Beginning February 7, movie-goers, TV watchers and just about everyone online will be able to watch the new TV spot for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.  The central character in the one-minute TV spot is a university professor who takes his small grandson to work with him. Together the duo has an eventful day, and attracts surprised glances e.g. during a lecture, when the young guest pipes up very audibly from his grandfather’s bum bag. At the end of the day they review the events during a ride in the B-Class. It all concludes with the remark that in the 21st Century, nobody has to justify anything any longer – either for decisions or for a personal lifestyle. In line with this, the campaign claim is “Justify nothing”. In Germany the campaign has the theme “For everything that comes”.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Print Campaign

The campaign films were directed by the London-based duo D.A.R.Y.L. It was created by an award-winning film crew (Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival) which included cameraman Lol Crowley (4 Lions), production designer Jacqueline Abrahams (The Lobster), costume designer Hannah Edwards and Sam Ostrove, who was e.g. responsible for the screenplay of the much-acclaimed Jay Z & Beyoncé music video “Apes**t”. The main role of the professor was played by the Irish theatre and film actor David Wilmot, who will soon also appear in the series “The Crown”, which was awarded a Golden Globe in 2017. The musical background to the TV spot and the online short versions of the film is the song “L.U.V.” by the young British Indie-Pop band Catholic Action from Glasgow. The music in the long version of the launch film is a composition by Orlando Weeks, A British Indie-Rock singer.

Nobody has to justify anything any longer – either for decisions or for a personal lifestyle

The films are available in variable lengths for different needs. In addition there are three 30-second product TVCs as variants of the long version: “Costume” is about a father who dresses up as a princess for his daughter. In the film “Kiss”, a “pregnant” couple unselfconsciously kiss in public. The TV spot “Prof” portrays a professor who takes his grandson to work with him. The three TVCs have different main themes – safety, MBUX and practicality. “The campaign shows why the new B-Class is the ideal companion for a wide range of target groups,” says Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We also want to specifically address young families with the new model. This is why it was important to me and my team to position it as the perfect companion for every age and situation in life.”

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Print Campaign

Along the same lines as the superordinate campaign theme, the print motifs also portray different life situations that are quite common in the 21st Century, thanks to the free choice of lifestyle. The motifs were photographed by the Briton Dan Burn-Forti.

Credits: the idea, conception and implementation of the campaign were by antoni garage, the European creative lead agency for Mercedes-Benz.

The new B-Class: The new Mercedes-Benz B-Class puts the emphasis on sport with the Sports Tourer. It looks more dynamic than its predecessor and is more agile on the road while offering greater comfort and space. The transverse-mounted version of the two-litre OM 654 diesel engine model series with 110 kW and 140 kW celebrates a clean debút: This engine already fulfils the Euro 6d norm, which will be mandatory for new models as of 2020. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission also makes its debut. The avant-garde interior of the B-Class ensures a unique feeling of spaciousness with the distinctive design of the instrument panel. The intuitive user interface of the adaptive MBUX multimedia system is ground-breaking. Its strengths include brilliant graphics, “Hey Mercedes” voice control, a standard touch screen and functions such as MBUX Augmented Reality. State-of-the-art driving assistance systems give the B-Class one of the highest standards of active safety in the segment with functions carried over from the S-Class. The new B-Class has been orderable since 3 December 2018, with deliveries due to begin in February 2019.

Envision a universe with you at the center, calling the shots. What would you do if the whole world followed your every command?

That’s not Big Game fiction, that’s exactly how it feels inside the brand-new A-Class – the high-tech, gateway sedan for the Mercedes-Benz model line with a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $32,500 – making its official introduction during the Big Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, February 3.

The new model features an industry-leading, in-vehicle command center, Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), pairing natural voice recognition with voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) technology to seamlessly integrate with today’s multitasking lifestyle. Chilly? Say, “I’m cold.” Mood lighting? Best brunch around? Playlist or podcast? Last night’s football scores? Just say “Hey Mercedes…,” and the vehicle does the rest, along the lines of in-home virtual assistants.

The comedic, star-studded 60-second commercial, “Say the Word,” which will air during the second quarter of the game, features an A-Class owner making his way through his city – exercising omnipotence over everyday dilemmas, sports outcomes ATMs and the fate of iconic pop culture characters – as well as transforming a lofty, operatic crescendo into a rap concert.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

The madcap ad features Atlanta-based, award-winning, “Dirty South” rapper/actor Ludacris, PGA champion Rickie Fowler, iconic Looney Tunes characters, film and television legend Lassie© and several more surprises.*

“Put simply, we are changing the way drivers interact with their cars, and we’re starting with our all-new entry-level model. MBUX is a game-changer and we think that once aware of the A-Class price point and technology, a lot of people who hadn’t considered Mercedes or thought owning one was still several years away will want to take a look. And, given that we have some of the highest owner loyalty in the industry, once these new buyers join the brand, they’re likely to stay for quite some time – that’s why we’r e debuting it on one of the biggest stages in the world, ” said Drew Slaven, vice president of marketing for MBUSA.

The A-Class, a stylish five-passenger sedan, will soon arrive at Mercedes-Benz dealerships across the country. Its breakthrough MBUX interface consists of: AI to learn driver preferences and provide customized suggestions based on them, as well as to grasp language and intent to divine answers to spoken queries; augmented reality to superimpose navigation data onto a wide-angle image of the road ahead; and natural language recognition that allows users to speak informally instead of memorizing a roster of commands.

Bettina Fetzer, who currently oversees the PR for brands and global products at Mercedes-Benz Cars and has helped catapult brand recognition of the automaker and strengthened relationships with the press via new platforms and digitization, will move into a new role next month. On Nov. 1, Fetzer will take the helm as Head of Mercedes-Benz Marketing. Fetzer’s hard work, creativity, and dedication to the automaker’s success helped propel her to her new role.

Bettina Fetzer

Since 2004, Fetzer has been a mainstay at Mercedes-Benz, excelling in several positions in the company. In addition to being the head of global communication for Mercedes-Benz Cars, Fetzer has also been the head of Mercedes-Benz business communication and press spokesperson for smart and Mercedes-Benz. She also helped create “Leadership 2020” and acted as an ambassador to support the corporate culture-defining program.

“I am delighted to have gained Bettina Fetzer, a proven communications expert and outstanding executive as Head of Mercedes-Benz Marketing. Under her leadership, we will further develop the successful brand work of recent years as well as the digitization of our customer contacts,” said Britta Seeger, Member of the Board of Management for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing and Sales.

In her new role as Head of Mercedes-Benz Marketing, Fetzer will be instrumental to the creation and promotion for the Mercedes-Benz brand through both internal and external communications.

According to the automaker, this position encompasses “not only strategic brand management but also the worldwide conception, implementation and management of all communications activities and advertising strategies — for the various model series as well as for general topics of the Mercedes-Benz brand.”

Permanently striving to reinvent is a trait that bonds Mercedes-Benz with the German national football team. The “Best Never Rest” campaign which Mercedes-Benz is initiating for the football World Cup in Russia puts this in a nutshell. It is getting under way on social media and in stadium communications, and the motifs will then be shown via further communication channels. As well as the team itself, the stars of the World Cup campaign are the new C-Class models from Mercedes-Benz.

Emre Can (Germany) at the Mercedes-Benz C-class.

Mesut Özil (Germany) at the Mercedes-Benz C-class.

Around three months before the opening game of the football World Cup in Russia on 14 June 2018 in Moscow, Mercedes-Benz is rolling out the “Best Never Rest” campaign. The campaign motifs show the untiring striving for advancement and perfection which Mercedes-Benz and THE TEAM share – and which drives both to top performance over and over again. “Always keep on moving, keep on fighting, don’t rest on your laurels – this is what THE TEAM stands for and this is what we stand for”, says Dr Jens Thiemer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “This attitude is driving the German national football team on their path to that fifth star representing their fifth title. And this ambition always to continue developing and as the best to become even better, now has a name with our campaign: ‘Best Never Rest’.”

Top achievements in the Qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, plus an outstanding press from the international sports journalists confirm the TEAM’s renewed ambition to lead. “We’re starting from an outstanding basis”, says Oliver Bierhoff, Manager of the TEAM. “But that isn’t enough. To take the title we can’t allow ourselves to repeat the mistake we made in 1990 and rest on the laurels of our World Cup title. In order to remain the best we always have to continue developing, we must never stand still.”

The “Best Never Rest” World Cup campaign draws on this high standard in emotionally charged motifs and sets the mood for the most important sporting event of the rest of this year. “The campaign’s motto hits the nail on the head”, says National Coach Joachim Löw. “Because this is precisely the stuff champions are made of: they’re not satisfied with what they’ve achieved, they’re greedy for the next success. We need this fighting spirit and absolute will to win in Russia in order to overcome such strong and hungry opponents as Spain and Brazil.”

