European creative agency antoni and luxury automaker Mercedes Benz’s new campaign shows that adulthood doesn’t conform to rules. The campaign ”Grow Up” has five vignettes built around Mercedes-Benz’s compact car lineup and explores adulthood in all of its forms.
The campaign is also the biggest production for branded entertainment in Mercedes-Benz history, with the campaign coming to life in countries around the globe.
‘Grow up’ is rooted in the brand’s history. For over 130 years, Mercedes-Benz has stayed relevant not by following traditions of the past, but by re-defining them,” Veit Moeller, Creative Director at antoni told DIVERGE. “This is an insight we found was true for people today, too.”
“It’s a tension between doing the conservative things you’re ‘expected’ to do as you get older, while also staying independent and modern,” he added. “This theme – of re-defining traditional adulthood – is one that we felt rang true for a new generation of Mercedes-Benz drivers.”
A middle-aged father pretends to lose his glasses so his estranged son will pick him up for work in Strict Parent; two women try to rekindle their romance after an eight-month absence in Spend Some Time with Family; a man comes to an awkward truth about the relationship he’s trying to save in Settle Down; and a failed couple form a new partnership as their daughter’s parents in Start a Family.
The stories show the reality of being a grownup by targeting topics such as broken friendships and infidelity, which aim to underscore the campaign message that the modern way of growing is about re-defining tradition – true for both Mercedes-Benz and people.
“The most exciting part of the campaign was to be able to tell stories that transcend traditional advertising, or even traditional ‘branded content’, which often just feels like advertising anyway,” Moeller explained. “Focusing on the stories of our target group rather than just product messaging allowed us to be more authentic and more daring.”
The campaign consists of more than 120 unique motion assets for TV, cinema, social and pre-roll, and 92 different still assets for print, out-of-home, social and editorial. The films are directed by award-winning Swedish director Gustav Johansson. The playful images were shot by 25-year-old French photographer, Alice Moitié. Both films and photography were produced in tandem over a fifteen day shoot in Barcelona, Spain by Iconoclast Berlin. The films will be supported through a media partnership with the Vice Network.
“Start a family”
“Get a job” – featuring A$AP Rocky
“Spend time with family”
“Be a good parent”
“Settle down”
Grow Up Trailer
CREDITS:
Daimler AG / Mercedes-Benz
Vice President Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars: Dr. Jens Thiemer
antoni GmbH, Berlin
Chief Creative Officer, Founder: André Kemper
Managing Partner, Founder: Dr. Tonio Kröger
Creative:
Executive Creative Director: Matthias Schmidt, Martin Pross
Creative Director: Veit Moeller
Art Director: Sol Oh
Writer: Sebastian Lyman
Account:
Managing Director: Sven Dörrenbächer
Client Service Director: Wiebke Hellerung
Account Director: Philipp Schnitzler, Kerstin Hagg
Account Manager: Nadine Falk, Robin Weintraut
Junior Account Manager: Jan-Hendrik Zillessen
Strategy:
Head of Strategy: Simon Coles
Strategy: Izabela Ryszkowska, Vanessa Nikolidakis
Production:
Executive Producer: Mark Róta
Junior Producer: Robert Zbawiony
Producer Assistant: Niklas Piatkowski
Integrated Producer: Stefan Bader
Art Buying: Valerie Opitz, Marjorie Jorrot
Print Production: Tim Henningsen, Lars Oscenda, Benjamin Fuchs
Digital:
Creative Director Digital: Thomas Heinz, Veit Moeller
Head of Digital Design: Nuno Marcelino
Art Director Digital: Hazel Ryalls
Junior Designer: Karla Heredia, Charles Middleton
UX Architect: Philipp Wuthe
Writer Digital: Sebastian Lyman, Anna Dressler, Tom Zeller
Client Service Director Digital: Ulrich Schauwecker
Account Director Digital: Dietmar Scholz, Sandra Humbek
Account Manager Digital: Marica Pignatelli, Mike Kannowski
Junior Account Manager Digital: Sascha Klosa
Social Media:
Social Media Concept: Anna Dressler, Sebastian Lyman, Sol Oh
Social Media Junior Consultant: Stephania Iordanoglou
Design:
Creative Director Brand Design: Marcel Krempin
Senior Designer: Sebastian Hennig
Junior Designer: Jil Leister
CRM:
Creative Director: Sven Rumpf
Art Director: Petra Prottengeier, Yann Fischels
Copywriter: Luca Rescheleit, Gunther Osburg
Client Service Director: Arne Cornelsen
Account Director: Marcus Podorf
Account Manager: Jari Heistermann
Retail Marketing:
Creative Director: Florian Wagner
Art Director: Bernd Claussen, Evelyn Baumann, Lisa Freudenthaler
Writer: Lars Baldermann, Judith Preker, Daniel Antonius
Account Director: Omar Lessoued
Account Manager: Milena Tannhäuser
Motion/Broadcast Production: Iconoclast Germany GmbH
Managing Director: Nils Schwemer, Nicolas Lhermitte
Director: Gustav Johansson
Executive Producer: Jan Dressler
Line Producer: Tim Augustin, Björn Krüger
Director of Photography: Niklas Johansson
Script Development: Sebastian Lyman, Peter Glanz, Gustav Johansson, Veit Moeller
Colour Grading Company: Company 3, New York
Colourist: Sofie Friis Borup
Post Production Germany (Film): nhb studios berlin GmbH
Producer: Friedrich Sigmund
Post Production Germany (GLA Facelift): nhb studios düsseldorf GmbH
VFX Supervisor: Johannes Müller
Music (Stories): Universal Music Publishing AB
Score Composer: Petter Winnberg, Adam Hagstrand, Petter Tarland
Written by: Petter Winnberg, Amanda Bergman
Artists: Petter Sebastian feat. MishCatt, Petter Sebastian feat. El Perro Del Mar, Petter Sebastian feat. Amanda Bergman, Petter Sebastian feat. Kleerup
Music (Anthem): Universal Music Publishing AB
Song: Let me try
Stills Production: Iconoclast Germany GmbH
Executive Producer: Jan Dressler, Felix Mondino
Photographer: Alice Moitié
Online/Web special: Pixelpark AG
Project Manager: Maximilian Burkert
