BMW Hofmeister Kink-Shaped Roads
BMW North America is launching a new media stunt, focusing to spotlight on one of BMW’s most iconic design features, the Hofmeister Kink.
The idea is to connect BMW’s cars to North American roads in a new way. The German carmaker has identified more than 56,000 road sections in the United States that are shaped like the Hofmeister Kink using AI and in collaboration with the CRM agency of record and Interpublic-owned Performance Art.
But first, what is a Hofmeister Kink? It is a special design feature visible in all BMW models since 1962. Starting with the Neue Klasse models. The kink bears the name of its creator Wilhelm Hofmeister, head of BMW’s design department between 1955 and 1970, a critical period in the history of the company, where it has developed a distinct personality and established itself at the very top of world car producers. It is said that the shape of the kink at the lower corner of the rear window evokes the drag the rear-wheel drive produces on BMW models.
Now, the new marketing move puts in the hands of all BMW fans a detailed map of all the Hofmeister Kink-shaped roads in the country, allowing them to go on a special road trip, rediscovering the US in the eye of BMW. A great way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Hofmeister Kink.
BMW Hofmeister Kink-Shaped Roads
The map was made with the help of Google and the open-source neural framework Darknet, a tool that analyzed 3.9 million miles of roads trying to find all the sections that resemble the famous kink. The result was delivered in the form of more than 55,000 geo-coordinates with aerial and satellite photos, all available on the hofmeisterkink.com website.
Following in the steps of the kidney grill, the Hofmeister Kink received several alterations across time. Modern versions of it were implemented on some recent models like the Active Tourers, the GTs, the Gran Coupes, SAVs, and SACs. On 2018 BMW went a little too far with the kink, where The G15 8 Series Coupe featured an upwards-swinging horizontal line and a reduced rear angle. a thing that didn’t please the company’s loyal fan base.
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