by Cathy Droz, Founder – HER Certified
#DefyLabels – Drive a Mini Cooper
If you were watching the Super Bowl this year, you might have seen the Mini Cooper commercial with Serena Williams and other celebrity figures standing in front of a Mini Cooper. Since I am not a big football fan, I tend to simply eat during the football game while sitting intently in front of my TV watching all the commercials.
I was struck by the direction Mini Cooper (Part of BMW) went with their line of Minis, and thrilled with how bold and straightforward they were. I was even more excited when the Mini Cooper – John Cooper Works was delivered to my door last week. Now it was my turn to “#defylabels.”
The whole time I was driving the car I thought about the message the commercial was giving to the public. “Don’t let what you do or who people think you are define you.” I’ve always said “Drive what you can afford, you should not be judged by the make and model or the MSRP of the car you drive.” Who do you need to impress? Be true to yourself, express yourself.
With that thought in mind I tried to prove that point with a few photos taken during the week I had the Mini Cooper. My first “defylabels” personality was Steve Wilkos (Talk show host) of the Steve Wilkos TV show. If you are not familiar with Steve, he was director of security on the Jerry Springer show for years. He was such a likable and tough “do-gooder” that he got his own show and has been on the air since 2007. He was visiting the local TV station, AZTV-7 (that airs his show) in Phoenix for a few days and I was invited to meet him and have lunch with the station crew.
This former Marine and Chicago police officer was candid enough to say that the first season of his talk show he felt all he did was yell at people and throw them off the stage… no emotion nor solutions, just yelling. It was at his wife Rochelle’s encouragement that Steve took a different approach… “be yourself” she said… and it appears to be working.
Steve thought the Mini Cooper was cool and remembered the Super Bowl commercial with various personalities, saying that they were labeled as either too small, too gay, too tall, too mean, too tough, too short, too girlie or too cute. He could relate since his persona is a tough guy, afraid of nothing , Marine, cop, bodyguard. You didn’t see any of that when spending time with him… instead you saw a kind, generous, family man with an honestly hearty laugh, and a heart of gold.
“No one can define you, only you can define you.”
I thought I’d have some fun while driving around that week. I’m not a videographer but one day I took a few still photos to prove my point.
Have you been defined as…
“A BullDog in Business?”
“Too Childish”
“Too Much In a Man’s World”
“Too Patriotic”
“Too Red Heel Obsessed”
… I think you get my point.
My test drive was amazing… The MINI handled like a race car and never did I feel I was in a “small” car on the freeway or any busy street. The interior of the Mini is like an amusemet park in a bottle. Such detail to everything. I felt like I was driving on the streets of London, England… in fact a few times when I answered the phone I used a British accent. There is something about the interior that makes you smile.
My 6’1 husband had no problem getting in and out… like Randy Johnson (famous baseball pitcher) who is 6’10 and in his role as a spokesperson for the Mini Cooper states that it fits him just fine. You see the mini is mini, but appearances can be deceiving.
Here is a photo of the MSRP sticker for the Mini Cooper- John Cooper Works with all the extras.
Mini Coopers start as low as $20,700, all the way up to my test vehicle at $39,800. You can also have one tailor-made with over 10 million possible combinations! It can be customized and priced accordingly.
Fun Fact:
John Cooper Works is a British-based company founded in 2000 by Michael Cooper, son of John Cooper, the racing car maker and tuner responsible for the original Mini Cooper. JCW produces tuning parts and accessories for BMW’s new Mini.
John Newton Cooper was co founder, with his father Charles Cooper, of the Cooper Car Company in 1947. He was born in Surbiton, Surrey, UK, and he became an auto racing legend in the 1950’s and 1960’s with his rear-engined chassis design that would eventually change the face of the sport at its highest levels, from Formula One to the Indianapolis 500.
Don’t let anyone label you… John Cooper didn’t, and Mini surely hasn’t let it stop them!