If you are driving a new Benz, you already are a high rolling, smooth flying operator. That’s because the originally German car manufacturer is synonymous with style, great engineering, and class. The Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg-based company dates back to 1885, with the name Daimler-Benz, so the history of automotive excellence goes back a long way. Indeed, they are one of the key companies that cemented the German legacy of amazing engineering that set a world standard.

Synonymous with Quality

Their slogan, ‘The Best or Nothing,’ is understood to actually pertain to the product, unlike many other companies who simply spout public relations rhetoric without the ability to back it up. Looking at objective metrics that qualify durability and overall quality, the record of the automobile manufacturer speaks for itself. With only a brief blip in the consumer ratings reports during the mid-2000s, the car maker has consistently across all lines ranked at the top of the charts for its passenger vehicles.

This includes its line of:

• A-Class compact hatchbacks
• B-Class multi-purpose vehicles (the Tourer)
• C-Class, CLA-Class, and CLS-Class Saloon Estates, Coupes and Cabriolets (the D-segment)
• E-Class variations on Saloon Estates, Coupes, and Cabriolets
• G-Class, GLA-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, and GLS-Class Sports Utility Vehicles
• S-Class and SL-Class, and SLC-Class Luxury Saloons, Coupes, Grand Tourers and Cabriolets
• V-Class multi-Purpose Vehicles and Vans
• And finally the supercar class, the AMG GT sports car class.

This does not even include the trucks and buses the company produces, all of which are heavy duty and similarly top of the line.

Modern Innovations

Nowadays, Mercedes keeps its reputation for top of the line components and overall manufacturing while also introducing technological innovations. With the advent of smartphones in everyday lives, it is no surprise that car manufacturers are finding ways to integrate this technology to make our cars, well, smarter.

With everything from music control, to pre-heating cars in the cold of winter, to even being able to lock your car doors, this extra level of control that auto makers have put into the smart phone is unprecedented in the history of the auto industry. Smart phones are not merely devices to navigate with GPS or change the music, but allow a regulation of certain aspects of a vehicle remotely so that the car becomes an even bigger part of the driver’s lifestyle.

For users of the iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad, there are many apps that not only educate, but entertain as much as mobile casino games like casinoroller.co. Here, games can be found that are as fun to drive as a vehicle from the S-Class series and as graphically sleek as the AMG GT class. Mobile games can be enjoyed on road trips as a passenger, but should never be used when driving.

Let’s take a look at some ways Mercedes is innovating in the app ecosystem by introducing exciting new apps that their customers can enjoy.

Mercedes-Benz History

Made with the Mercedes enthusiast and history buff in mind, this Mercedes-Benz History Timeline app “takes you through the history of the brand from its beginning in 1885 through the present and into the future.” An interesting conceptual app for those that are wanting to dig through the archives of their favourite auto manufacturer’s vaunted history of excellence without actually getting their hands dirty, or having to leave the comfort of their couch.

Alternatively, for those interested in seeing where high-tech innovations such as driverless vehicles, conceptual prototypes, or brand new engine technology is headed in the not-too-distant future, they can also research that from this app. The history yet to be made and the actual stories from days past, spiced up with video and images on this app.

Mercedes-Benz Vehicles

For those that want to browse a digital representation of all the lines that Mercedes-Benz makes, look no further than this app. With virtual tours, interactive galleries, and maybe coolest of all, vehicle customisation tools that allow you to see the visual differences in how a vehicle looks to your desired specifications, this iOS app is a Mercedes-Benz fanboy’s dream come true.

Mbrace

This is the one app that owners will want to have handy. That’s because you will be able to lock your car, unlock your car, find your car through a GPS signal, locate other friends driving Mercedes-Benzes, and even request assistance. Having trouble meeting up with a friend? No longer, as you can use your GPS location to send to other friends. Available for Android or iPhone, this is the definitive app for owners.

The new A-Class rolls into showrooms on 26 September 2015. To mark the launch, Mercedes-Benz is starting an extensive marketing and advertising campaign on all communication channels under the title “The A-Class. Ready for a new generation.” The campaign will be centred on various print advertisements and a TV spot. Aimed at a young, modern target group, they will present the vehicle as the perfect companion in everyday life. The message is: the new A-Class offers its occupants even more comfort than before while remaining as dynamic as ever.

To mark the launch, Mercedes-Benz is starting an extensive marketing and advertising campaign on all communication channels under the title “The A-Class. Ready for a new generation.” The campaign will be centred on various print advertisements and a TV spot. Aimed at a young, modern target group, they will present the vehicle as the perfect companion in everyday life. The message is: the new A-Class offers its occupants even more comfort than before while remaining as dynamic as ever.

“The A-Class is the success story of our new generation of compacts. Since its launch it was making a key contribution to the rejuvenation of the Mercedes-Benz brand and altering its image,” says Dr Jens Thiemer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We’re now looking to follow up this success with the facelift to the A-Class. The new generation is the ideal car for a sophisticated urban lifestyle. That’s why our new campaign will show the A-Class in a progressive and exciting setting.”

The various themes of the print advertisements present the A-Class in a richly contrasting urban setting. Natural daylight produces graphic lines and clear contours within a modern architecture.

To mark the launch, Mercedes-Benz is starting an extensive marketing and advertising campaign on all communication channels under the title “The A-Class. Ready for a new generation.” The campaign will be centred on various print advertisements and a TV spot. Aimed at a young, modern target group, they will present the vehicle as the perfect companion in everyday life. The message is: the new A-Class offers its occupants even more comfort than before while remaining as dynamic as ever.

Yellow lane markings give an air of dynamism, while out-of-focus passers-by in the background provide an added source of emotion, colour and vitality. Shadows merge vehicle and ground into a single entity, giving the A-Class a confident, solid poise. The print campaign will run across the whole of Germany until mid-October in high-circulation news magazines, special-interest media and national daily newspapers.

The TV spot, too, will show the dynamic temperament of the new A-Class. The protagonist in the spot experiences spectacular adventures that he triggers and influences through the configuration of his vehicle. Each time, one adventure follows the other. The variation of the colour transitions creates a fantastical journey from one world to another. The film is terminated by a sudden stop.

To mark the launch, Mercedes-Benz is starting an extensive marketing and advertising campaign on all communication channels under the title “The A-Class. Ready for a new generation.” The campaign will be centred on various print advertisements and a TV spot. Aimed at a young, modern target group, they will present the vehicle as the perfect companion in everyday life. The message is: the new A-Class offers its occupants even more comfort than before while remaining as dynamic as ever.

The protagonist’s girlfriend takes over the configuration and is herself immersed in another world. In lengths of 30 and 45 seconds, the TV spot will be shown across the whole of Germany starting beginning of September 2015.

Responsible for designing and implementing the campaign is Jung von Matt.

The market launch of the new smart generation on November 22, 2014 brings the new era in the history of the smart brand to the roads and cities. The international brand campaign entitled “FOR” has already conveyed emotionally how the brand sets itself apart from the competition: smart embodies the attitude of being FOR something and creates more urban joie de vivre. This attitude is now consistently continued in the two product campaigns. The campaign for the smart fortwo positions the vehicle as being “The urban original”. The campaign for the new smart forfour also continues the umbrella idea “FOR” and demonstrates the distinctive feature of the smart forfour as being “the smart among the four-seaters”. The international campaigns supply content for all communication channels, from print media and TV to online and social media.

smart forfour launch campaign 2014

“FOR sums up the unique quality of smart in just three letters. The brand, the smart drivers, and especially the employees stand for a new concept of mobility: more colour and joie de vivre, more room and clever solutions, more safety and driving fun in the city. We embrace this fundamental attitude in our communication with colourful, creative and varied elements – and with our new fortwo and forfour from November we will also put this concept on the road more emphatically than ever before,” remarks smart boss Dr Annette Winkler.
The product campaigns commence the second and third parts of the international launch communication for the new smart generation and are a seamless continuation of the “FOR” communication.

The focal areas of the product campaigns are TV commercials, online, print media with various motifs and an strong online presentation with a new digital brand magazine and an interactive web special.

smart forfour launch campaign 2014

Traditional TV and print communication

The visual appearance of the TV commercial for the new smart fortwo is consistent with the brand campaign: it is a vignette concept with modern and colourful animations in connection with driving scenes. The new smart fortwo is shown in its natural environment, the city. With the three messages
“FOR being a pioneer.”, “FOR loving the city even more.” and “FOR challenging the status quo.”, the commercial (http://youtu.be/0IGTAOmqCNg) shows that the brand and product values go hand in hand. In addition to a 30-second version, three commercials each lasting 15 seconds were made to convey these messages.
The TV commercial for the smart forfour focuses on the fact that this vehicle has been built to meet the demands of the city better than any other four-seater. Five commercials will be shown, lasting 60, 30 and 15 seconds.

