Press release

MINI USA PARTNERS WITH POLAR BEARS INTERNATIONAL ON NEW CAMPAIGN FOR THE ALL-ELECTRIC MINI COOPER SE. 

New Campaign and Partnership Highlights MINI’s Focus on Sustainability 

Woodcliff Lake, NJ,  July 15, 2022. MINI USA today announces its partnership with Polar Bears International (PBI), the only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to polar bears and Arctic sea ice, to help promote awareness of polar bear conservation efforts in a new campaign for its MINI Electric Cooper SE Hardtop.
 
Offering an EV that stays true to what owners love about MINI, as well as the broader aims of electrification, the MINI Electric Cooper SE provides MINI’s signature electrified go-kart feeling, with a minimal environmental footprint. In addition, the model is an important step in MINI’s stated goal of offering an all-electric line-up of vehicles around 2030.
 
The latest campaign kicked off on Earth Day (April 24) and will continue throughout the year. In celebration of Arctic Sea Ice Day on July 15, Polar Bears International, together with MINI, are proud to highlight the unique creative that features a polar bear riding sin the passenger seat of a new 2023 MINI Electric Cooper SE.  
 
The campaign concept was initially a fun nod to the MINI mascot, Spike the Bulldog featured in early TV commercials and is still used today, but MINI USA decided to take it a step further by finding a relevant partnership that allowed the creative to provide more meaning and impact around the issue of sustainability. Thus, the partnership with Polar Bears International was born.
 
“We hope to inspire MINI USA consumers with a message of sustainability and how together, we can protect our planet,” says Rah Mahtani, Brand Communications Manager for MINI USA. “The polar bear is an icon of climate change, and we highlight this species in our Big Love Campaign with a number of ways that American consumers can get involved in protecting the planet.”
 
In support of Polar Bears International, this MINI campaign brings attention to an eco-adoption page where American audiences can make a donation in support of the polar bear conservation non-profit as well as consider the eco-adoption of a polar bear. More fun activations and touch points from both brands will continue to drive awareness for the 2023 MINI Electric model and Polar Bears International efforts throughout the year. MINI USA also plans to engage their online community to help "Name the polar bear" on their social media platforms, launching July 20th.
 
“We’re grateful to MINI USA for their generous support and pledging their polar promise in protection of polar bear conservation efforts and the company's dedication to a more sustainable future,” said Krista Wright, Executive Director for Polar Bears International. “By participating in this campaign, we hope to inspire conversation around the important steps we can each take in preserving the planet for future generations.”
 
Scientists predict that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, most polar bears could disappear by 2100 due to lack of sea ice. State-of-the art climate models indicate that an ice-free Arctic in summer will likely occur by the middle of the century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t regulated. Anyone can make a difference and encourage their community to slow climate change. 
 
About Polar Bears International
Polar Bears International’s mission is to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. Through media, science, and advocacy, we work to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this remote region and our global climate. PBI is the only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to wild polar bears and Arctic sea ice, and our staff includes scientists who study wild polar bears. The organization is a recognized leader in polar bear conservation. For more information, visit www.polarbearsinternational.org.
 
About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The authorized MINI USA dealer organization is represented by a network of 114 locations comprised of 105 MINI full passenger car sales and service dealers and 9 service exclusive outlets located throughout the US. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.
  
Journalist notes: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com.