Mercedes-Benz | Social Rebrand
Whatever it is, it’s always the best or nothing.
“The best or nothing.” Coined by Gottleib Daimler in Olden Tymes, the phrase was initially meant as a demand to his suppliers but it soon became the operating principle for Mercedes-Benz at large. But could we bring it to the brand’s American social and digital presence? An Effie award says yes.
Finding Our Way
Our first order of business was getting a dedicated American social media presence up and running. That meant standing out, because the vast majority of social users instinctively followed the Mercedes-Benz global accounts. But you can’t out-German the Germans, so we decided to lean into American swagger and irreverence. And since Mercedes-Benz always had a little Detroit in its philosophies on size and performance, it worked to the tune of a 3400% growth rate in audience size.
Taking Our Next Steps
With a social audience to call our own, we decided to branch out and set the standard for Mercedes-Benz globally. Thus begat the award-winning #MBphotopass. We hired Instagram photographers with unique aesthetics and solid followings—even if they weren't the biggest names out there—to take our audience on adventures. The S-Class introduced lesser-known parts of L.A.; a 1955 300 SL explored the Renaissance; a G-Class told the story of first lady Nellie Taft. It boosted our social cred, brought in new followers who had initially only followed the photographer, and heightened the profiles of the photographers themselves. Win-win-win.
The Ultimate Expression
Audience built. Aesthetic established. Attitude most rad. Now it was time to put it all together for the launch of perhaps the most important vehicle in the recent history of Mercedes-Benz: the CLA. Whereas most luxury brands built their way up, Mercedes-Benz started from the top and expanded in the other direction. But a $30,000 car? That was something else entirely. And it needed a campaign that was, too. Enter Take the Wheel. Exit with an Effie award.
Into the Future
By this point, we’d established the American social voice of Mercedes-Benz as confident, bold, and irreverent. So it was at special request of the client that we brought that swagger to the brand’s American website. But for every page that we touched, nothing tied it together like Past & Future. (See it here.) Essentially, it served an overview of what had been since 1950—and what was to come for the next 50 years. It’ll be different, no doubt. But it’s always going to be the best or nothing.
