A new era of mobility with global star and Creative Director The Weeknd

"Enjoy Electric." – the Mercedes-Benz EQC campaign

STUTTGART, Germany, Nov. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - November marks the beginning of the "Enjoy Electric." campaign, a collaboration with global R&B star The Weeknd that celebrates the market launch of the Mercedes-Benz EQC. Starting with a teaser phase, the full campaign will launch on November 29, when the EQC Webspecial will go live on mercedes-benz.com. The introduction of the all-electric EQC is the logical next step in a new direction for Mercedes-Benz, whose history stretches back through 133 years of innovation, development, and progress. The campaign features a compelling TV ad, a long-format film, and four product films that will be available on the brand's social media channels. Global Diamond Certified R&B star The Weeknd was not only the main protagonist of the films, he also served as the campaign's Creative Director.

The videos underscore the EQC's Mercedes-Benz characteristics, including quality, safety and comfort. In the long-format version of the film, which will go live on November 29, The Weeknd is notified via app that the EQC's battery is charged and the vehicle is ready to go. From there, the story takes viewers on a remarkable journey through time—as well as through the company's history. The Mercedes-Benz EQC campaign film featuring The Weeknd can be seen on Mercedes-Benz's YouTube channel from November 29.

The campaign's video assets will be available in 20-, 30-, 60-, and 140-second spots. In addition to the clips that are already available online, corresponding TV ads will be broadcasted internationally from November 29.

"This is a special moment for the entire Mercedes team: with the EQC campaign we are entering the era of electric mobility," said Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The campaign takes the emotional experiences of our customers with iconic Mercedes vehicles and shows how we are reinterpreting them in the electric EQC in the present day. A completely new driving feel, pioneering spirit and sustainable, modern luxury are at the core of our EQC communications."

The Weeknd is a Grammy Award-winning, multi-Platinum, and Diamond-certified recording artist and founder of the visionary XO collective. Filtering R&B, pop, and hip-hop through an ambitious widescreen lens, The Weeknd has redefined all these genres and solidified his iconic status with successes spanning record-breaking chart triumphs. From his early mixtapes that later morphed into a 2X RIAA-certified Platinum project, The Weeknd has gone on to make three albums and an EP that have garnered over 35 billion global streams and 9 billion YouTube views. In addition to three Grammy Awards, he has also won nine Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, ten Juno Awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award. The continuous record breaking of charts, sales and streams, headlining the biggest festivals and stadiums in the world, and his ever mysterious public persona combine to solidify The Weeknd as one of the most compelling and significant artists of the 21^st century.

"We are delighted about the collaboration with Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd," said Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The collaboration was inspiring and gave us lots of new and creative impetus. Abel's talent as the creative director and performer is the right combination for this unique Mercedes moment on the road to an electric future."

Further features of the campaign include an extended web special, additional clips, and social media assets such as a Tik Tok Challenge and the Instagram extension "If I had lived today." In the latter, the protagonists go on a journey through time, seeing how Carl Benz, for example, would approach today's technical possibilities and social media tools. The campaign also includes extensive print motifs.

The EQC Webspecial at mercedes-benz.com presents the all-electric SUV with a series of specially created images. From November 29, the product page will describe the features and services.

Iconoclast Germany GmbH produced the campaign films.

French photographer Cédric Viollet produced the print motifs, which show various EQC moments that focus mainly on the ease of electric driving. Viollet has made a name for himself working for international fashion and lifestyle media, among others.

Credits: antoni garage, Mercedes-Benz's lead European agency, and Nicolás Méndez, Director TVC, from the creative production firm CANADA, and Universal Music Group & Brands Germany are responsible for the idea, concept and implementation of the campaign. fischerAppelt, play is responsible for the idea, concept and implementation of the Instagram extension "If I lived today."

EQC: The Mercedes of electric vehicles

The EQC is the first model from Mercedes-Benz's EQ product and technology brand to arrive on the roads, and marks the beginning of a new era in mobility for the brand. With its seamless, clean design and colour highlights that are typical of the brand, it simultaneously pioneers an avant-garde electric look and embodies the company's Progressive Luxury design idiom. With respect to quality, safety, and comfort, the EQC is the Mercedes-Benz of electric vehicles—it doesn't just feature a striking design, it also delivers dynamic performance, thanks to two electric motors at the front and rear axles with a combined output of 300 kW. With Mercedes me, EQ offers comprehensive services and makes electric mobility convenient and practical for everyday use.

The EQC campaign also represents a new approach to marketing communications for Mercedes-Benz EQ, a key component of which is collaboration with personalities who are shaping the mobility of tomorrow. In this case, The Weeknd is a role model for young people and thus is able to connect with new audiences who are ideally suited to EQ. A pioneering spirit and the courage to take new paths inspire authentic communication while supporting a contemporary approach to sustainable luxury.

About Mercedes-Benz AG

Mercedes-Benz AG is responsible for the global business of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans with 175,000 employees worldwide. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be leading in the fields of connectivity, autonomous driving and alternative drives with its forward-looking innovations. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes-Benz brand with the sub-brands Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, as well as the smart brand and the EQ product and technology brand for electric mobility. Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the largest manufacturers of premium passenger cars. In 2018, it sold more than 2.3 million cars and over 420,000 vans. In its two business divisions, Mercedes-Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network, with over 40 production sites on four continents, while aligning itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is developing its global battery production network on three continents. Sustainable actions play a decisive role in both business divisions. To the company, sustainability means creating value for all stakeholders on a lasting basis: customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of Daimler in which the company takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.

 For more information, please contact:

Ariane Fiedler, +49 (0) 17630910842, [email protected] 
Katja Rechtsteiner, +49 (0) 176 30962209, [email protected]
Wolfgang Würth, +49 (0) 160 8620345, [email protected]

About Mercedes-Benz Canada

Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG passenger vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and smart. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,200 people in 14 locations across Canada. Through a nationwide network of seven Mercedes-Benz own retail operations and 52 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 49,758 vehicles in 2018. This positioned Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury manufacturer in Canada for the fifth consecutive year.

Further information from Mercedes-Benz Canada is available at media.mercedes-benz.ca.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.