We want to know what you thought of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Super Bowl Commercial.  Was it a hit or a miss?  In the event that you are one of the few people left in the country that have not seen the latest Mercedes CLA Ad, you can check it out below along with the Kate Upton car washing commercial.  If you’re not interested in seeing the CLA commercials, click here to take a look at the CLA 180 Edition 1 that we are all in love with.

As for what the experts had to say about the Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl campaign, read on.

Ask Steve Cannon, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA what he wanted from the multi-prong marketing campaign the company put together for Super Bowl XLVII and he will say, “The goal was to create a compelling story which would introduce a new product – our 2014 CLA coupe — at a first-ever price point in a way that would not only get people talking but also begin to get them interested and engaged.”

According to Cannon – and various industry barometers — the campaign that Mercedes-Benz launched on January 20th did just that.

Right off the top, Mercedes-Benz benefited from the fact that the game was played at the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome” (the company invested in naming rights in 2011). ImageTrack powered by Kantar Media — IEG’s sponsorship/advertising broadcast monitoring service — projected that this would result in Mercedes-Benz receiving 6 minutes and 19 seconds of exposure during the game, valued at approximately $4.6 million. If the fourth-quarter for the CLA was then included, the total media exposure value was projected to exceed $12 million.

The campaign itself consisted of five elements. An advertising teaser campaign with four :15 spots and one :30 went into rotation during the AFC championships on January 20 queuing up the ad with the “Something…is coming,” tag. Two days later, the company released an online video (the parody of the stereotypical bikini clad model washing a car had Kate Upton playing to the camera while a bevy of good-looking young guys soaped up her car) which went viral and garnered close to three million views by the next day without the benefit of any paid media (it’s now at 7 million). This was followed by a long-form version of the Super Bowl ad “Soul” and then a “Behind the Scenes” online video. Combined, these four creative executions netted nearly 10 million views before the final element, the 60-second version of the ad was released (to date, that tally is well over 13 million).

“But,” notes Bernie Glaser, VP of marketing for MBUSA “To really amortize your investment, you’ve got to go deeper than measuring entertainment popularity. The real magic lies in converting awareness into consumer interest. Engaging people enough to go out of their way to find out more about your product — that’s the real payout.”

The ad itself, set in New Orleans where MBUSA has strong philanthropic ties in addition to its presence there, drives home an actual selling point – the CLA’s price. Created by Merkley+Partners (NYC), the storyline involves a devilish Willem Dafoe offering a young man a Mercedes CLA and all that comes with it — a red carpet moment with Kate Upton, a dance-off with Usher, a drive on the Formula 1 racetrack etc.—in exchange for his soul. But just when the young guy is about to make the deal, he spies a billboard touting the CLA’s MSRP of $29,900 and vanquishes Dafoe saying “I think I’ve got this.”

And, as the various industry ad metrics started to roll in, data shows that MBUSA’s spot itself “got this” and a whole lot more with audiences.

According to Ace Metrics, an independent analytics company which measures advertising effectiveness, “Soul” scored the highest of any automotive advertisement and tied for the 4th highest score overall for all ads on the Super Bowl.

As far as concrete evidence of effectiveness and engagement, Edmunds.com, one of the leading car information sites where potential buyers go to do their research, reported that the CLA had the highest jump in vehicle consideration both during the Game and in the 24-hour period that followed. Nearly one out of every five consumer searches during the fourth quarter was for the new sporty four-door coupe. In fact, queries for the entire Mercedes-Benz brand on the Edmunds website were up 122% from the average of the four previous Sundays, giving the brand the number one spot for consideration among all luxury makes during the Game.

“The CLA was the number one shopped vehicle on Edmunds.com over the weekend,” said Vice Chairman Jeremy Anwyl from Edmunds.com. “It is the best performing ad campaign I have seen since I started tracking Super Bowl ad performance. The CLA obviously connected with a vast audience, demonstrating Mercedes Benz is enjoying early success as it reaches to a new generation of luxury vehicle buyers.”

Looking ahead, the ad has its second broadcast appearance during the Academy Awards in late February. Its biggest star, the CLA, makes a brief appearance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week starting today and will appear at the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and other high-profile events that MBUSA sponsors. Digital and social media activations will be released over the next few months (the company’s Facebook page Facebook.com/Mercedes-Benz USA is currently offering select fans an opportunity to see the CLA in an expense-paid trip to New York in conjunction with the New York Auto Show) as the September launch of the sporty 208-hp four-door coupe draws near.