The eye-catching print motifs for the smart fortwo have a new, dynamic and colourful look & feel, showing an iconic image of the car. The print communication will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the smart fortwo will be positioned as “The urban original” with the three messages “FOR being a pioneer.”, “FOR loving the city even more.” and “FOR challenging the status quo.”. By contrast, the motifs in the second phase will focus on individual features that make the smart fortwo unique and new. The topics range from the exterior (“FOR a colourful city.”) and interior design (“FOR more beauty inside.”) to the turning circle (“FOR rushing through rush hour.”) and parkability (“FOR fitting in every gap.”) as well as agility (“FOR more punch per inch.”) and safety (“FOR more safety on streets and seats.”).

Print communication for the smart forfour will also be implemented in two phases. The key message of the first phase is “the smart among the four-seaters.” This focuses on the intelligence of the new four-seater. In a similar way to the smart fortwo, the second phase for the smart forfour will also present new and unique features: intelligence (“FOR rethinking the four-seater.”), exterior (“FOR changing the face of the city again.”), safety (“FOR being safe, secure, steady and sure.”), connectivity (“FOR apps, maps and chats.”), comfort (“FOR more boarding comfort.”), JBL Sound System (“FOR more bassboom.”) and parking (“FOR more parking fun.”).In addition to the traditional print formats, all motifs will also be used in an extensive package of trade marketing materials. The product campaign activities will start for the smart fortwo on 6 October 2014 and for the smart forfour on 10 November 2014.

smart forfour launch campaign 2014

Online special: Get ready FOR your Interview Drive

Since the end of July 2014, all those who are interested have been able to experience the new smart fortwo and smart forfour in an interactive online special with the motto “Get ready FOR your Interview Drive”. Until the beginning of October they were able to take part in a competition to be one of the first to experience the new models live in an exclusive advance test drive. The new smart models will be introduced in short filmed episodes at www.smart.com/interviewdrive. Users will be able to change the content of the film depending on their answers to certain questions. For instance, they can decide which music should be heard in the car or guess what is inside the luggage compartment, entering suggestions in a free text field.

The online special on the international web platform smart.com is accompanied by detailed information on the new vehicles. At www.smart.com/fortwo and www.smart.com/forfour the corporate identity and the entire look & feel have been adapted for the launch and the vehicles are presented in many different settings. In addition to the integrated configurator, product details have also been brought to life in innovative film concepts. The worldwide launch of the product pages coincided with the sales release in July 2014.

smart forfour launch campaign 2014

New digital brand magazine “smart magazine”

Right on time for the launch of the new smart generation, the digital brand magazine has also received a new look and revised content orientation. At www.smart-magazine.com existing and prospective customers can find out about new trends for the smart and urban living.
BBDO Berlin is responsible for the campaigns and the online special and the digital brand magazine is the responsibility of K-MB Agentur für Markenkommunikation Berlin.

The new S-Class, Vision Accomplished, is the theme carried throughout all of Mercedes’ commercials for the 2014 S-Class.  To see the brand messaging in action, watch the four videos below for a look at the Mercedes-Benz S-Class TV spots as well the last video (which feels more like a mini-movie than a commercial).

Mercedes-Benz S-Class commercial “AIR-BALANCE”

Mercedes-Benz TV: S-Class commercial “Stop&Go Pilot”

Mercedes-Benz TV: S-Class TV Commercial “Visions”

Vission Fufilled – The New S-Class

It is already being said that the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the best car in the world – it is the most technologically advanced car on the road with cutting edge safety features and the perfect blend of classic yet sporty design. But how do you market such a vehicle? How do you design a campaign that does such a car justice.

Under the title “The new S-Class. Vision accomplished.”, Mercedes’ flagship model will be presented to the world as the global benchmark for luxury motoring. Focusing on what the S-Class Mercedes stands for as an icon of future mobility. The worldwide 360-degree campaign will center on print advertisements, a TV spot, an interactive web special and extensive social media activities. In addition, the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart will support the campaign with an exclusive special exhibition dedicated to the history of the S-Class. Advertising to the fashion world, the S-Class will be featured alongside Chinese super model Sui He.

For a look at the new S-Class print campaign, skip below to the photo gallery.

“The new S-Class embodies our leadership aspirations like no other model. It marks the beginning of a new era of modern luxury and safety in cars”, observes Dr Joachim Schmidt, Member of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales & Marketing.

Self-assured and progressive in character, the campaign focuses on the unique image of the new S-Class and the numerous innovations it embodies. The Saloon is showcased in an early-morning setting, in which it is gently caressed by the first rays of the rising sun. The look underscores the dawning of a new automotive age while at the same time emphasising the vehicle’s highly dynamic design in a sparse urban scenario. The four print motifs have been appearing in newspapers, magazines and national dailies since the end of June. On TV, the S-Class will be presented as the best car in the world. The numerous innovative comfort and safety features, which will provide an all-new driving experience, will be at the heart of the “Visions” spot, which will be shown throughout Germany from July.

Extensive social media activities

Mercedes-Benz had already successfully laid the foundations for the new campaign with a wide range of social media activities timed to coincide with the world premiere of the S-Class in May 2013. The teaser communication included design sketches and vehicle photos, followed by a live stream of the world premiere in Hamburg with wide-ranging reporting on Facebook and www.mercedes-benz.com. On its international Facebook page alone, Mercedes-Benz gained more than 18 million contacts, testimony to the enormous interest the social community shows in the new S-Class.

Interactive web special to bring the new S-Class to life

The interactive web special brings selected highlights of the new luxury saloon to life at www.mercedes-benz.com/s-class. These include the ENERGIZING massage function based on the hot stone principle, the PRE-SAFE® impulse assistance system, which reduces the risk of injury in a head-on collision, MAGIC BODY CONTROL, the world’s first suspension with “eyes”, and the internet-based and therefore particularly up-to-date Live Traffic Information service. Visitors to the web special can download their “Management Summary” of the S-Class highlights in pdf format. The web special will be available as a desktop, tablet and smartphone version.

Communication on all channels around the globe

The classic advertising measures are to be supported by comprehensive CRM and retail marketing activities, for example, with the emphasis on directly targeting customers. Dealers will receive an extensive toolbox that will allow them to design and execute exclusive VIP customer events, which showcase the S-Class in an extraordinary setting in an elegant, timeless and emotional way. A special “Innovations” section has been integrated into the sales literature in order to highlight the numerous new technologies to best effect.

In view of the S-Class’s history as a technological trailblazer of automotive development, Mercedes-Benz Classic will be supporting the campaign with numerous activities. A brochure relates the luxury saloon’s history covering all the model series to date, for example, while a 2014 Classic calendar presents impressive motifs from various eras. A special exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart from 18 June until 3 November 2013 will also pay tribute to the unique phenomenon of the S-Class. Numerous exhibits and accompanying information will present the S-Class family from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.

The S-Class is also integrated into the sponsorship activities. It featured in the appearance by Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG at this year’s Cannes film festival, for example, and is currently starring alongside Chinese top model Sui He in the new key visual promoting Mercedes-Benz’s worldwide involvement in the fashion world. Under the creative direction of Carine Roitfeld, the former editor-in-chief of French VOGUE magazine, and art director Stephen Gan, among other things co-founder of the New York V Magazine, photographers Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert have created a visual motif with a beguiling, dynamic allure. An optical illusion illustrates a delightful interaction between car and model, with the viewer gaining the impression that Sui He is holding the S-Class tenderly on her hand, blowing it a kiss.

Mercedes-Benz’s creative agency Jung von Matt is responsible for designing and realising the marketing campaign. The web special has been produced by online agency Scholz & Volkmer. The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be available from dealers in Europe from 20 July 2013.

Marking the introduction of the newest four-door Coupé, the 2014 CLA, Mercedes-Benz is launching a promotional campaign under the slogan “Untamed. The new CLA”. In addition to classic advertising mediums like print ads and TV spots, the Mercedes CLA campaign will feature an online special aimed at stimulating the creativity of participants. Marketing activities will concentrate first and foremost on the unconventional, self-assured and sporty image of the vehicle. The Mercedes-Benz CLA will be available from authorised dealers beginning April 13, 2013.

We’ve included photos of the latest and very unique CLA onling campaign that utilizes social media to spread their message as well as the latest video ads below. So, keep an eye out for the new CLA Campaign and let us know what you think..

“The CLA will be in a vehicle class of its own. As the little brother of the CLS, it will appeal to target groups who bring a certain non-conformist approach to life. The campaign therefore puts the car in situations that can be summed up as ‘Anything but ordinary'”, according to Anders-Sundt Jensen, Head of Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars.

