Mercedes-Benz Botched Its New 2008 C-Class Ad Big Time

by Abraham Harrison on September 19, 2007 · 7 comments

http://www.co.washington.or.us/cgi/neighbor/graphics/graf0704/stop_drv.gifI don’t have the video yet, but the new Mercedes-Benz commercial for the new C-Class has the following anti-social gaff, “Why did we engineer suspension that automatically tightens for aggressive driving?” Isn’t aggressive driving a criminal offense? Is it prudent to advertise the new C-Class Mercedes as designed for aggressive driving? Really?

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Chris Abraham - Because the Medium is the Message
09.23.07 at 4:56 am

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1 Jonathan Trenn 09.19.07 at 1:45 pm

This is pretty stupid. “Aggressive” inherently connotes a relationship. In this case with other drivers.

I think it appeals to selfishness. Sort of to (probably) a guy who is somewhat successful and knows it…and doesn’t want to deal with the hassles (in this case traffic) that we all have to deal with in life. And they’re positioning the car as something that makes him ‘above’ others (because he can afford it).

2 Abraham Harrison 09.19.07 at 3:31 pm

Sounds like me. Egad.

3 Jonathan Trenn 09.19.07 at 3:34 pm

Yeah, but it sounds like what most of us (at least us guys) want to be.

4 Taylor Donlan 09.19.07 at 7:10 pm

I think we’re grasping at semantic straws here. I’m pretty sure I could drive “aggressively” on a stretch of highway completely devoid of other traffic. Actually, I am pretty sure I have.

On a sidenote, I’d love to get my hands on an ‘08 C63 – and I wouldn’t test the “door hinges that can support a 200lb man.”

5 Green 09.26.07 at 2:31 am

I have the video for the similar commercial at this url http://www.commerciallygreen.com/2007/09/25/mercedes-benz-2008-c-class-200-pound-men-on-doors/. Feel free to embed it if you want.

6 zman 10.31.07 at 2:38 am

I think that commercial is the sweetest commercial ever but do you have the whole thing??

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