BMW and Bridgeport: made for each other

At first, this 60-second spot seems like a travelogue for Bridgeport, Conn., where I was born (though not raised) and where much of my family still lives. In the throes of perpertual “urban renewal,” the blue-collar city has long been the butt of jokes by New Yorkers, but its streets look pretty snappy in the ad’s noirish monochrome hues. The line “It’s better in Bridgeport” is debatable on almost every level. Except for the Merritt Canteen, which gets high praise from Roadfood.com: “A beloved Bridgeport dive since 1942 [that] serves a chili dog that will make your lips and tongue glow for hours after you eat it.” (Presumably not the way Altoids sour gum does.) Here’s the weird thing: The spot’s not for the city, or even a cool diner ... it’s for a BMW dealership in Bridgeport. It was done by ad agency VogtGoldstein, which did those billboards with the dude perched on top. The agency explains: “Some areas of Bridgeport are rough around the edges. In Fairfield County, this was an impediment to some prospective BMW customers, who basically had the mind-set of ‘I’d never go to Bridgeport.’ ” The agency is located in tony Westport, Conn., by the way.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

June 14, 2007 | Permalink