BDDH reveals Mercedes brand advertising

By EMMA HALL, Campaign, Friday, 07 May 1999 12:00AM

Partners BDDH launches its latest Mercedes branding campaign this week with a series of new executions based again around the famous Janis Joplin song, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

Partners BDDH launches its latest Mercedes branding campaign this

week with a series of new executions based again around the famous Janis

Joplin song, Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?

Mercedes’ new work follows on from the original Joplin execution, which

first ran in 1997, depicting special moments between owners and their

cars.

Research showed that, during the time the commercial was on air, people

were moved to sing the track when they saw a Mercedes. The latest batch

of ads picks up on this by featuring ordinary people singing the song in

a variety of circumstances. Mercedes cars play only a fleeting role in

each of the executions, all of which end with the Mercedes logo and the

words: ’From pounds 14, 490’.

In one ad, a small boy is shown playing with a home-made cardboard

truck, on which he has painted the familiar Mercedes logo, while an

instrumental version of the song plays in the background.

Partners BDDH hopes the campaign will build a brand image which is

’special rather than exclusive’, to reflect Mercedes’ broadening car

range and target market.

The commercials were written by John Dean and Simon Green, the creative

director and head of art at the agency. They were directed by Lenard

Dorfman through @radical.media.

Media strategy was developed by Msc and buying was through Mediapolis.

This article was first published on Campaign