Munich. Premium carmaker BMW is undergoing a process of transformation as it prepares for the arrival of the Neue Klasse. With new developments happening every day, BMW is taking a fresh perspective and reevaluating the concept of “new.” The second issue of FREUDE.FOREVER, BMW’s award-winning magazine, explores the meaning of “new” through the eyes of inspirational individuals in their lives, work, and art.
This issue, titled THE NEUE NEW, continues the structure of the pilot issue by engaging the seven human senses. However, it also introduces a new dimension: augmented reality. In collaboration with Icelandic art collective Fischersund, the FREUDE.FOREVER team has created a digital flower that embellishes the cover of the magazine. Scanning a QR code inside the magazine provides an immersive augmented reality experience of the flower. This interaction between the readers and the magazine’s cover combines sight, hearing, emotions, and technology, offering a new world of perception and communication, in line with the BMW brand.
Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and BMW Brand, explains that BMW sees a significant opportunity in the fusion of the analogue and digital worlds, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Similarly, FREUDE.FOREVER aims to enrich the pleasure of reading through an immersive digital journey, combining the analogue and the digital.
The concept of “new” for BMW is not limited to something created for the first time but also involves embracing fresh perspectives and understanding the power of vision. It requires an open mind, courage, flexibility, self-criticism, honesty, and the willingness to view change as an opportunity. These stories are reflected in the second issue of FREUDE.FOREVER.
For example, Fischersund explores how a new world of floristry can be experienced, while David Zilber experiments with redefining taste in top-class cuisine through fermentation. Keisei Kawahara, an athlete and model, leads a new generation of prosthesis wearers who see their orthopaedic aids as opportunities for growth. Other stories in the magazine feature developers teaching machines to feel and an artist duo showcasing the future potential of holography technology. Interviews with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pieter Nota, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, provide further insights into constant reinvention and the transformation of the automotive industry.
FREUDE.FOREVER is a collaborative project between BMW and the LOOPING GROUP, the magazine’s publisher. Recognized for its content and design creativity, the first issue received accolades from the Society of Publication Designers and the Art Directors Club. The new issue, THE NEUE NEW, is available for purchase in English and German through the online shop www.freudeforever.com and magazine retailers for 10 euros.