Mercedes-Benz Premieres New Environmentally Themed Ad Campaign During the Academy Awards

MONTVALE, N.J., March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestled among the tributes to Hollywood's brightest stars during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be a new Mercedes-Benz luminary, the S400 HYBRID. Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) will debut a new ad called "Tree of Innovation" which stars the S400 HYBRID and showcases the company's expanding repertoire of environmentally oriented vehicles. The ad is the first to feature the new "voice" for MBUSA's advertising, Jon Hamm, the Golden Globe winning star of the TV series Mad Men.

The Mercedes-Benz 2010 S400 HYBRID is the world's first production vehicle powered by lithium-ion, a sophisticated new battery technology that is more compact and energy efficient than conventional batteries. It is one of two hybrids the company offers along with three BlueTEC clean diesels and an upcoming fleet of fuel cell vehicles.

"For decades we've been experimenting with alternative powerplant vehicles – from the days we invented the diesel more than 70 years ago – but for the first time it seems like the market is ready for these vehicles and this campaign showcases our portfolio and our direction," said Stephen Cannon, vice president of marketing for MBUSA.

The 30-second "Tree of Innovation" spot opens on a majestic 250 year-old tree in a beautiful, lush environment with dozens of glittering glass frames containing images of Mercedes-Benz innovations hanging from its branches. Under the tree is an S400 HYBRID. The camera languidly glides around the car to one of the glass frames. Inside the frame is the small, innovative lithium-ion battery that powers the S400 HYBRID. The camera continues to pan to a frame of the soon-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz hydrogen electric ("fuel cell") vehicle which emits only water. The next frame highlights the E320 BlueTEC that was awarded the "World Green Car of the Year" while a subsequent frame showcases the Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC fleet, some of the world's cleanest diesel vehicles. The spot ends noting that Mercedes-Benz not only strives to make the best cars in the world, but for the world: "a cleaner, safer future is what drives us."

"The challenge was to create a spot that could reflect both the environmental qualities of Mercedes and their technological leadership ... and do that in single spot. We think the combination of the lush environment with the high-tech screens surrounding the S400 does that," said Alex Gellert, partner and CEO of Merkley+Partners (New York), MBUSA's lead agency and creator of the campaign.

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2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class shows off cool tech

Mercedes has a new promotional video for the 2010 S Class that offers peeks at the model range and suite of tech coming on the latest luxury sedan: the S400 Hybrid and its energy monitoring system, S500 (the S550 in the U.S.), S600, Splitview COMAND screen, new headlamps, and LEDs everywhere.

Mercedes-Benz unveils 2010 S600 and S400 Hybrid

With all eyes trained on the Big Apple for this week's New York Auto Show, it struck us as odd that Mercedes-Benz would release two new models on the eve of the event, neither of which will make an appearance in NYC. But here they are: the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S600 and the S400 Hybrid, the first series production gas-electric model from the automaker.

Both models benefit from a subtle exterior makeover that includes redesigned front and rear fascias, a new grille, chrome below the air intakes and bi-xenon headlamps with LED indicators, while inside, the 2010 S-Class hosts a myriad of high-tech appointments, including a 6.5-inch color display, a revised COMAND system, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a Zagat-rating system for local restaurants. But the tech doesn't stop at helping you eat better. Many of the safety systems that debuted on the E-Class have found their way into the S, including optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist that recognizes vehicles ahead and dims the headlamps, Lane Keeping Assist (self-explanatory) a new Active Body Control (ABC) system that compensates for crosswinds and a drowsiness detection monitor that will warn drivers if they're getting too tired to pilot their two-plus-ton behemoth.

The 2010 S-Class line-up will include the 382-hp, V8-powered S550 in both rear- and all-wheel drive spec, along with the 518-hp S63 AMG, the 510-hp S600 and the range-topping, 604-hp S65 AMG. But the S400 Hybrid is M-B's newest party piece.

With a 3.5-liter V6 partnered to a seven-speed automatic gearbox, the S400 puts out 275 hp on its own, but when the electric drivetrain is summoned, the system creates another 20 hp and 118 lb-ft of torque. Efficiency is the name of the game and with a regenerative braking system and a lithium-ion battery pack mounted in the engine compartment, Mercedes claims the S400 will get an estimated 29 mpg on the combined cycle. Sales of all four models will begin in the U.S. this August. Hit the jump for the official details.

(source: Autoblog)