Jack Pitney
Encyclopedia
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
as vice president of marketing, where he played a major role in convincing company leadership to go ahead with distribution of the MINI in the United States, despite concerns that car buyers there would not buy cars that small given the popularity of sport utility vehicle
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
s.
Pitney was born in 1963 in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
and earned his undergraduate degree from Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
, where he majored in political science. He worked in the public relations and advertising field, and was hired in 1988 by the GCI Group
Grey Global Group
Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency, whose slogan is providing solutions - with headquarters in New York City, and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities — organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin...
, where he worked on a 1990 advertising campaign for Infiniti
Infiniti
is the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. Marketing operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, China, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Infiniti began sales in additional...
. At Hill & Knowlton
Hill & Knowlton
Hill & Knowlton is a global public relations company, headquartered in New York City, United States, with 79 offices in 44 countries. Hill & Knowlton was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1927 by John W. Hill and is today led by Chairman & CEO, Paul Taaffe...
he worked on the Mazda Motor of America
Mazda North American Operations
Mazda North American Operations is Mazda Motor Corporation's North American arm, and constitutes the largest component of that company outside Japan. The company has its headquarters in Irvine, California and is headed by James J...
account and later was hired by Mazda as its manager of corporate communications.
Pitney was hired by BMW of North America in 1995 as head of corporate communications, where he developed advertising campaigns for its high-performance vehicles. BMW developed the Mini in 2001 as a successor to the original Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
, which enjoyed a cult following in the 1960s. BMW executives were reluctant to market the car in the United States, presuming that car buyers in that country would be unlikely to purchase a car so small given the widespread prevalence of SUVs. In 2001, Pitney was named as general manager for the Mini line. The company agreed to market the car in the U.S. with very low expectations, but Pitney developed a marketing campaign together with Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
Crispin Porter + Bogusky , a member of publicly-traded MDC Partners, is an advertising agency that currently employs around 1,000 people. It was founded in 1965 by Sam Crispin.. Crispin then became partners with Chuck Porter and Alex Bogusky...
that used viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
on the web and featured billboards promoting the car under the catchphrases "The SUV Backlash Officially Starts Now" and "0% Body Fat". By the March 2002 American launch date for the Mini, 53% of people were aware of the brand and 50,000 people had expressed potential interest on the company's website in buying the car.
The Mini was positioned at a higher price than many comparably sized vehicles, but was promoted as a car that could be accessorized by its owners. Recognized as one the few car division heads to come from the advertising side of the business Automotive News
Automotive News
Automotive News is a weekly newspaper written for 65,000 automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. It is based in Detroit and owned by Crain Communications Inc. The brand has a team of more than 50 editors and reporters worldwide.- History :...
selected Pitney as one of its two Marketers of the Year in January 2003. Annual sales reached 30,000, exceeding initial projections by 50%. The success of the MINI earned Pitney a promotion to Vice President of Marketing, where he was responsible for multiple launches including the new BMW 1 Series
BMW 1 Series
The BMW 1 Series is an entry level sports car produced by the German automaker BMW since 2004. The 1 Series is unusual in its class as it features rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight balance, a longitudinally-mounted engine and an advanced aluminum multilink suspension...
, the BMW X6
BMW X6
The BMW X6 is a mid-size luxury crossover released for sale in the second quarter of 2008 by German automaker BMW. The X6 was marketed as a Sports Activity Coupé by BMW...
, the BMW 7 Series
BMW 7 Series
The BMW 7 Series is a line of full-size luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, it is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine...
, the BMW Z4
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car by the German car maker BMW. It follows a line of past BMW roadsters such as the BMW Z1, BMW 507, BMW Z8, and the BMW Z3. The Z4 replaces the Z3. First generation production started in 2002 at BMW USA's Greer, South Carolina plant, with production of both...
, BMW diesel engines, and the BMW 5 Series
BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is a mid-size / executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972. The car, now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles....
.
As of September 1, 2010, he was supposed to assume the post of Vice President of BMW's Eastern region, where he would have overseen the 93 dealerships on the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, including the many centered in the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
.
Death
A resident of Ridgewood, New JerseyRidgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.The Village of Ridgewood was...
, Pitney died at age 47 on August 26, 2010, when the tractor he was riding while on vacation at his farm in Durham, New York
Durham, New York
Durham is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 2,725 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Durham, Connecticut.The Town of Durham is in the northwest corner of the county.- History :...
overturned on him while pulling out a tree stump. He was found by officers of the Greene County, New York
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
Sheriff's Department trapped underneath the tractor and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was survived by his wife and five children.