MINI Not Normal America

Not your typical American road trips.

Service

Capabilities

Digital Storytelling

Stylized text reading "NOT NORMAL AMERICA" with each letter depicting iconic landmarks and elements from various American cities, such as the Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, and Mount Rushmore. Caption below reads "A series of Not Normal Road Trips presented by MINI.

Most car branding is predicated on solid predictability and conservative respectability—even to the point of what some might call dullness. Not MINI’s. The zippy little British cars have always employed a less traditional marketing approach. It’s feisty, it’s fun, it’s joyful—and it’s not afraid to be different.

As part of MINI’s conquest of the USA, Hyperakt was asked to design a campaign around the theme of the old-fashioned American road trip. The Mini might not be the first car that leaps to mind in connection with road tripping, so we aimed to show how criss-crossing the continent in a Mini might just be the best way to get to know our great nation.

A busy city street with pedestrians and cyclists in the foreground. A large wall behind them displays colorful posters in a grid, each featuring unique illustrations and different information. Tall buildings surround the area, creating an urban atmosphere.

We did a series of illustrated maps, each telling the story of a different kind of Mini expedition. Our Hipster Road trip visited such cooly ironic destinations as Portland, OR and the world’s largest Paul Bunyan.

Illustration of a cheerful, bearded figure in a red plaid shirt and blue pants, with mountains and trees in the background. Text above reads, "BEMIDJI, MN. Visit a statue of Paul Bunyan, the world’s largest hipster." Text below reads, "NOT NORMAL AMERICA.

A graphic promoting a hipster road trip to Omaha, NE. The background is pink and purple, featuring a vinyl record and stylus. Text reads: "Pick up some vinyl at Saddle Creek Shop." The "Not Normal America" and Mini logos are at the bottom.

Infographic titled "HIPSTER ROAD TRIP" showing a U.S. map with a road trip route marked from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles. Icons represent various locations and activities such as music venues, cafes, and art galleries, along with a legend explaining the symbols.

A poster with a yellow background features a silhouette of bongo drums with colorful triangular shapes behind them. Text at the top reads, "HIPSTER ROAD TRIP - MIAMI, FL" and below, "Listen to some authentic live Cuban music in Little Havana". At the bottom are logos for "Not Normal" and MINI.

Graphic design promoting a visit to Cupertino, CA, as part of a "Hipster Road Trip." The image features a map icon on a smartphone screen, highlighting the tech-centric city. The tagline reads, "Pay homage to the holyland for tech fanboys and fangirls.

Poster for "Hipster Road Trip" in Chicago, IL, promoting a concert by the band "Ohio Bear Attack" at Pitchfork Music Festival. The background consists of a brick wall with various logos and text encouraging discovering new music.

Illustrated poster for Portland, Oregon, featuring an open book with a red bookmark. Text reads, "Pillage the largest indie bookstore in the world. Don’t forget your Warby Parkers." Located above the book illustration is a map of the USA with "HIPSTER ROAD TRIP.

A minimalist poster promoting Brooklyn, NY with the header "Hipster Road Trip" and silhouettes of a buffalo and a mustache. A bee sits on the curled tip of the mustache. The text reads, "Get some rooftop harvested beeswax for your mustache.

The International Road Trip took us to American towns named after foreign places, like Moscow, ID. and Paris, TN.

Illustration of two anthropomorphic zucchinis dressed as thieves against a dark purple background. Text at the top reads "Bristol, SD." Below, a caption states "Lock your car doors or you will leave this town's Zucchini Fest with more zucchini in your vehicle than you ever wanted.

Map of the United States featuring an "International America Road Trip." Various cities across the U.S. are illustrated with landmarks and activities resembling international themes, like a Louvre pyramid, a Japanese garden, and a Canadian maple leaf car. MINI ad at bottom.

Poster advertising the Dulci-More Music Festival in Lisbon, Ohio. The background transitions from yellow to green. Three Appalachian dulcimers are illustrated in the center. The tagline reads: "Get your traditional Appalachian dulcimer at this annual festival.

Finally, Vacation Like a ______ showed how your Mini can take you on a trip to satisfy any inclination, no matter what you’re into. Each map is full of beautiful, funny and all-American original illustrations in our distinctive playful style. We had so much fun on each of the road trips that we turned them all into posters, too.