A form of branded content, the shorts were directed by popular filmmakers from around the globe and starred Clive Owen as "the Driver" while highlighting the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles.

The plot of each film varies, but all involve the Driver being hired to perform tasks for various clients, typically to transport important individuals and/or cargo while evading pursuing antagonists.

As he complies, the federal agents break in and attempt to subdue the man, who shoots himself in the head without revealing the woman's location.

In an unnamed foreign country, a man carrying a mysterious briefcase survives an ambush en route to his destination.

During the chase, the briefcase is struck by a bullet, causing it to leak grey fluid and the number on its display to begin counting down.

It is revealed that the man guards a human heart that is to be transplanted into the nation's leader, who has brought peace and prosperity to the country for many years.

The Driver finally reaches a military base and brings the heart to waiting surgeons, who successfully save the leader from dying.

The Driver is employed by James Brown, who goes to meet the Devil to re-negotiate the deal he made as a young man, in which he traded his soul for fame and fortune.

To renew his contract, James proposes that they have a drag race on the Las Vegas Strip at dawn, wagering the Driver's soul for another 50 years of success.

The race ends with the Driver swerving to pass a moving train, while the Devil's car (a flamed Pontiac Firebird) crashes and explodes.

The final scene shows Marilyn Manson, who lives down the hall from the Devil, complaining that the noise is disturbing his Bible reading.

After the disappearance of geneticist Dr. Nora Phillips, the Molecular Genetics company's illegal activities in human cloning become exposed and the FBI raids the facility.

If BMW could attract the right kind of traffic to their website, the type of person who enjoys art films from influential directors and actors, they could translate that into sales.

[5] On April 26, 2001, John Frankenheimer's Ambush premiered on the BMW Films website and, two weeks later, was followed by Ang Lee's Chosen.

[8][9] The series was originally created by members of famed indie New York City film studio – Shooting Gallery – such as CJ Follini, Paul Speaker, and Eamonn Bowles.

The Vanity Fair disc, in lieu of carrying The Follow, contained a link to the website with instructions to the viewer to watch the movie online.

[11] The DVD was highly sought on Internet forums after the September 2001 issue of Vanity Fair quickly vanished from shelves and became a rare find.

[8] To celebrate the premiere of the second season, BMW threw a party at the ArcLight Hollywood on October 17, 2002, just a week before the film's internet debut.

[13][14] A month after the premiere of Beat the Devil, DirecTV began airing the entire series in half-hour loops for five weeks, on one of the blank satellite channels the system offered.

The series is a comedic parody of 1970s action-television shows like Starsky & Hutch and Charlie's Angels, and showcases BMW's Mini Cooper line of cars as the featured product.

[19] On September 20, 2016, it was reported that BMW Films has resurrected the series fourteen years after the original production wrapped, with Clive Owen returning to reprise his role as the Driver.

Thousands took to the web, taking place in the hunt but only 250 solved the puzzle, which allowed the lucky few to be entered in a drawing to win a 2003 BMW Z4, seen in Hostage.

The final piece of the puzzle was a voicemail, instructing participants to meet with a correspondent in Las Vegas, the site of a VIP Party for BMW where the Grand Prize Z4 was given away to a couple from Bellingham, Washington.

[27] In 2004, Mercedes released The Porter, a 15-minute film by director Jan Wentz, starring Max Beesley and Bryan Ferry.

A few years later, Bombardier Recreational Products company introduced a series of short movies on the Internet which showcased their "Sea-Doo" line of personal water craft (PWC)[28] while Covad Business also constructed a campy internet horror film based on their products called The Ringing with the intent of showcasing VoIP technology.

[30] Around the same time The Hire made its comeback in October 2016, the Ford Motor Company produced its very own short film, advertising their new car, the 2015 Ford Edge incorporated into a story, starring Mads Mikkelsen as the titular character in Le Fantôme, directed by Jake Scott, who co-produced the second season of The Hire.