With the new CLA, Mercedes-Benz is introducing a four-door coupé whose sporty design and dynamic handling characteristics make it stand out from the competitive crowd. Using some surprising images, the TV spot asks how it is possible to stand out from the crowd, when so many others are also striving for individuality – the answer is provided by the new CLA. The promotional film will be showed until mid-March on all major German TV channels.

The print materials show the ‘style rebel’ from a range of perspectives. These will be appearing until mid-April in high-circulation news and business magazines, specialist motoring publications and special interest media under headings such as “Form: non-conformist” or “Untamed”.

The classic advertising measures will be complemented by an unconventional online and event format. Launching in February is #Untamed, a digital photo installation inspired by the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, for which Mercedes-Benz will be exploiting the power of the popular social media photo platform Instagram. Users will be able to go to www.untamed-installation.com and upload the most unusual images from their personal Instagram photo stream to the multivdevice-compatible CLA campaign website. On the homepage, participants will be able to see how individual their photos are, and the extent to which they stand out from the images captured by other participants. In accordance with the central theme of “The natural enemy of the ordinary”, participants will be encouraged to break free from the constraints of convention and demonstrate their creativity. A poster of the personal pictures can then be downloaded, sent by email or shared with friends via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. This April these personal photos will then be digitally reworked and, together with the CLA, incorporated into an actual photo installation, to be presented to an international audience in Paris.

The obvious winner in last nights Super Bowl was the Baltimore Ravens, but who else came out on top? We’ve posted the top automotive ads from last nights game below and we want to know which was your favorite. Comment below or find us on Facebook and let us know which you loved and which you hated.

Mercedes-Benz 2013 Super Bowl Commercial

With a star-studded cast including Usher, Kate Upton and Willem Dafoe, Mercedes-Benz unveils the all-new CLA-Class in this extended cut of its Super Bowl commercial.

Audi 2013 Super Bowl Commercial – “Prom”

A slightly insecure teenager is unhappy about going to the Senior Prom without a date. But when Dad lets him borrow the new Audi S6 for the night, he gains more and more confidence with every mile, arriving at the Prom a changed young man. You’ll have to watch this Super Bowl spot to see if his newly found bravery pays off.

“Space Babies” 2014 Kia Sorento Big Game Ad

When it comes to our kids, there’s an age-old question that has perplexed parents for generations. “Where do babies come from?” Now, for the first time ever, we’ll reveal this untold story through an epic journey, nine months in the making.

Watch as a nervous father navigates through this delicate situation, with a little help from his 2014 Kia Sorento SX Limited and UVO voice-activated infotainment system that plays “Wheels on the Bus”. With all of its many features, it has an answer for everything. So fasten your diapers — these babies are ready for launch.

Ram Trucks Super Bowl Commercial “Farmer”

And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in the field, milk cows again, eat supper, then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board.” So God made a farmer.

God said, “I need somebody willing to sit up all night with a newborn colt and watch it die, then dry his eyes and say,’Maybe next year,’ I need somebody who can shape an ax handle from an ash tree, shoe a horse with hunk of car tire, who can make a harness out hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. Who, during planting time and harvest season will finish his 40-hour week by Tuesday noon and then, paining from tractor back, put in another 72 hours.” So God made the farmer.

God said, “I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bales, yet gentle enough to yean lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-comb pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the leg of a meadowlark.”

It had to be somebody who’d plow deep and straight and not cut corners. Somebody to seed, weed, feed, breed, and brake, and disk, and plow, and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk, . Somebody who’d bale a family together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing, who would laugh, and then sigh and then reply with smiling eyes when his son says that he wants to spend his life doing what Dad does. “So God made a farmer.”

Jeep “Whole Again” SUPER BOWL OFFICIAL COMMERCIAL

When our troops are home, we are more than a family. We are a nation that is whole again.

Official Lincoln #SteerTheScript Commercial

Lincoln took five original tweets, a few alpacas, and our new MKZ and re-imagined the way a commercial is written. This is our official, full-length #SteerTheScript commercial starring RevRun, Wil Wheaton, Emmitt Smith, and you.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe | Super Bowl Ad | “Team”

It’s time to round up the team with the new 7-passenger Santa Fe from Hyundai

Toyota RAV4 2013 Super Bowl Commercial “Wish Granted”

Kaley Cuoco isn’t your average genie. She’s modern, smart and stylish, like the Toyota RAV4 she lives inside. Learn more about the all-new RAV4: http://www.toyota.com/rav4 Thumbs up and Share if you wish Kaley Cuoco was your genie!

Volkswagen Game Day 2013 Commercial | Get In. Get Happy.

Watch the 2013 Volkswagen Super Bowl TV commercial, where you’ll meet Dave and his newfound sunny disposition (that manifests itself in a curious way), all thanks to his new 2013 Volkswagen Beetle.

We’ve been watching clips of the highly anticipated Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl commercial all week and now we have the final cut for your viewing pleasure. With a star-studded cast including Usher, Kate Upton and Willem Dafoe, Mercedes-Benz unveils the all-new CLA-Class that will be available this year starting under $30,000.

We want to know, what do you think of the ad, hit or miss? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter.

In an attempt to appeal to your hedonistic desires, Scottish actor Dougray Scott (you may know him as the villain in Mission Impossible II) gets behind the wheel of the Mercedes SLS AMG. He then proceeds to explain “Desire is something you can’t control” while navigating naked city streets in the middle of the night. Watch the video below to see the ad for yourself or click here to read up on the latest SLS AMG news.

Mercedes-Benz has released two new ads for the CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake. The first ad takes direct aim at recent imitators, likely referring to the 6-Series GranCoupe from BMW, the A7 from Audi and the Panamera from Porsche.  The video goes on to state that while others were skeptical of their first four-door coupe, Mercedes still believed in their idea.  Success of the CLS came and with it the first imitators.

We’re still a little confused by Mercedes’ choice for the second ad – one that features golfer Adam Scott.  If you’re unfamiliar with Scott, he’s the golfer that in 2012 led The Open Championship by four strokes with four holes to play, only to suffer a catastrophic meltdown, bogeying the final four and losing by a stroke. Not exactly who we would have chose to promote a brand new model, but that’s just us.

Mercedes may not always get it right with their ads, but they do with their car designs, and the CLS Shooting Brake is no exception.

There is no question that the Mercedes-Benz SL product range is legendary, and being such a legend, you wouldn’t think the SL would have needed advertising, of any kind. But, after taking a look at the history of the SL, Mercedes-Benz had employed some of the best agencies around the world to promote the legend since 1952.

The ads speak for themselves, so if you are short on time, feel free to skip straight to the photo gallery. Otherwise, read on to find out the history of the Mercedes-Benz SL in advertising.

Product ranges as icons of their time

Again and again the product range – known simply as the SL – turns up in advertising, making car enthusiasts’ hearts beat faster. It all started way back in 1952 with various advertising efforts in connection with the 300 SL racing sports car (W 194), the founder of the SL dynasty. Artistically painted posters from all over the world depicting racing victories do not just pay tribute to the heroes behind the wheel, but also show the technical superiority of the Mercedes-Benz sports car. The 300 SL racing sports car proved its strength on international racetracks partly using technical features used in cars from the Mercedes-Benz series production line at the time.

The international success of the series production racing car with its famous gull wing doors introduced in 1954 under the name 300 SL (W 198) was prepared well in advance. Although the posters were generally preferred for showroom use, the 300 SL started to appear more and more frequently in newspapers and magazines as a symbol for the brand with the star. Other companies in the automotive branch jumped on the bandwagon and used this fascinating vehicle as an advertising medium for their own products.

The effect of the still pictures used in advertising was surpassed by the new vistas opened up by the rapidly expanding use of moving pictures. Shots of the SL driving at breakneck speeds flickered across cinema screens and, from the 1960s on, they even brought a feel for speed to viewers at home in their own living rooms. Many people dreamed of owning a car like the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W 113) and in 1966 the advertisers titled it without further ado as the “most sensible dream car in the world”. Almost 30 years later, in 1991, the 300 SL (R 129) was presented as “A summer night’s dream”. And from one generation to the next, one thing has not altered: since 1952, the SL has found its place in advertising as a fascinating car which uniquely succeeds in combining sportiness with comfort as well as breathtaking design with innovative engineering.

The early years: 1952 to 1963

• 300 SL (W 194) racing sports car drives home triumphal victories thanks to technology transfer
• Standard production vehicles 300 SL, 190 SL and 300 SL Roadster are icons in the history of advertising

The striking radiator grill with its large star is projected across the whole poster and at the side of the track enthusiastic spectators are throwing their Mexican straw hats up into the air, whilst in the background an oversized cactus is growing skywards. Portrayed sitting in the cockpit of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing sports car are Karl Kling and co-driver Hans Klenk, the two heroes of the 3rd Carrera Panamericana through Mexico in 1952 – one of the most challenging road races in the world. Under this extremely dramatic painting by artist Hans Liska it says in black letters “Developed from a standard Mercedes-Benz passenger car, the 300 SL won a convincing victory and set a new record time for the distance covered in this extremely tough 5-day contest”.

