

Conflict always has been and always will be a part of this world.
 Ranging from brutal military conquests that determine the fate of millions of people, to a simple sports rivalry of opposing teams, humans always seem to find a way to fight against each other. 

While the Billboard Battle of BMW vs Audi, may not be on the same scale of importance as the decisive World War II battle of Stalingrad, for our industry it was groundbreaking.

Never before had companies used outdoor media not just to communicate with the general public, but to purposefully create a conflict between brands. While this was clearly done for the amusement of the public, the exposure and success was monumental.

Let’s take a look at the two sides involved in the Billboard Battle of BMW vs Audi…

BMW
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Founded: March 7, 1916
Product: Luxury Automobiles

Audi
Headquarters: Ingolstadt, Germany
Founded: July 16, 1909
Product: Luxury Automobiles

The Inception of the Battle

It all began in a wealthy neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Audi was the aggressor in the billboard battle and started with the simple billboard below.

(Audi's first billboard)

The drivers of Los Angeles who passed by this billboard on a daily basis had no clue what this innocent and simple outdoor advertisement was going to cause.

 After a short time, Audi switched out this billboard with the one below, provoking a response from BMW.

(Audi's second billboard)

The Retaliation

While BMW could have chosen to ignore Audi’s attempt to get under their skin, they decided to strike back instead. 

This follow-up billboard was located on Santa Monica Blvd. in a very high traffic area of Los Angeles. 

It was also strategically placed across the street from Audi’s ‘Your Move’ billboard, where BMW took a bold approach with a powerful one-word response of ‘Checkmate.’ 

This was a very successful retaliation on their part which sparked a whirlwind of publicity in the news and on social media for both brands.

Ref: The Billboard Battle Of BMW Vs Audi (bmediagroup)