Mercedes gladly smashes up own museum

This Mercedes-Benz ad from Merkley + Partners is extremely well edited and directed. Almost the entire 30 seconds are a prelude to the 2010 E-Class crashing through the clear wall of the automaker's museum in Germany to "take its rightful place" beside vintage models. The museum looks intriguingly retro-futuristic from the outside. Inside, it's just a roomful of old cars. Why smash through the glass at all? Perhaps it's road rage related to plummeting sales. Flying splinters, screaming treads, a car screeching to a full stop indoors—such havoc could turn off potential buyers. And yet, that makes the spot subversive and edgy, and the car, by extension, cool. So, ultimately, the ad is asking if I'm subversive, edgy and (dare I say it?) cool enough to buy a car that's subversive, edgy and cool enough to be driven through a window. Damn right I am, Mercedes! Hondas are for wimps who like to drive outside on the road.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

June 22, 2009 in Automotive, Gianatasio, Mercedes-Benz, Merkley | Permalink