Things are going extremely well for Mini, so why is it is reinventing itself now? To explain this we have to look at a comparison between 2001 and 2015. Society has changed dramatically – consumption is less of a priority [now] and people are questioning more and more the purpose of everything and the benefits [of products], for ourselves and for society,” he explains. “People are more focused on ‘the essential’ and I believe that no other car brand is better positioned than Mini to meet this new focus on things that count.” New grown-up attitude Since the German manufacturer relaunched the quintessentially British car brand in 2001, sales have gone from strength to strength, rising 12-fold to reach more than 302,000 units last year. Yet Peter Schwarzenbauer, the BMW board director with responsibility for the car brand, declares that despite this success, Mini will have to embark on a new direction if it is to continue to thrive. Mini Brands turned out to "have this incredibly emotive connection with people," said Zuru CEO Anna ... [+] Mowbray. Zuru

In addition to the new toy releases, Mini Brands is launching Mini Fashion Series 2, which features miniature versions of popular clothing and accessories. This series allows collectors to add a fashionable touch to their Mini Brands collections and provides even more opportunities for creativity and self-expression.Heavily branded children’s toys aren’t new. In 1994, Mattel released a Barbie McDonald’s Restaurant Set, complete “with talking drive-thru” and miniature menu boards. Around the same time, ride-on toy cars for children became popular, and BMW, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz wasted no time slapping their logos on plastic bonnets. Daniel Cook, a professor of childhood studies at Rutgers University and author of The Commodification of Childhood, says: “Consumerism has been a part of children’s lives for as long as there has been modern consumption,” roughly since the mid-1800s. He references Victorian artist Kate Greenaway’s picture books of the 1880s, which had a tie-in line of clothing for girls produced by Liberty of London. He also points to Campbell’s Soup’s range of dolls, first sold in 1909. In all sectors, digitalisation changes things and you have two choices: you just ignore it, which in my opinion is not a good idea, or you start playing with it and really shape the future. That’s what we’re doing,” says Lengning. The Mini heritage Giant success: ‘I like how the boxes look real,’ says one young fan. Photograph: Saty + Pratha/The Observer The brand moved between a series of British owners (see timelines, above), ending up at Rover Group prior to its acquisition by BMW. Today, most Minis are still made in the UK at a factory in Cowley, Oxfordshire and new models incorporate multiple design elements that speak to the car’s earliest iterations. For example, the new Clubman features horizontal double-doors on the boot in the same fashion as the 1970s version of the model. Lots of space inside with minimum dimensions outside, seats for four passengers, impeccable driving characteristics, superior fuel economy, and a very affordable price – precisely this was the brief the creator of the Mini, automotive engineer and designer Alec Issigonis, received from BMC’s Top Management.

Last month, in a graffiti-daubed former factory in central Berlin, executives from Mini’s owner BMW gathered to announce “the third chapter” in its 56-year history. Marketing Week received exclusive access to hear the story behind the brand’s latest reboot, including new designs, a new logo and a new positioning for its cars.The new brand identity will debut in advertising for the Clubman when the model goes on sale in October. A preview of print and outdoor ads shown at the launch event reveals a more sparse, sombre presentation in comparison to recent Mini campaigns, such as ‘Not Normal’ in 2013. The Clubman is simply photographed against a hardwood floor in an old industrial building as light streams in from a glass roof, with minimal copy underneath. The original in the premium segment of small cars has reached its 60th birthday – but it is even younger than ever. It was sixty years ago, to be precise on 26 August 1959, that British Motor Corporation proudly revealed the result of their development activities in creating a new, revolutionary compact car. The key is constantly refreshing it,” Silver said. “Keeping it fresh to keep the consumer interested.” I can’t deny I’m entertained by my miniature groceries. I marvel as I compare the mini Dove to the real one. Yet as children’s toys, they are more concerning and you can’t help wondering where playtime ends and consuming begins. BMW’s Schwarzenbauer says that in addition to this design legacy, Mini’s brand principles are still guided by the minimising, practical instincts of Issigonis on the one hand, and the maximising, performance-driven approach of Cooper on the other. “The ethos is ‘maximise the experience – focus on the essential’,” he explains.

The Mini Brands craze has taken TikTok by storm, with over 5b videos showcasing creative unboxing, trading and customisation of the collectible toys. More than 1.5m followers and over 30m likes make Mini Brands the most liked toy brand on the platform. Mini Brands has also partnered with several TikTok creators to host giveaways and challenges, further fuelling the excitement surrounding the toy line. Zuru’s twist on the food miniatures idea was to make exact replicas of the supermarket brands, down to the nutritional information and the bar codes. The toys have become such a phenomenon that food brands that passed on the licensing request initially have since approached Zuru asking that their products be included in future editions of the toy. The zeitgeist in 2001 was that we had just entered a new millennium and people were jumping into that with a lot of energy,” remembers Schwarzenbauer. “People were very willing to question conventions and the new Mini really hit right at the heart of that.” Mini plans to create separate identities for its five “superhero” models including colour schemes and aesthetic concepts Micro play is both a play pattern for kids and a collectible for adults,” Zahn said. “It taps into that same mentality like when dollhouses were so popular. People would craft these intricate miniatures that would fit into those worlds.”The decision to bring Mini’s different models to the fore is intended to broaden its appeal and bolster its current growth trajectory. At present, the flagship Mini model, the Hatch, accounts for 69% of all Mini sales in the UK, while the all-terrain Countryman accounts for about 15%. By giving each of its five models their own platform, Mini hopes to achieve greater diversity in its sales mix and encourage consumers to reconsider the brand. The toy took off as the world suddenly found itself nostalgic for grocery shopping, as the pandemic shifted a lot of supermarket trips to online. Though it is reinventing itself again, retaining its links to thepast will be crucial for Mini as it develops its new brand identity in the years ahead. Among other announcements made last month was a pledge by the brand to begin investing in startup accelerators around the world that aim to develop solutions for “urban living”. Yet as Mini expands its services and its role within society, it must also hang onto the qualities that have made it iconic for so long. The values for fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and energy consumption shown were determined in a standardised test cycle according to the European Regulation (EC) 715/2007 in the version currently applicable. The figures refer to a vehicle with basic configuration in Germany and the range shown considers transmission (automatic or manual) and the different wheels and tyres available on the selected model and may vary during the configuration. Zuru’s strategy, Mowbray said, will be to continue to offer limited editions, and to maintain the right balance of product availability and scarcity that drives collectors to collect.