It may initially seem surprising that Mercedes-Benz advertised using the fact that it developed a sports car from normal series production vehicles. Generally speaking, car manufacturers go in the opposite direction with technology transfers – from motor racing to series production. History provides us with an appropriate explanation. At the end of the war, four-fifths of the Daimler-Benz factories had been destroyed and the production of commercial vehicles and passenger cars was slow at taking off. At that time it was hard to imagine that a German team would take part in international motorsport. It was not until March 1952 that the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 194) was presented to the whole world. After the first and at the same time huge successes in the legendary 1000-mile Mille Miglia race in Italy, the Bern Grand Prix, the 24-hours of Le Mans and at the Nürburgring, the triumph in the extremely tough Carrera Panamericana was a further step forwards on the road back to being among the world’s best in motorsport. And it worked: being successful in motor racing gave the brand with the star a new aura. The extravagant posters celebrating the race victories decorated the Mercedes-Benz showrooms and transmitted a new feeling of self-confidence.

Other companies also realised that they could use the regained charisma of Mercedes-Benz and make use of the successful racing sports car for their advertisements in 1952. In the magazine Motor-Rundschau, Varta took credit for itself by pointing out that “Varta Quality Batteries” were used during the Carrera Panamericana. The supplier Beru announced proudly that Kling and Carracciola were victorious using “normal Beru spark plugs”. And after the more than 3,800 kilometres covered during the 24-hours of Le Mans, Bosch praised the superiority of the “standard Bosch fittings from the dynamo to the spark plugs”.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and 190 SL – premieres in New York and Paris (model series W 198 and W 121)

The world premiere of the series production sports car Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) came two years later in February, 1954, at the International Motorsport Show in New York. The coveted car then made its first European appearance in Paris. A monochrome advertisement from France styled like a copperplate engraving shows the 300 SL in front of the Arc de Triumph. The advertisement bears in mind the step taken from motor racing to series production by depicting the car in a much more objective manner than in the racing victory posters.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the euphoria was just as great in 1955. “It’s here!” With this joyful proclamation, the United States greeted the 190 SL (W 121). The roadster was on sale for 3,733.50 US dollars and had a great deal to offer. It was to bring “new driving pleasure”, set “new standards” and even to help win “new friends”.

Performance and superior elegance

A sales brochure promoting the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W 198) in 1955 also follows this direction – i.e. from motorsport into series production. “With this extremely elegant sports car the designers at Daimler-Benz AG are placing what they have gained from all the victories under the Mercedes star into the hands of their customers.” The gull wing model is extolled as being a buyable road version of the successful racing sports car – one can almost smell the scent of the laurels in the Indian ink drawing accompanying the text. The silver 300 SL on a blue background was created by advertising artist Walter Gotschke who had been working for Daimler-Benz since 1938.

Another drawing from the same pen is to be found in a brochure for the open top Mercedes-Benz 190 SL from 1955. The man behind steering wheel is wearing a cap; the lady sitting in the co-driver’s seat next to him discreetly hides her face behind fashionable sunglasses. The countryside and architectural details flying by in the background give the impression of a going for a spin in more southern climes. Somewhat later this motif was taken up once again, but given a completely new dramatisation. The whole scenery gives a more gloomy impression, the front wheels of the 190 SL are clearly turned towards the left and in the background racehorses are galloping through the countryside.

“Engineered like no other car in the world”: Mercedes-Benz 190 SL und 300 SL Roadster

A red Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is presented very clearly and down-to-earth in a 1956 advertisement: “Whether you drive it as a roadster or with a Coupé hardtop, the dynamic momentum discernable in the perfect shape of its body turns into a thrilling experience for you when sitting behind the wheel of the 190 SL.” In charge of the layout with its clear concept was Horst Slesina. Together with William Heumann, he had been commissioned to create a uniform Mercedes-Benz style. “Engineered like no other car in the world” was the central message – and this was the first time in its history that Daimler-Benz had had a general brand slogan covering all its products.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957 a new roadster was presented as the successor to the gull wing version. Like its predecessor, the open top 300 SL Roadster (W 198), the idea originated from the US American Max Hoffman who had been the official importer of Mercedes-Benz vehicles for North America since September 1952. The accompanying advertising campaign created by the Heimann Agency had an almost artistic character. While the four-seater Mercedes-Benz 220 S Cabriolet was promoted with the drawing of a butterfly under the slogan “Vacation on every trip”, a crouching tiger prowled round the new 300 SL Roadster under the slogan “Elegantly controlled power” which was to whet one’s appetite for an “exciting driving experience in a fascinating car”.

“Anyway you look at it – quality.” In the English-speaking world, the Stuttgart car manufacturers promoted its products by praising their quality. On a black-and-white illustration in 1958 a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster is shown driving past a Mercedes-Benz 180 “Ponton” and the lady in the co-driver’s seat is protecting her hair with a headscarf. The accompanying text promises that one always feels at home in a Mercedes-Benz – regardless of whether on a long business trip or simply driving for pleasure. The layout is almost identical for the advertisement for the 190 SL. The heavy conventional truck with a dump truck body points to the wide range of products produced by Mercedes-Benz, the text goes into details about the quality and stable value of all products carrying the star: from passenger cars to buses and trucks right up to special vehicles and diesel engines.

The 1961 anniversary year focused on the company’s founding fathers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. The advertising also reflected the birth of the car 75 years previously. In an advertisement the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster is shown together with the three-wheeled Benz Patented Motorcar, which was registered for a patent in 1886 by Carl Benz. “There’s one thing unchanged by time”: the age-old longing “to travel even faster” which had existed unaltered for decades and was seen as linking element between these two extremely different cars.

The 190 SL – promoting sales to the end of its production

The open driver’s door allowing a view of the high-quality lock and the first class workmanship on the inner panelling belongs to a Mercedes-Benz 190 SL and is the main focus of this particular advertisement motif. As part of a new campaign which relied on photography as its main stylistic method for the very first time, a dark blue 190 SL turned up in 1963 – even though the new Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W 113) was launched in the same year. “Safety you can really feel” – the message is clear: passengers in a Mercedes-Benz have the greatest possible feeling of safety. In the advertisement – which was also used internationally – it was not meant to be intensive advertising for a particular product, but a kind of representative advertising. Prospective customers were informed about the brand’s advantages, but not directly invited to make a purchase. A radical innovation was the use of views of details for the SL advertising, previously only the entire vehicle had been shown.

The “Pagoda” – sporting tradition with the SL from the model range W 113

• One car to replace two previous model ranges
• Advertising now with moving pictures

In March 1963 a new SL celebrated its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. Mercedes-Benz presented one sports car to replace two previous models. The model 230 SL, known in-house as the W 113, took on a difficult legacy – partly because its two predecessors, models 300 SL (W 198) and 190 SL (W 121) had been very popular and successful from the very beginning, and partly because the two cars – despite their similarities – represented fundamentally different vehicle concepts. The new model was designed to follow a middle course: the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL is neither an uncompromising roadster nor an extremely gentle-tempered boulevard sports car, but more a comfortable high-performance two-seater touring car with exemplary driving safety.

An advertising film produced by Armin Lang which lasted a bare fifteen minutes focused on the sporting tradition of the 230 SL. Karl Kling, the former Mercedes-Benz racing driver and later racing manager acted as test driver and was a little reminiscent of a radio commentator of years ago. According to Kling, the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL combined “new, unconventional styling with mature engineering”. The pictures show him driving over various test tracks, changing direction quickly, making daring overtaking manoeuvres and slamming on his brakes. “Outstanding roadholding – achieved by separating wheel guidance and suspension, a long wheel base and a very wide track,” was how Kling described the SL and carried on enthusiastically, “Even driving round very sharp bends it has extremely good roadholding and only a slight tendency to roll.” Although the very roomy boot and adjustable hot air blower were also mentioned, the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL was presented as a high-class sports car. Even the rear side of the seats fitted with ventilation slits had been “designed for sporty driving.” It is therefore not surprising that at the end of the film the elegant 230 SL drives a lap around the Nürburgring and Karl Kling summed up, “This is a car for driving individualists for whom sportiness without a comfortable ride and exclusivity without worldwide service are simply not good enough. It is for those who expect one model to provide everything.”

