I have to admit I love most things about the Mini, the car. But the advertising has definitely set a new high standard for brand building.

What made me LIKE this page? I did.

Yesterday I pulled up behind a fancy new S Mini and there was a cool badge above the enlarged MINI logo. It said, "You’ve just been passed by a girl!" We were at a stoplight, so it wasn’t exactly true, but I smiled nonetheless. And I’m sure the driver passes many many slower drivers.

I don’t know of any other current campaign, of a product I don’t own (I do own the Mini’s big brother, BMW) that I can remember 3 ground-breaking campaigns without Google’s help.

1. Pop out paper-origami minis. (Wired Magazine)
2. Mini driver as fighter pilot (order custom named decals for your Mini)
3. TV ads with multiple Minis doing psychedelic designs by driving around in circles.

What MINI ads do you remember? Please add in the comments.

And then there are the little details that the Mini takes to extreme.

• Custom-like paint jobs
• A low-priced go-cart-ish car that actually IS a car
• The HUGE and humourous speedometer
• The color-selectable interior lighting (my personal favorite)

And then talking to Mini owners, they’re fanatics. I guess a lot like us BMW owners. There’s not another brand on the planet that I really crave. I don’t know why. Something about what the car stands for, the brand of the BMW that symbolizes me.

And so the Mini is the spunkier cousin. Same bloodlines. Same performance. With a whole lot of sass thrown in.

So here’s my HATS OFF SALUTE to the Mini and the brilliant branding and advertising that has brought this UK legend roaring back to life and into our hearts and minds. (Anyone want to do an INFOGRAPHIC on the stellar advertising of the modern Mini?)

@jmacofearth (also seen on Google+: jmacofearth)