The “CLA Edition 1” will only be available for twelve months. The model, which can be combined with any engine, has exclusive equipment which includes amongst other things the NEON ART interior with upholstery in leather and black microfibre DINAMICA with yellow contrasting topstitching. The Edition 1 can be ordered immediately at a starting price of 35,402.50 euros (CLA 180 Edition 1).

With the CLA-Class, Mercedes-Benz continues its series of extraordinary Edition 1 special models. Limited to one year after its launch, the Edition 1 combines special equipment which highlights the sportiness and exclusivity of the four-door coupé. This includes paintwork in either mountain grey, cosmos black, night black, cirrus white or designo polar silver magno (expected to be available from the third quarter of 2013). AMG front and rear aprons as well as side sill panels in combination with the black painted multi-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels provide for a powerful appearance. The diamond radiator grille boasts a black fin and chrome inserts. Bi-xenon headlamps are standard as too is the lowered sports suspension.

The NEON ART interior is exclusive to this special model. The sports seats are upholstered in leather and black microfibre DINAMICA whilst yellow stitching creates a very special contrast. The instrument panel and the beltlines are in ARTICO man-made leather with yellow stitching in a wrap-around look. Trim elements in aluminium with a light longitudinal grain and a 3-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel in nappa leather with a flattened bottom section and perforations in the grip area complete the dynamic appearance.

An overview of prices and models:

Edition 1		CLA 180	CLA 200	CLA 250	CLA 220 CDI
Displacement	cm3	1595	1595	1991	2143
Transmission		6-speed	6-speed	7G-DCT	7G-DCT
Output	kW (hp)	90 (122)	115 (156)	155 (211)	125 (170)
Max. torque	Nm	200	250	350	350
Fuel consumption, combined cycle	l/100 km	5.6	5.7	6.2	4.5
CO2 emissions*	g/km	130	131	144	117
Acceleration 0-100 km/h	seconds	9.3	8.6	6.7	8.2
Max. speed	km/h	210	230	240	230
Price**	euros	35,402.50	38,288.25	44,625.00	43,940.75

* Combined cycle, ** Sales price in Germany incl. 19 percent VAT

The new four-door coupe is being called a style rebel.  It takes the majority of its design cues from the CLS four-door coupe, whose design concept has inspired imitators from nearly all other competing car brands since its world debut in Detroit ten years ago in 2003.

But enough about the design, see for yourself in the photo gallery below.  Looking for technical specs and the equipment list, continue scrolling for an easy to read quick reference guide.

Or, for yet another view of the CLA-Class, click here to check out Kate Upton‘s CLA Commercial.

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Technical Data

		CLA250
Vehicle type		4 door, 5 passenger coupe
Chassis		Steel Unibody
Engine		Turbocharged 2.0-liter Inline-four Transversely mounted
Engine material		Aluminum
Valve arrangement		Four valves per cylinder
Valvetrain		Roller-type Rocker Arm
Displacement (cc)		1,991
Bore (in.)		3.27
Stroke (in.)		3.62
Compression ratio		9.8 : 1
Horsepower @ rpm		208 @ 5,500
Torque (lb-ft.) @ rpm		258 @ 1,250 – 4,000
Intake system		Turbo, Direct Injection
Max. engine speed (rpm)		6,500
Transmission		7-Speed Dual Clutch Automatic
Shift controls		DirectSelect
Gear ratios
1		3.86:1
2		2.43:1
3		2.67:1
4		1.05:1
5		0.78:1
6		1.05:1
7		0.84:1
R		-3.38:1
R2 “comfort mode”		–
Final drive		4.13:1
Stability control		ESP Stability Control
Traction control		ASR
Suspension		Sport Suspension
front		McPherson w/ Spring strut & wishbone
rear		Independent w/ Wishbones & control arms
Steering		Rack-and-pinion, speed dependent electrical power assist
Turns, lock-to-lock		TBD
Steering ratio		14.4 : 1
Turning cirlcle (ft.)		36.1
Wheels (in.)	front	17 x 7.5
	rear	17 x 7.5
Tires	front	225 / 45 R17
	rear	225 / 45 R17
Brakes
Disc diameter (in.)	front	12.6
	rear	11.6
Disc thickness (in.)	front	1.2
	rear	0.4
Exterior dimensions (in)
Wheelbase		106.3
Length		182.3
Width (excluding mirrors)		70
Height		56.6
Ground clearance (in.)		3.9
Track	front	60.9
	rear	60.8
Interior dimensions (in.)
Head room	front	37
	2nd / 3rd row	35.6
Leg room	front	TBD
	2nd / 3rd row	TBD
Shoulder room	front	56
	2nd / 3rd row	53.2
Cargo Length	back row up	TBD
	back / mid row down	40.6
Cargo floor width (narrowest)		70.3
Capacities
Cabin volume (cu. ft.)		TBD
Cargo volume	seats up	TBD
	back/mid row down	TBD
Curb weight (lbs.)		3,264 (est.)
Gross vehicle weight rating (lbs.)		4,334 (est.)
Towing (lbs.)		N/A
Max. total payload (lbs.)		1,070
Fuel tank/reserve (gallons)		14.5 / TBD
AdBlue tank (gallons)		N/A
Performance
0-60 (seconds)		TBD
Top speed (mph)		149
Fuel mileage, city/hwy/comb		TBD

