Mercedes Benz Proud Of Their Latest Ad

It’s always sinister when a brand explicitly attempts to attract “da kidz” to their products. And, whilst it’s not nearly as alarming when a motoring brand dabbles in such dark arts as when a cigarette brand does, all the same it’s hard not to shudder when they make a point of saying that, yes, our latest ad has been “designed to attract younger people”.

Still, when it leads to something as forward-thinking as the latest offering from Mercedes-Benz, well – our morals can be abandoned for a short while, surely?

Entitled “Escape The Map”, it’s an immersive online affair which opens in a virtually-rendered Hong-Kong. Our hero, Marie, finds herself and her C 63 AMG Coupé trapped in  a nightmarish flat and low-definition Streetview. What follows is a race against time to escape from the map before her face is forever blurred-out – at which point she’ll be doomed to join the scores of doomed faceless denizens of this bleak virtual world.

But to live in a life-sized Streetview wouldn’t be all bad. Indeed, Marie is able to enjoy endless access to empty streets in perfectly-rendered high-definition cityscapes.

But you have to help her! Help her to break free! And, in doing so, you can win yourself a C 350 Coupé  for real! How? Well, you have to go online and crack a couple of quick clues.

Marie races through Hong Kong and finds her ultimate escape in London. If you answer successfully a series of interactive challenges, you’re entered into a draw to win the car.

The ad will launch “in earnest” on Saturday 12 November when a 30 second TV spot will air during ITV1′s The X-Factor. And Mercedes-Benz are very, very proud of it.

Just listen to what David George, Marketing Director Mercedes-Benz UK, has to say: “Escape The Map is a bold brand-sharpener – it presents Mercedes-Benz as a vibrant, fresh, aspirational premium brand – and shows people a new side to one of the most prestigious companies in the world. The interactive element is vitally important too. We’re talking to a new generation of people who double-screen or even triple-screen – watching TV whilst browsing on their iPad or smart phone.”

Nothing if not ambitious, hmn?

The lead character, Marie, is already waiting for help inside Streetview, from where she tweets. You can follow her on twitter @girlinmap or search #escapethemap. The overall winner of the C 350 Coupé will receive their prize from actress Mariah Bonner at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in the New Year.

Good luck!