Title | Reincarnation |
Agency | Merkley+Partners |
Campaign | Unlike Any Other - Mercedes Benz |
Advertiser | DaimlerChrysler |
Brand | Mercedes-Benz |
Posted | April 2002 |
Product | C-Class |
Business Sector | Full Size & DeLuxe Cars |
Tagline | Soul. Unlike any other. |
Story | In a tragic end to a classic Mercedes we see the car about to be crushed at the junkyard, the cars life passes before our eyes. From the cars point of view we see its life flash before it a husband presenting the car to his pregnant wife, kids playing on the hood, teens necking in the car at a drive-in, a school car wash, a near accident in the city and finally a drive through a tunnel with a bright light at the end. Then: hands polishing the windshield of a new C-Class sedan fresh from the factory. VO: "The outside may change, but the soul remains the same." Title: "The C-Class. Soul. Unlike any other." |
Philosophy | MNH|P's goal was to help Mercedes-Benz regain the leadership position, specifically in this spot to reaffirm brand/product authenticity. The agency developed proprietary ethnographic research that uncovered a range of ownable core brand values (Security, Performance, Heritage). The creative challenge was to execute the range of emotional values while maintaining a single-minded brand platform. This insight inspired a new leadership line, "Unlike any other", that could work with any of the brands values, allowing the brand to be both multi-dimensional and single minded. "Reincarnation" illustrates that all Mercedes-Benz products embody the same heritage and values. |
Problem | Mercedes-Benz had experienced nine years of unprecedented sales growth, driven by powerful new product lines highlighted by a series of award-winning advertising campaigns. Along with a robust economy, this helped Mercedes-Benz become the number one selling luxury automotive brand in America. But, by 2001, the luxury car industry exploded. This growing competitive pressure, the arrival of an economic recession, and consumer wariness of how genuine new model extensions were, created a need to reassess Mercedes-Benz' strategic path. MNH|P saw an opportunity to develop a new campaign that would leverage the higher emotional values of the brand and distinguish Mercedes-Benz from the competition. |
Media Type | Television |
Length | |
Market | United States |
Editing Company | Final Cut |
Music | Human |
Sound Design Company | Human |
Executive Creative Director | Andy Hirsch |
Executive Creative Director | Randy Saitta |
Agency Producer | Chris Ott |
Account Director | Diane Hernandez |
Art Director | Dawn McCarthy |
Copywriter | Laura Fegley |
Production Company | GO Film |
Director | Rad-Ish |
Director of Photography (DOP) | Pieter Vermeer |
Editor | Kirk Baxter |
Sound Design Company | Morgan Visconti |
Animation Effects | Johnnie Semerad |
Special Effects / VFX | Quiet Man |
Account Executive | Chris Ott |
Account Director | Cynthia Davis |