Agents of Fun: MINI’s Spy Thriller Campaign Pairs Jack Lowden & the New JCW Cooper

[DimON]

MINI is flipping the script on the standard car advert with Agents of Fun, a stylized espionage-inspired short film headlined by actor and Golden Globe–nominated Jack Lowden. No voice-over sales pitch, no swooping landscapes—this is narrative-led storytelling, with the MINI John Cooper Works cast not as product but as co-star, complete with subversive wit and a cinematic edge. If it sounds familiar it’s a similar equation to what MINI launched with in the US almost 25 years ago.

Having Lowden at the centre lends instant cultural credibility: his tone—coolly conversational, sharp with misdirection—feeds directly into the lovely resurgence of London set spy thrillers. With intrigue, misdirection and cheeky underdog energy now in vogue, MINI is hoping to tap in with a campaign that feels exactly of the moment.

Behind the camera is Ilya Naishuller (director of the kinetic Nobody and the first-person action of Hardcore Henry) and behind the lens is Christopher Ross (Golden Globe nominated for work on Shogun and The Day of the Jackal), shooting on 16 mm film to evoke classic spy noir—but refracted through a distinctly modern British sensibility.

Lowden, best known for his quietly defiant turns in Slow Horses, Benediction and The Gold, plays the film’s lead with off-hand charm and dry wit: a sleek operative navigating stylised chaos. The JCW doesn’t just ferry him around—it is him: compact, irrepressible, and delightfully elusive.

“This felt authored… something that trusts the audience and doesn’t shout. It’s smart, but doesn’t take itself too seriously” – Jack Lowden

Agents of Fun is a spy flick with a wink: narrative spins fast, but the stunts are cleverly “redacted” by playful censorship overlays that mimic classified documents. You see hints of thrilling moves, but not enough—and that’s the point: you’re lured into seeking the full story online. By obeying the rules, MINI pulls off cinematic sleight of hand.

The film is entirely set at MINI Plant Oxford—where every JCW is born—rooting its surreal aesthetic in real factory grit. The JCW is positioned as the ultimate underdog getaway machine: small, agile, underestimated—and impossible to ignore.

Ilya Naishuller’s directive was clear: “Most car ads tiptoe around convention — this one was about yanking the thread and watching the whole thing unravel.” In Lowden, he found the perfect accomplice.

MINI UK’s Director David Beattie puts it plainly: Agents of Fun isn’t just another automotive spot. It’s bold, unexpected and built on the brand’s DNA—“performance with personality.” This is cinematic, smart and unapologetically MINI.

Agents of Fun rolled out across cinema, social and digital this week. Check out a behind the scenes view of the campaign above.

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