Mini Lets You Channel Your Inner Monologue With New Interactive AI Persona

The AI persona simulates users’ inner voices so they can converse with themselves about buying a Mini EV.

By: Mark Webb

Jul 13, 2023 at 6:39pm ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

Some people have an active inner monologue; the little voice inside your head used to carry on a conversation, dispense advice, or just say, "See, I told you so." These people consider it a form of mindfulness, a sixth sense, or a way to give themselves feedback or affirmation. With that in mind, Mini USA has created an inner "Mini-logue" allowing people to ask themselves if they should get a Mini electric vehicle.

To bring people's inner monologues to life, Mini partnered with Pereira O'Dell, an independent creative agency, to develop an interactive generative artificial intelligence experience on Mini's US website. People can use the AI experience to record themselves, asking questions like, "Why should I get a Mini Electric?" The AI then utilizes voice cloning and deep learning technology to create a version of the user that approximates them.

Gallery: 2023 Mini Cooper SE Convertible

The AI persona allows users to then converse with themselves to decide if they should get an electric Mini Cooper. Following the conversation, the AI program creates a sharable video optimized for social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. According to Mini, the most persuasive voice in buying a car is inside the customer's own head, more so than any car salesman or dealership.

What do you think?

View

Comments

The AI experience is intended to be a fun way to interact with the Mini brand, aiming to cater to the fun-loving, spontaneous, thrill-seeking voice in all of us. It's combined with a new marketing campaign called "Trust Your Inner Mini-Logue" that includes a series of advertising spots across social media channels. The spots feature Unreal Engine MetaHuman animations to create floating, talking heads visualizing the internal dialogues of someone attempting to convince themself of the multitude of fun, wonderful, and sometimes peculiar reasons why owning a Mini Electric makes sense.

Mini's own historical data shows that its vehicles are most often purchased as a second or third car in most households as a fun-to-drive car. For this reason, the automaker chose the Mini Cooper convertible as its lead-off car in the EV market. It will be followed by an electric version of the Mini Countryman in 2024 and the Aceman crossover in 2025.

Source: Mini USA