Mercedes-Benz: A MOBILE TIME TRAVEL

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: DAIMLER
Agency: MEC
Category: Best Use of Mobile Devices
Senior Account Manager: André Schulz (MEC)
Account Director: Meike Willak (MEC)
Account Group Head: Tobias Kober (MEC)
Media Manager: Helga M. Heide (Daimler AG)
Director Business Development: Sebastian Böltner (MEC)

Effectiveness
The Mercedes-Benz SL time machine was an outstanding success. •An interactive integration into the app which has never been put into practice before.•The creative concept of a digital time machine was a perfect transfer of the brand’s unique DNA into media.•Its rich-media integration into the actual newspaper app was flawless without any further need for downloads or additional installations.•Original news articles from the past issues of Die Welt and Die Zeit ensured 100% authenticity.•More than 70,000 issues delivered significant reach in the target group.

Strategy
ChallengeThe Mercedes-Benz SL stands for dynamic and sportiness in the upper luxury automotive segment. In 2012 Mercedes-Benz celebrates the icon’s 60th anniversary with the market launch of its latest model - the SL350.Key objective: involve high income top performers, a very busy and demanding consumer group.InsightAn analysis of the brand DNA discovered two central dimensions: its tradition based on its rich and successful history, and its innovative nature of having delivered ground-breaking technology with each model.IdeaA combination of rich history and innovative nature: the Mercedes-Benz SL time machine! It invites consumers to browse through the past and experience the last 60 years. For every SL-generation there is corresponding material from the respective era and zeitgeist.

Execution
A time machine is only interesting if users can control it themselves. Also, high income top performers, representing the SL target group, have only little time, are very experienced in media usage and thus very demanding.As a consequence of this, we chose the iPad as an ideal platform. It is hugely popular among the affluent target group and offers interactive navigation.We integrated the time machine into the tablet apps of the two most popular quality newspapers - Die Zeit and Die Welt. No downloads or additional installations! The SL time machine was embedded into the actual editorial content of the newspapers inviting users to navigate through the last decades and follow the SL's pioneering technology milestones up to the market launch of the latest model- the Mercedes Benz SL 350. Every stop featured historical Zeit and Welt articles matching the date.