Playing with your license plate is even more popular in Russia than roulette. Whether rich or poor, drivers often hide a couple of numbers or letters so they don’t get stuck with a fine after underpaying at a car park or toll.
So when BMW wanted to offer a gift to loyal owners for its 100th birthday, it gave them something they apparently wanted – a free ride. The opportunity came in the form of Russia’s first pay-toll highway, the M11. BMW set up an exclusive toll for owners, which recognized the car’s iconic logo and let them glide through without paying. Naturally, the initiative picked up buzz in social and traditional media.
Not wishing to be selfish, BMW let owners of other vehicles in on the act by publishing printable versions of its logo on its Facebook page. Then Mercedes or Audi drivers could simply stick the BMW decal over their cars’ existing logo and breeze through the toll. Soon, everybody in Russia knew that BMW was 100 years old. And that owning a BMW is a gift that keeps on giving.