Mercedes-Benz bids for younger audiences with online ‘mash-up’ tool
Mercedes-Benz is continuing its courtship of younger audiences via online and TV channels with a campaign that encourages audiences to ”mash-up” versions of a Tinie Tempah track with car engine noises.
The premium car marque will kick off its latest “Sound with Power” campaign on TV this Saturday (5 October), with ad spots featuring a man sitting in a Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG, wearing a suit fitted with LEDs.
These LEDs light up differently depending on which sound is played to him, illustrating his emotional response, which builds up to the character being played the sound of the vehicle’s engine sounding, and the lighted outfit reflecting his pleasure.
The ad also features the track Pass Out from Mercedes-Benz “brand friend” Tinie Tempah, with Mercedes-Benz also launching an online ‘mash-up tool’ that encourages audiences to mix the sounds played on the TV ad with the Tinie Tempah track.
The campaign’s target audience, primarily 25-44 year-olds, can then share their tracks via the hashtag #soundwithpower, with the best tracks to feature in further TV ads from 28 October.
Andrew Mallery, Mercedes-Benz marketing director, says: “The campaign taps into some of our consumer insights that people [who own Mercedes’ vehicles] feel a strong emotional connection about their cars when they hear the engines start.”
The campaign will also feature cinema ad spots, plus further online activations, such as online videos featuring Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 driver Lewis Hamilton talking about “what Sound with Power means to them”, as well as a three-month Spotify sponsorship deal that will direct listeners to the Sound with Power mash-up tool.
Mercedes-Benz has just completed its sponsorship of London Fashion Week, a partnership also geared towards amplifying its appeal with younger audiences by associating the brand with fashion icons and various other celebrities.