Sporty handling and a comfortable ride

The first advertisements in print for the new Mercedes-Benz 230 SL also emphasised its sporty aspects and comfortable ride. A racing helmet and a bowler hat were symbolic for the new car. On another advertisement it was stated quite clearly that the car had “brilliantly stood its first hard test” by winning the long-distance race Liège-Sofia-Liège, but that one was also “a winner when driving through city traffic or along the boulevard in the evening”. As well as pointing out the three roof types available – Coupé with detachable hardtop, Roadster with retractable soft top and Coupé-Roadster which offered both variants – under the headline “A sports car with international standing”, it praised the performance of the injection engine with its 110 kW (150 hp), the “very easy entry” as well as the “unusually good visibility”.

In another advertisement, the good visibility of the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL was picked out “from the multitude of good features” and mentioned as a “prerequisite for fast and sporty driving”. Due to the characteristic shape of the flat Coupé roof of the SL – which soon led to its nickname of “Pagoda” – the driver was able to “enjoy extremely good visibility in all directions with a wide angle for a good view upwards.”

The desire to be the best

In an advertisement in English, the angle of view for the observer is shown from above looking down. Here an appeal was made to those feelings experienced by riders on the back of a galloping horse: the longing for power, speed and rhythm and the desire to be the best (one-upmanship). All of this was also provided by the sports car with the huge star on its radiator grill. The Mercedes-Benz 230 SL combined power, quality and style.

A similar language is conveyed by another advertising motif showing a smartly dressed archer aiming at the target. The “Pagoda” SL is parked at the side of the road, his female companion is leaning casually against a tree in the background and the whole scene is set in a leaf-rustling autumn idyll. That is how Mercedes-Benz advertised its desire for perfection in 1964.

Safety, comfort, economic efficiency and the building of legends

During the 1950s and 1960s it was usual to include pictures of women in the advertisements. They were frequently shown as smiling co-drivers accompanying widely-travelled gentlemen going out for a spin – but also as a self-assured driver behind the steering wheel. Whereas male customers were supposed to be well-versed in the technical ins-and-outs of cars, the attention of the ladies was increasingly drawn to topics such as safety, comfort and economic efficiency.

Mercedes-Benz endeavoured to remove the fear of parking the car with the motif of a woman in a Mercedes-Benz 230 SL doing just that. According to the advert, the wide range of optional extras such as power steering and automatic transmission made it much more “enjoyable to drive a Mercedes-Benz” – and with the roof open even through the hubbub of a large town.

“Does it really pay to drive a sporty car nowadays?” was the question posed by a self-answering advertisement in 1965. The accompanying text explained that the safety features installed in the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL were greater than its speed and that it was “technically perfect (for men) and easy to drive (for women)”. A year later, without further ado, the advertisers declared the coveted 230 SL to be the “most sensible dream car in the world”.

A picture of a bright red 230 SL was clearly intended for a man’s world. Once you had been on a test drive with it, “you will have no peace of mind until you have bought it,” is the tenor of the text of an advertisement which also exists in French. Even if “people no longer turn round on the street to look at a car” – this didn’t apply to the 230 SL “as the car’s renown made it virtually a legend”.

Mercedes-Benz 250 SL and 280 SL

An open top roadster is standing in the bright summer sunshine in the middle of a field. Even before it was launched in 1967 to replace the 230 SL, Mercedes-Benz was advertising the new 250 SL. At that time the range of passenger cars supplied by the company from Stuttgart consisted of 15 models which were available “in 162 of the world’s 168 countries”. The following year, the same motif was used again, this time with texts explaining the most important innovations in the 250 SL which had almost all been taken over from the Mercedes-Benz 250 SE: 2500 cc instead of 2300 cc, disc brakes on all four wheels and a larger fuel tank taking 82 litres. And by the way, “two of the most popular extras are the Mercedes-Benz automatic transmission and the power steering”.

“With the chassis and the engine of a sports car, but the comfort of a saloon” – this simple phrase was sufficient to describe the Mercedes-Benz 250 SL in one advertisement. In the accompanying picture, the car seems to approach at speed out of the top left corner, at the same time raising a lot of dust. The text of the advertisement concluded with the information that the 250 SL completed the range of passenger cars offered by Mercedes-Benz in 1967 and that there would be no “further alterations […] this year despite any rumours to the contrary!”

The writers of the text were in the event proved right, but little more than a year after its first presentation the 250 SL was replaced on the market by the 280 SL. At the same time as the launch of the new medium-sized cars, the SL was also given a 15 kW (20 hp) stronger, 2800 cc engine. Apart from the model plate, the 280 SL can only be distinguished from its two predecessors by its altered ornamental hub caps. The 280 SL had one of the rare advertising appearances together with the renowned Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3, a saloon with a performance similar to that of a sports car. “One is a sports car with the comfort of a saloon, the other a comfortable saloon performing like a sports car. Take your pick.” Car advertising can be so simple.

The Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (R 107): “A completely new sports car”

• Changing imagery: less of a race track atmosphere, more everyday situations
• The increasing importance of safety

“When a new Mercedes appears, it is a new car.” With these words, the 350 SL was rung out and the new SL product range rung in. “Anything else would surprise Mercedes drivers.” And as a matter of fact, from an engineering point of view the new model, known in-house as the R 107, was a genuine new development having very little in common with the preceding model. Basic components were however already familiar from other Mercedes-Benz models: the front and rear suspension corresponded basically to the construction used for the “stroke eight” models and the V8 engine also did good service in the Saloons, Coupés and Cabriolets of the 280 SE 3.5 range. The differences were a lot less conspicuous – even the 350 SL was a two-seater with a completely retractable roadster soft top and a detachable hardtop. The process of abandoning the idea of an uncompromising hard sports car – already initiated with the “Pagoda” SL – in the direction of a more comfortable, high-performance luxury two-seater was completed finally and unequivocally with the introduction of the new SL.

A change could also been seen in the imagery used for advertising. Less of a racing track atmosphere, more everyday situations was the new direction. In a one-minute advertising film the Mercedes-Benz 350 SL was shown driving along winding country roads, through dark tunnels, narrow tree-lined roads and narrow alleys in old town centres. With a closed soft top, the SL was able to demonstrate its superiority on the motorway by overtaking a small French car. Everything seemed to be extremely easy; the relaxed music in the background reinforced the impression. The SL was even allowed to go on a short trip to the beach, small waves rolled onto the sand and the sun turned into a Mercedes star.

The increasing importance of safety

In addition to such pleasant everyday situations, the theme safety became one of the important aspects of the SL advertising. “One of the safest Gran Turismo cars in the world – and one of the most beautiful,” was the message communicated by an advertisement published in Switzerland. On it the 350 SL was shown three times: as an open top roadster, with a closed soft top and fitted with its hardtop.

Numerous innovative features which improved both the active and passive safety for the models 280 SL, 350 SL and 450 SL were introduced in a product information film lasting about four minutes which was made in 1975. These features included newly developed wind deflectors on the front roof pillars which also served as rain channels to keep the side windows clean in inclement weather and large rear lamps with a ribbed surface profile moulded round the corners of the vehicle, the surface also making the lamps extremely insensitive to dirt. The test drive round the company’s own test track was also shown frequently as it emphasised the perfectly tuned chassis. Additionally, the crumple zone and safer passenger compartment were explained, as were the advantages of having the fuel tank positioned over the rear axle. Also flickering over the screen were the new safety steering column and the steering wheel with impact absorber.

There is no doubt that technology designed to increase safety started to play an important role in advertising. An advertisement from 1976 was given the slogan “Safety through dynamics”. The accompanying text explained, “The greatest safety a car can offer comes from the superior control of its power: by having a chassis which responds faster than its engine.” However, the advertisement did not only refer to the mature engineering of the SL, it also brought up the need for “relaxed driving”.

At this time it was not only the SL that was promoted under the safety aspect. During the 1970s, the brand with the star developed various campaign slogans for models in general such as: “When one talks about Mercedes, one thinks about safety” (1971 to 1972) or “The safety to drive better” (1975 to 1976).

Women’s car and men’s pictures

Let’s go back to the moving pictures from 1975: the scene shows a lady in a yellow costume driving an SL through a multi-storey car park with a Dalmatian sitting on the co-driver’s seat making the vehicle’s potential as a woman’s car quite clear. Without removing her gloved hands from the steering wheel, she reverses into a parking space. Her four-legged companion is overjoyed. Without further ado it jumps out of the cabriolet and runs after its mistress who is walking away.

While the ladies’ world was to get enthusiastic about the manoeuvrability and clear visibility of the SL, the man of the world was to follow his age-old instinct to look for adventure: at more than 200 km/h he speeds down the Autobahn, the spurt across the traffic lights is daring, the exemplary handling round bends is demonstrated on public roads. The technical data was impressive: 147 kW (200 hp), from nought to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds, top speed 210 km/h. “For speedy, controlled and fair driving.”

