Titles are there to be retained.
That’s the message behind DBF principle partner Mercedes-Benz’s integrated, multi-strand ‘Best Never Rest’ World Cup activation.
This multi-platform, dual language German campaign celebrated the confidence and mindset of the current FIFA world champions and pushed the team’s mantra: ‘to push the limits and never rest on success’.
The strategic approach, developed with long-time agency Antoni Garage, blended the world’s top ranked national team, added the new C Class Mercedes, and essentially let the players and the vehicles do the talking with creative that aimed to be as confident, loud, fast and as exciting as modern international football.
The campaign was launched well ahead of the tournament back in March and was spearheaded by a hero ‘Kick Off’ commercial exploring the idea that ‘because offence is the best title defense’,
and also spanned national landmarks, airports, newspapers, sports magazines, digital and social channels,
In den schwersten Momenten braucht man einen starken Partner. pic.twitter.com/1yeU10liqF
— Mercedes-Benz Fußball (@mbfussball) June 27, 2018
(particularly Instagram),
with all dual language content pieces linked by the ‘champion is here’ message and the #BestNeverRest campaign hashtag.
The work also hubbed around the car company’s bespoke football microsite at http://mercedes-benz-fussball.de/
The launch spot was followed by an online Best Never rest video series
and a further set of TV/digital/social spots including squad member interviews,
car specific commercials
and training focused pieces.
The campaign also included a set of pre-created assets that could be deployed in real-time and low latency in response to events on and off the pitch during the tournament as they happened: ranging from goals,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVmdRlB3t/?taken-by=mercedesbenzfussball
to player quotes,
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkSudHrHjgE/?taken-by=mercedesbenzfussball
and tournament statistics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkaOVpxHehh/?taken-by=mercedesbenzfussball
The campaign emerged from the simple insight that Germans love their cars and they love their football, so the agency took an approach based on the idea that it had an opportunity to craft a piece of cultural heritage.
Comment:
Phew – this was an aggressive, bold, broad and well-rounded activation programme.
One that was fitting for the final campaign at the end of the decade long partnership between the agency, Mercedes-Benz and Die Mannschaft.
In mid 2017, it was revealed that Volkswagen will become the principle commercial sponsor of Germany’s national football team: replacing Mercedes-Benz after an extremely committed 45 year partnership.
The new five and a half year sponsorship between VWm the world’s biggest carmaker by sales, and the German national football association will start in 2019 and is reported to be worth €25m to €30m per year (including €6m for the domestic DFB German Cup competition).
It’s just a shame that the team was less bold than the campaign and less confident than the message it carried.
Links:
Mercedes-Benz Football
http://mercedes-benz-fussball.de/
https://www.facebook.com/mercedesbenzfussballEN/
https://www.instagram.com/mercedesbenzfussball/
https://twitter.com/mbfussball
https://www.youtube.com/user/mercedesbenzfussball
Mercedes-Benz
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/
https://twitter.com/MercedesBenz
https://www.youtube.com/user/MercedesBenzTV
DBF
https://www.dfb.de
https://twitter.com/DFB_Team_EN
https://www.facebook.com/DFBTeamEN
https://tv.dfb.de/static/english-videos
Antoni Garage
