A bold adventure
Launching the Mercedes-Benz B-Class by creating an all new automobile segment targeted at the adventurous at heart
The Challenge:
Mercedes-Benz was looking to introduce the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class into the Indian market. This was prior to the launch of the all new A-Class and would be at the time one of the most compact cars available from the Mercedes-Benz stable at the time. The challenge was to get Indians interested in what was essentially a hatchback. The average Indian mentality favoured a car with a boot over an equally priced yet roomier hatchback alternative. This meant launching the B-Class which would be the first hatchback being sold by Mercedes-Benz would be challenging indeed.The Work
The Solution:
To launch the B-Class an online competition was conceived. At the core of the competition was a dedicated microsite that asked users to share one of their adventures. Shortlisted entries were then put up for popular voting. The final chosen winners then had a chance to experience the B-Class first hand along with celebrity ambassadors from Mercedes-Benz. Winners were taken for a special Paralite flying experience along with an instructor. While the competition was promoted in collaboration with the Discovery Channel, the ensuing buzz created in social and on site ensured that the new B-Class was a runaway hit with pre-bookings of the all new B-Class being all booked up.The Experience
Project Diary:
An adventure awaits
The launch of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class website came at a time when I was all set to go on an adventure myself. If memory serves me right, though I had finished the copy well ahead of time, I just happened to have been scheduled go on leave around the launch of the site. Perhaps the first time such an occurrence had happened. None-the-less the site went live smoothly. And promoting the site on social went into full swing with me assisting in crafting some of the calendar posts.
What makes this project different from the other work done for Mercedes-Benz was that the digital component spearheaded the offline component. A competition to participate in online drove offline activations with celebrities which were later filmed and showcased on TV and online. This meant the project had a few more moving pieces and stakeholders. Working closely with the social team and seeing the site participation come alive was something I shall remember.