Twelve years later the classic gender role had almost disappeared from advertising. In an advertisement from 1987 a young couple was sitting together in a Mercedes-Benz 420 SL – admittedly the man was behind the wheel. “You still have an experience awaiting you: Mercedes SL.” This easy to understand message was used to promote open top driving in the models 300 SL, 420 SL and 500 SL.

Mercedes drivers and prejudices

One rather strange or bizarre advertising gag in 1971 was a list of six popular prejudices in connection with Mercedes drivers which were printed in an extra box on a 350 SL advertisement. The list ranged from “stick-in-the-mud” and “absolutely unsporting” to “terribly materialistic”. Among them also stood, both invitingly and hopeful: “Mercedes drivers put up with these prejudices. They know exactly what they want. And you certainly know it as well.”

The legend lives – the SL from the R 129 model series

• A car full of modern technology
• Folding top with electric controls and automatic roll bar
• Perfect design

The next generation of the SL, known in-house as the R 129, was one of the main attractions at the Geneva Car Show in March, 1989. The new SL was absolutely full of new technology resulting in remarkable improvements especially in connection with passive safety. However, at first the advertisers did not prepare the launch by pointing out the technical innovations, but by looking back at the history of the product range. To set the stage, the legendary gull wing model from 1954 was sent onto the field. “What else happened in 1954 apart from the football World Cup,” asked the new house agency Springer & Jacoby in their advertisement showing the classic 300 SL with open gull wing doors and it carried on in the accompanying text, “Nowadays, when we want to design a new car at Mercedes-Benz, we set our standards on a legend like the 300 SL.”

The Mercedes advertisers then made the connection between 1954 and the present day by using a multitude of other motifs. “The beginning of a legend” – these five words sufficed to describe a double-page spread of a silver Mercedes-Benz 300 SL car from 1954. On turning over to the next two pages, the reader found the image of a new 500 SL car pictured with the identical composition accompanied by two concise statements: “The legend lives. The new SL” According to the text of the advertisement, tradition and innovation belong “together in a unique way in a Mercedes-Benz car”. Specific examples of forward-looking technology were given, including, among others, “engines designed with four valves per cylinder and an electronically mapped intake camshaft” as well as a “chassis with a fully automatic, adaptive damping system and speed-sensitive level control”.

In the United States both racing and series versions of the gull wing car were used to gain approval for the new SL model. In between the historical black-and-white shots, the messages read: “The immortals drove it.”; “The world acclaimed it.”; “The collectors prized it.”; – “Now, one car surpasses it.”

The language of the campaign in Germany was much more down-to-earth. The studio portrait of the silver 500 SL model already used the previous year was used for an advertisement in 1990 titled, “Leading star for a new dimension of quality in sportiness”. The new SL received an attest for “performance, safety and comfort of an extremely high and unique level” and it was elected to be “the shining example of a new perception of sportiness”. There could hardly have been more understatement.

However, it got even duller. The three “Autovision” TV commercials in 1989 presenting the topics performance, safety and comfort described the technical refinements of the new SL in such a way that the tone could hardly have been more serious. “Where is the car going? Is it always about better performance? – Or shouldn’t we rather face the conflicting targets of deciding between performance, safety, comfort and the environment?” asked the narrator – and received the appropriate answers dictated into the microphone by the current Mercedes-Benz experts of the time.

Folding top with electric controls and automatic roll bar

The creative experts at Springer & Jacoby showed that it could be done differently. With a large-sized advertisement stating “How lovely, there is no roll bar – but how good that it has got one” it was possible to take up the topic of safety and accompany it with a wink. The SL was “a car that was often called a ‘technical miracle’ and ‘super sports car’ by the general public” – and that was partly due to the “roll bar that you only see if you need it.” The automatic roll bar helped the passengers to survive if the car should happen to overturn. However, to avoid spoiling the joy of motoring with an open top by having a fixed roll bar, for the first time the SL was given a version which shot upwards within only 0.3 seconds when it was needed.

Advertising can be so simple. In the United Kingdom it only took a series of three photos taken of the crash test and the German word “Wunderbar” to promote the safety of the SL. Of course, in the descriptive text to go with the photos the automatic roll bar was also mentioned – and at the same time the safety of the newly introduced Mercedes-Benz C-Class was given due praise.

A summer night’s dream – even during the winter months

The automatic roll bar appeared in the advertising for the SL again and again – even in an advertisement using the winning of the “Car Design Award” in Turin as its theme. “Mercedes wins Turin Grand Prix with a series production car”. The photo shows only the cut-off front of a wine-red SL – with the large star on its radiator grill.

“A summer night’s dream” was the title of an advertisement in 1991 showing an open Mercedes-Benz 300 SL at the coast. When looking at this photograph it is quite clear: the fact that the roll bar is invisible has aesthetic reasons. Especially when open the SL was a dream car. It took only 30 seconds to open the folding soft top – and there was only one button to be pressed. The text below described the standard hardtop and maintained that with it the SL was “like being in a dream, not just during summer nights, but also in the winter months”.

The beauty of the car – that was the only topic in an advertisement that appeared in the United States at the beginning of the 1990s. The interplay of light and shade, the contours of the long-drawn bonnet and the shining star – although only a little more than a third of the vehicle is shown, the SL can be recognised immediately. The two-seater as a work of art – that is how this advertisement sees itself. “Most of the great works of art follow classic forms. And just a few create them.”

An advertisement from the USA in 1993 is a successful creation combining an artistic studio photograph and a clever advertising idea. Instead of a striking headline, under the photograph of the red SL taken from the side there is simply a heartbeat diagram set in inverted commas. “Your pulse accelerates when you approach the Mercedes-Benz 500 SL Roadster,” is how the text covering several columns begins, and it then goes on to describe every second that passes until the ignition key is turned.

Technology transfer does not only go in one direction

Way back in history, a two-page advertisement comparing the 1989 Sauber-Mercedes C11 saloon racing car with the 1952 300 SL racing sports car (W 194) carried a headline, “It’s just as well we haven’t forgotten anything.” In the very detailed text below the writer theorises about technology transfer from motorsport to series production. “There has always been a great deal of fierce discussion about the value of motorsport and car manufacturers say that they need the experience gained in motorsport for the series production. In short, they build such good series production cars because they build such good racing cars.” But at Mercedes-Benz, it says, this could work “just as well the other way round”.

Especially in Affalterbach near Stuttgart, building racing cars and series production cars get very close to each other. Since 1990 there has been a co-operation agreement between AMG and the Daimler-Benz AG. From 1 January 1999, with a share of 51%, AMG became a subsidiary of the DaimlerChrysler AG at that time and was given the name Mercedes-AMG GmbH. When the first vehicles developed on the basis of the co-operation agreement came on the market in 1993, it was first of all the SL-Class model SL 60 AMG (6000 cc, V8, 280 kW (381 hp) which was available until 1998). It was followed by the models SL 55 AMG (5500 cc, V8, 260 kW (354 hp), built from 1999 to 2001) as well as the top model with a twelve cylinder engine, the SL 73 AMG (7300 cc, V12, 386 kW (525 hp), built from 1999 to 2001).

A new SL for the 21st century: R 230 model series

• Into the future of open top driving with the Vario roof
• TV commercial: “Sport as never before”

The world premiere of the first model in the next SL model series, the Mercedes-Benz SL 500, known in-house as R 230, was celebrated in the Hamburg Deichtorhalle in July 2001. Here Mercedes-Benz was writing a new chapter in the history of the SL product ranges. Unlike all its predecessors, this SL could carry its hardtop with it all the time. The roof, known as the Vario roof, could open or shut within 16 seconds just by pressing a button. The striking design details of this new SL united tradition and future. For instance, the air vents in the front wings took up a typical feature of the 300 SL from the 1950s. Also the narrow, wing-like profile on these side vents – called “fins” by the experts – is reminiscent of the legendary sports car.

“Driving it could put a strain on your heart. Never being able to drive it could break it.” It is easy to recognise that Springer & Jacobi were the agency responsible for the campaign by the slightly ironic tone of this large-sized advertisement produced for the launch of the new SL. By promising “Sport as never before” attention is drawn to the Vario roof that opens in world record time. As parenthesis only a rhetorical question was needed – including the answer. “Do we have to say any more? The new SL will move you – even if it is standing still.”

The short, 45-second commercial televised in 2001 wanted to appeal to emotions. The black-and-white film first showed cheering fans and their tense faces and then put the question, “How do the drivers feel if fans feel like this?” The answer is given by showing shots of the new SL driving along and the prospect of enjoying “Sport as never before” with the SL. “With SBC, ABC and ESP” – because of course even an SL can’t do without state-of-the-art safety features.

