#YOUDRIVE... Mercedes-Benz's Innovative Campaign
Mercedes-Benz and AMV launch #YOUDRIVE – An innovative, inclusive campaign for an innovative, inclusive Mercedes-Benz
To launch the new Mercedes-Benz to a wider and younger target market, Mercedes-Benz and AMV created #YOUDRIVE, an interactive TV campaign for the new A-Class that invited the audience to drive the story via Twitter, the first time such an event had been executed.
A sneak preview of the new campaign launched on Mon 1st October, with 10” TV teasers, press, posters and online displays to raise awareness of the live event and to ensure X Factor viewers were anticipating a TV commercial with a story they could drive.
The campaign began with a ground-breaking TV/social media event, matching the innovative and creative benchmark set by the new Mercedes-Benz car.
The A-Class represents a new generation Mercedes-Benz – mixing efficiency with performance, rewarding dynamics, advanced connectivity, refinement and safety.
The story takes the form of an exciting cat and mouse caper, during which a music superstar (played by Top Boy actor Kane Robinson) tries, with the help of a female professional driver, to get to a secret gig. Panicked by the hysterical fans and keen to stop the gig, the authorities try to stop them. Different scenarios shot on the streets of Portugal by director Yann Demange (‘Top Boy’), allow the viewers to steer the narrative.
Written in the knowledge that the UK has more ‘dual-screen’ viewers than any other country in Europe*, the three-part story was shown last weekend (Sat 6th/Sun 7th Oct) during the commercial breaks in the X Factor, the UK’s premier live show and one of the most followed programmes on social networks.
A 60” TV ad appeared in the first commercial break and at the end of the ad, when the driver was faced with a dilemma, the consumer was invited to 'drive' the next part of the story. Using Twitter, viewers were able to steer the action of the commercials by tweeting the # assigned to the action they preferred. In the next break, a 40” ad played out the option chosen by the majority of the Twitter-active audience. At the end of that commercial the audience were faced with another tricky predicament and asked to 'drive'.
During the Sunday results show, the 90” ad aired, recapping the first two episodes before showing the concluding chapter most popular with viewers. (Dynamic data was inputted into the ad to reveal the % of votes which the winning ad received.)
To view the 90' spot, click here
From today 60” and 30” TV ads - edits of the footage - encourage viewers to visit www.youdrive.com/YOUDRIVE (a custom-built YouTube channel) to view all available films and drive their own A-Class story. Hidden within the online experience are details of the secret gig, and those who find them may enter a prize draw for the chance to win a new A-Class for a year, with odds increasing substantially for those who ‘share’ their experience on Facebook and Twitter.
* 77% of viewers watching TV with another device (laptop, mobile or tablet) in hand.
Project: Mercedes-Benz: #YOUDRIVE
Client name & job title: David George, Marketing Director
Michelle Brogden, Communications Manager
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO
Copywriter: Martin Loraine
Art Director: Steve Jones
Agency Planner: David Edwards
Board Account Director: Ben King
Account Directors: Rob Tauscher, Benedict Pringle
TV Producer: Rebecca Scharf
Agency Digital Producer: Ian Whittle
Production Company: Stink
Director: Yann Demange
Director of Photography: Anthony Dod Mantle
Stills photography: Dean Rogers
Production Co. Producer: Blake Powell, Paula Garr
Post-production Company: The Mill
Audio Post-production: 750mph
Media Agency: Maxus
Media Planner: Nicola Jopling, Chris Lewis-Jones
Digital production of YouTube channel: Stink Digital
Creative concept and digital production of online display and point of sale: Weapon 7
Community Management: Holler
