ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The new “What Makes Us” brand campaign for Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), which began airing during the Masters, celebrates the company’s ongoing commitment to reinventing what is possible, including innovations in luxury, sustainability and performance. Comprised of six highly stylized 30-second television ads, the campaign underscores integral qualities of the brand as demonstrated by Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG vehicles and lyrical narration by Jon Hamm.
The campaign plays on attributes that Mercedes-Benz products are known for, and uses them to show what drives the brand to constantly push the limits and, in so doing, advance automotive technology. Consequently, this cinematic campaign transports viewers into both visual and verbal metaphors that stitch together an image of what makes Mercedes-Benz tick.
“While most of the world knows what goes into producing unrivaled Mercedes-Benz products, not many people have a real understanding of what drives the company to continue to challenge the status quo and never rest on its laurels,” said Drew Slaven, vice president of marketing for MBUSA.
For example, Mercedes-Benz, ‘stubborn’ is invincible, ‘difficult’ is worth it, and ‘can’t’ is a challenge. And for Mercedes-AMG, ‘first’ is forever, ‘curious’ is incurable, and ‘fearless’ is fuel. Tethered to these evocative phrases, captivating imagery is paired with vivid personification to draw parallels between all that one word and one brand can encapsulate. Collectively, the ads offer a glimpse into the minds of the company’s innovators on a quest to work beyond convention and deliver on the brand promise of “The Best or Nothing.”
Highlighted throughout the “What Makes Us” campaign are a range of vehicles that give Mercedes-Benz the most diverse product offering in the luxury segment and have made it the number one luxury brand in the U.S. for two years running. Featured are the ground-breaking, ultra-exclusive Mercedes-AMG Project ONE Hypercar; the powerful and sleek Mercedes-AMG GTR; the rugged and timeless G-Class; and the luxurious and refined CLS.
Like the vehicles themselves, the campaign was crafted with a mix of skilled artistry and innovative technology. For example, two of the ads are entirely CGI and were “shot” in a completely virtual world. This pair of commercials, titled “First” and “Can’t,” utilize a state-of-the-art, collaborative VR software application called Nu Design with Atom View technology. This cutting-edge program allows production contributors to interact in real time from across the North American continent as if they were all together on set. Moving forward, this tool enables a whole new production paradigm.
This same technology is used to bring the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE Hypercar to life in its U.S. television premiere. Honed on the racetrack, this plug-in hybrid supercar incorporates all the technology that Mercedes-AMG has developed to dominate in Formula One and enables it to go from 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. As such, the vehicle gets an equally unique visual treatment. The vignette matches a feeling of conceiving the inconceivable and revealing something that defies logic – even the laws of gravity. The camera angles mimic a feeling of weightlessness and the dynamic light emanating from the silk sheet above it gracefully romances every angle.
The new commercials, created by Merkley+Partners, premiered April 4th during the Masters broadcast, televised by ESPN and CBS. The campaign is now in broadcast rotation and on a variety of digital platforms. View the ads here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKgHYmJ8Qq3LEc-QNLfC3B6wVgmNRU3xT
Since 2008, Mercedes-Benz has been an International Partner of the Masters, and in 2014, became a Global Sponsor. During each of these Masters tournaments, Mercedes-Benz has celebrated its shared, long-standing heritage of excellence and passion for perfection by revealing some of the company’s most compelling stories and exciting new products to the world. This is the brand’s fifth consecutive year as Global Sponsor.
About Mercedes-Benz USA
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA),
headquartered in Atlanta, is responsible for the distribution, marketing
and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz products in the United
States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse lineup in the luxury
segment with 15 model lines ranging from the sporty CLA-Class four-door
coupe to the flagship S-Class and the Mercedes-AMG GT R.
MBUSA is also responsible for Mercedes-Benz Vans and smart products in the U.S. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com, www.mbsprinterusa.com and www.smartusa.com.
Accredited journalists can visit our media site at www.media.mbusa.com. Follow us on Twitter @MBUSAnews
About Merkley+Partners
Merkley+Partners is MBUSA’s
full-service advertising and creative agency of record. Founded in 1993
and headquartered in New York City, M+P is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMC), a leading global marketing and
communications company.
