There’s absolutely no way Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history at 8-feet, 11-inches tall, would have fit inside a BMW X3. But he’d have tons of legroom inside a new banner ad promoting the redesigned 2011 model.

As part of an integrated campaign supporting the luxury SUV, BMW agency Cundari has introduced what it claims is the world’s longest banner ad–a 5,526-word, 300 x 18,001 pixel behemoth that, according to press materials, would be more than twice Wadlow’s height if laid out in full.

The potentially record-breaking ad, which will appear on websites including DailyXY.com, is unprepossessing at first glance–an image of the redesigned X3 accompanied by the words “We set out to make an ad. Along the way we made history.” Mousing over the ad brings up a novella that is a combination of the erudite and the educational, the silly and the sublime.

The world’s longest banner is among a series of online components supporting the X3 that include a voken (a clickable, ‘virtual’ token) in which a youngster throws a snowball that appears to hit viewers’ computer screens; an edit-your-own-commercial banner that invites consumers to mix and match nine different video clips to create their own online spot; and a comparison tool on Autrotrader.ca that appears whenever people key in a search for competitive brands such as the Audi Q5 or Mercedes GLK.

Brent Choi, chief creative officer for Cundari, said the digital elements–which are working in conjunction with untraditional mass media including a 3D cinema spot and a newspaper domination campaign in The Globe and Mail and La Presse– are a way of engaging consumers who are growing increasingly indifferent to standard online formats. “Online consumers are trained pretty well not to pay attention to things unless they’re really dynamic or people send them to you to take a look,” he said. “It’s [a strategy] where we can add that extra layer of involvement and engagement.”

Marc Belcourt, brand communications manager at BMW Group Canada in Toronto, said the company considers itself the most innovative automaker in the world and that reputation should be reflected in its marketing communications strategy.

“You’re not going to see BMW following others very often,” he said.

He called the digital space “an area for [BMW] to learn and to experiment,” providing an opportunity for the company to track the engagement time and performance of its individual units.

Asked if there was any reticence about running an online ad comprised of more than 5,500 words, Belcourt responded: “A great creative once told me that the hardest word for a client to say can be yes. There’s definitely a time and place to trust the experts and let them do their job.”