Note: Technical specifications are subject to change. *with optional AMG Performance Package

Standard Equipment List for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Comfort/Convenience

• mbrace2 – In-Vehicle Technology Suite
• 5.8” Display Screen
• Central Controller
• Color Instrument Cluster Display
• Rain-Sensing Intermittent Windshield Wipers
• Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling
• Cruise Control
• Power Driver Seat with 3-Position Memory
• Twin Cup Holders
• Exterior Chrome Trim
• Air Conditioning
• Rear Center Armrest
• Floormats
• MB-Tex Upholstery
• Anthracite Trim

Performance/Handling

• 208 Horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
• 258 lb-ft @ 1,250 – 4,000 rpm
• 2.0L inline 4–cylinder Turbocharged engine*
• 7-Speed Dual Clutch Transmission*
• ECO Start/Stop*
• Electro-mechanical power steering*
• 17” 5-spoke two-tone wheels
• Dual Exhaust With Chrome Tips
• Adaptive Brake with HOLD Function
• Hill Start Assist
• Sport Suspension
• Leather Steering Wheel with Shift Paddles
• All-Season Run Flat Tires

Safety/Security

• COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST*
• ATTENTION ASSIST*
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Anti-Theft Alarm System
• Electronic Parking Brake
• Driver Air Bags
• Window Air Bags
• Driver Knee Air Bag
• Side Impact Air Bags
• Remote Key with Panic Button

Optional Packages

Premium Package

• iPod / MP3 Media Interface
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• harman/kardon LOGIC7 Surround Sound System with Dolby Digital 5.1
• Heated Front Seats
• Auto Dimming Mirrors
• Integrated Garage Door Opener
• Dual-Zone Climate Control
• Compass

Sport Package*

• 18” AMG Twin 5-Spoke Wheels
• Sport Bodystyling

Multimedia Package

• COMAND System w/ 7” Display Screen
• Hard-Drive Navigation
• Voice Control
• SD Memory Card Slot
• In-dash 6-disc CD/DVD changer
• 10GB Music Register
• Rearview Camera
• SiriusXM Traffic & Weather

Driver Assistance Package

• DISTRONIC*
• Blind Spot Assist*
• Lane Keeping Assist*

Stand Alone Options

• 4MATIC all-wheel drive*
• PARKTRONIC w/ Advance Parking Assist*
• Panorama Sunroof*
• Blind Spot Assist
• Heated Front Seats
• Burl Walnut Wood Trim
• Black Ash Wood Trim
• Bi-Xenon Headlamps with LED Daytime Running Lights
• Becker MAP PILOT
• 18-Inch 5-Twin Spoke Wheels
• Summer Tires

Paint

Cosmos Black, Jupiter Red, Cirrus White, Night Black, Polar Silver, Mountain Grey, Universe Blue, Northern Lights Violet, Patagonia Red, Polar Silver Matte

Upholstery

Black MB-Tex, Beige MB-Tex, Ash MB-Tex, Black Leather, Brown Leather, Ash Leather

* highlight for 2014MY