As part of the facelift in spring 2008, the SL 63 AMG was launched. “Air resistance futile” warned the relevant advertisement showing an SL conspicuously adorned with a lot of decorations from the world of motor racing.

For and with classic SL models: maintaining the legend

• Every SL is a classic
• Advertising with historical vehicles

A legend cannot be created artificially; it comes into being on its own. During the course of the decades, the historical SL models – first and foremost the world famous gull wing model – have become automotive legends. The fascination for these vehicles affects car enthusiasts all over the world. It is hardly surprising therefore that Mercedes-Benz also uses the potential of these classic vehicles for various kinds of advertising.

“Mille grazie, Mille Miglia.” In 1997 the Mille Miglia, a legendary Italian long distance race from Brescia to Rome and back, celebrated its 70th anniversary. Mercedes-Benz was also there and bought a full-page advertisement for the successful 300 SL racing sports car (W 194) from 1952. It doesn’t stand anywhere that nowadays the race is not about top speeds, but about steady driving. And why should it? The “Veni, vidi, vici!” in small print over the sunny photograph really passes on the motorsport legend much better.

A good example of combined advertising with historical and current models is the advertisement from 1994. “In those days you were a bit too young” stands over the picture of a 300 SL Roadster from 1957. Underneath it is the photograph of what was the then current SL model, product range R 129, accompanied by the good advice, “Don’t wait until you are too old.” The clear message comes across: now or never.

In an advertisement published three years later, the models are driving in opposite directions. This time the current SL is depicted over the classic version. “There are alternatives to a new SL,” is the propaganda being spread around, and in the next line this is interestingly stated much more precisely “About 1200 units”. Those who read the text of the advertisement learn that there were “never more than 1858 units worldwide” of the 300 SL Roadster (W 198 II) and that nowadays it should prove rather difficult to get hold of – but the reader should console himself with the thought “that the current SL is much more comfortable and is part of a much bigger production run than its predecessor.”

The silver 300 SL Roadster model with its red interior fittings is standing in dark studio surroundings. It only took a few words in 2007 to communicate the message of an advertisement published in Austria: “In 1957 it really paid to invest in silver.” The star, the Mercedes-Benz lettering and the internet address were supported by one more sentence in small print: “For decades a dream of luxury”.

A 198 725 0223, A 198 725 0123 or A 198 766 0126 – with these numbers it is still possible today to find the right original parts for a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL from the 1950s. And at Mercedes-Benz the classic car with gull wings is still “also available on request in individual parts” – at least that is what an advertisement promised in 2010.

Not only Mercedes-Benz creates advertising with classic SL models. Other companies also use the unique charisma of the coveted car for themselves and their products. “What only a few people used to have, everybody can have today”. Bosch used this claim in 1999 in a two-page advertisement for petrol-direct injection, which was “originally reserved for top class vehicles only”. In the photograph two boys are talking shop in front of a 300 SL with an open gull wing door. As early as 1988 the car care specialist Sonax had two dogs posed in an advertisement with a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster. While their owner was washing his valuable car the long-haired dogs shook themselves photogenically and were snapped at just the right moment.

Mercedes-Benz created a billboard to promote their BlueEFFICIENCY technology – an advanced new Direct Injection gasoline engine that operates with microscopic precision and millisecond-quick response resulting in a stronger performance from less fuel with fewer emissions. BlueEFFICIENCY engines are some of the most innovative and green-friendly engines on the road and so the advertising had to live up to these ideals. The billboard at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg shows driver’s passing-by what they’re actually taking in when they breathe the air around them. As the billboard is exposed to daily pollution, the message on the billboard becomes clearer with the final message being that if more people drove a Mercedes-Benz with BlueEFFICIENCY technology, the picture wouldn’t be so clear.

Watch the time-lapse video below.

Spectacular design, with technology taken from the racing world and driving dynamics at the highest level – the new Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupé Black Series is the embodiment of  AMG’s brand claim, “Driving Performance”.  The Mercedes AMG Global Fan Page posted possible print ads for the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series and wants to know which you prefer, Aerodynamite. or Bad bedtime story.  From the looks of it, Aerodynamite. is the fan favorite.

MBUSA announced their 2012 Fashion Collaboration that combines the new SL Roadster with supermodel Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection and photographed by Alex Prager. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style images by Alex Prager can be described as:

“A beautiful woman stands alone in the desert, suitcases in hand. Yet in this 21st century update on classic Film Noir, the blonde is her own getaway driver, outpacing a tornado in a sleek SL Roadster by Mercedes-Benz.”

Alex Prager, an American photographer and filmmaker, is most well-known for her ability to crate surreal and enigmatic movie moments that are inspired by Frederico Fellini and David Lynch. Yet in her versions – heady with mystery, lust and desire – the woman is in control. Of her enigmatic images for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz Icons of Style, Alex Prager said she chose cinematic greats as her Icons of Style. “I constantly reference Fellini characters and Hitchcock as well,” said Prager.

Dutch supermodel, Lara Stone plays the update on the Hitchcock blonde, a strong protagonist who overcomes loneliness and fear. This inner strength is underscored by a timeless and elegant dress worn by Lara Stone and designed by Calvin Klein Collection’s Women’s Creative Director, Francisco Costa.

The SL Roadster featured in the latest Mercedes-Benz Icon of Style campaign, combines technical innovation with sleek sportiness and classic luxury and reinterprets the legendary Mercedes-Benz classic of the 1950s for today.

Lara Stone commented, “It’s an honor to work with Mercedes-Benz on a project like this. Both Mercedes-Benz and Calvin Klein Collection brands represent great luxury and timeless elegance and it was a really unique experience.”

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Collaboration, Icons of Style, is making its US debut at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2012 from February 9-15, 2012.

The 2012 Icons of Style key visual is the latest in a stunning series of outstanding visuals celebrating the unique combination of design and style that is Mercedes-Benz. Nick Knight has posed Julia Stegner in Gareth Pugh with the SLS AMG; Miles Aldridge photographed Milla Jovovich wearing a spectacular hat from Philip Treacy next to the Mercedes E-Class Convertible; Craig McDean and David James staged Karolina Kurkova next to the new CLS and last season, Terry Richardson captured Jessica Stam on the roof of the A-Class concept car.

George Clooney stars in the latest Mercedes-Benz E-Class Long Wheel Base commercial produced by BBDO Beijing for Mercedes-Benz China.  The commercial features George Clooney and super model Bonnie Chen escaping the mob of paparazzi and heading off into the sunset.  It isn’t the most exciting commercial, but it is certainly a step-up from George’s Fiat commercial a few years back.

Mid-May will see the start of a comprehensive, integrated campaign by Mercedes-Benz to accompany the launch of the C-Class Coupé, the brand’s first coupé in the compact car segment. Under the slogan “More style per hour”, the company is staging a multi-channel campaign highlighting the sporty two-door’s dynamic design and value. For the very first time, all moving picture content for online and traditional media have been shot in one comprehensive film production, ensuring that all images – from web specials to pre-rolls and banner ads to cinema ads and product films – have a standardised appearance. The project is one of the most elaborate moving picture projects the company has ever undertaken, with filming locations in South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore.

“The C-Class Coupé campaign does a wonderful job of reflecting the identity of the vehicle – agility and design”, says Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes Benz Cars. “In addition to current Mercedes-Benz drivers, with the C-Coupé we are particularly aiming for a new, younger target group, hence the modern campaign approach.”

Web video with interactive agent thriller

At the heart of the campaign is the interactive web video “Drive & Seek”, which was launched already in March on www.mercedes-benz.com/c-coupe. The thriller is about the theft of a work of art, a car chase starring the new C-Class Coupé and the hero agents, who rely on the help of the user, who must stay focused and make split-second decisions in order to capture the thieves and return the painting to its rightful owner. Four short films highlight the C-Class Coupé’s top features in terms of agility, design, safety and comfort. The web special is accompanied by cinema-poster-style ads and posters.

There are also a number of online activities like banner ads on auto-motor-sport.de, apps for the iPhone and the iPad, and other social media activities associated with the launch and directly related to the web thriller.

Traditional print and cinema ads

Traditional print ads started on 11 May, and they too, show off the sporty and dynamic qualities and sleek design of the new C-Class Coupé perfectly. Three different ad images show the vehicle with a high-gloss finish in palladium silver on a disused air field in Jerez de la Fontera, Spain, where parts of the web thriller were also shot. In the bright midday sun, the Coupé comes across as a shining jewel. Messages such as “More style per hour, “Awe. Inspiring” or “Adrenaline accelerator included” accentuate the vehicle’s modern image. The two 45- and 30-second cinema ads also take a humorous approach to the campaign slogan “More glances per hour”. They will begin screening on 19 May and are a sequel to the web thriller, linking back to the bank robbery featured in the film.