C the evolution from BMW Motorrad

 BMW Motorrad unveiled its groundbreaking BMW C evolution to the world’s media with an international press event in London on 27 July. This eye-catching electric scooter with its clever regeneration technology underlines the BMW Group’s commitment to sustainability across all model lines, and the BMW C evolution’s launch in the midst of the Olympic Games came at a time when the world’s eyes were firmly fixed on the UK’s capital city. Preparing press images and videos in London in advance of this date – and keeping them out of the public domain – required a skilled, multi-national, multi-agency operation, planned with military precision…

In this age of high-speed, wireless communication, file-sharing and internet hot-spots on every street corner, keeping anything secret is just about impossible, especially as most smart-phones now have cameras capable of shooting high-quality images and recording HD video – and being able to upload them to YouTube and other user-generated video sites at the touch of a button.

 In the good old days, ‘spy shots’ of heavily camouflaged prototype machines were usually only acquired by daring photo-journalists willing to hide out in trees or behind hedges, with cameras equipped with long telescopic lenses. Not so any more, as many motor manufacturers have found out to their cost, with photos or films of forthcoming models captured by unsuspecting members of the public and then shared worldwide – thanks to the viral effect – within hours.

 Therefore, keeping the BMW C evolution ‘under wraps’, while shooting film and photos in central London was the task facing German agency M4, who were commissioned by BMW Motorrad to deliver audio and visual materials in time for the new model’s official unveiling, several weeks later in the capital.

Several members of the team, including a director, producer, cameraman and general assistant, arrived in London late in June, accompanied by a security guard in charge of protecting the one prototype BMW C evolution assigned to this project. A team of technicians from the factory in Berlin travelled with the prototype to carry out safety checks, recharging, cleaning and maintenance if required (it wasn’t). Furthermore, a team from BMW Motorrad UK’s London-based PR agency Jardine International was recruited for their local knowledge of the area, to assist with securing all the necessary photography and filming permits from local councils, and to help with the actual logistics of the film shoot.

 A prior ‘recce’ had revealed locations that would take in some of the capital’s most notable areas, including Soho, Chelsea and Westminster, as well as prominent landmarks such as Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge, Festival Hall, the London Eye and even a graffiti skate park on the South Bank. With all of these places attracting tourists, office workers and also residents, filming would need to start early – and finish late.

 So it was that the team would meet at a BMW dealership south of the River Thames in Battersea at around 5am every day, to film as much as possible before the capital came to life. Of course, like all major cities, a place like London never really sleeps and has a 24-hour culture, so routes were carefully chosen to avoid delays and congestion, with the intention to always ‘keep moving’ so that by the time a passer-by realised that the interesting scooter whooshing by was not only a BMW, but also electric-powered and not yet on sale, then it was already too late to get out a camera and start filming.

 The BMW C evolution was transported from location to location hidden from view in a truck, while a camera car was used by the crew for ‘tracking shots’, as was a specially modified R 1200 RT, complete with rear facing platform, mounting points for the heavy filming equipment and special seat trays designed to accommodate slim panniers containing all the batteries and transmission equipment required to power the film cameras.

All that remained was for the rider – picked for his model looks – to always be ready to jump on the BMW C evolution, twist the throttle and head out on the city streets. The ride took in exclusive residential Chelsea addresses, bohemian Soho haunts, cool inner-city hang-outs, tourist attractions and even a trip into suburban Cobham in neighbouring Surrey to explore the innovative scooter’s performance in less built-up areas.

 Back in the capital city though, the BMW C evolution cut through the traffic with ease, looking every bit a part of the modern movement and new direction BMW Motorrad is heading towards with its latest range of Maxi-Scooters. As these pictures show, the bright lights of London have been illuminated even more with the innovative BMW C evolution. One thing is certain: Urban Mobility will never be the same again…

Posted in: cars 2012