The advertisement I chose to analyze for this assignment is from Mercedes-Benz Canada. This advertisement’s primary purpose is to sell more Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The advertisement is a still image that presents 3 luxury vehicles parked on a suburban city street with the phrase “The Power to Choose” in bold, and below the phrase, it says “Gas. All-Electric. Plug-in Hybrid” emphasizing that their brand is environmentally conscious, and implying that no matter the choices, Mercedes-Benz is the ideal option.
This advertisement is visually strategic and seems to be designed to highlight the brands commitment to luxury vehicles while also highlighting the fancy lifestyle that surrounds them. To start off, the top of the image displays the famous Mercedes logo right in the centre, which makes the brand instantly recognizable. The middle section of the image showcases the 3 vehicles in a perfect but subtle diagonal line. The line creates a natural flow for the viewer’s eyes to easily view all 3 vehicles. The vehicles appear to be in brand-new condition as they are very clean and shiny, they’re also positioned in a way that we can see the sides of the vehicles as well. The left-most vehicle (closest to the viewer of the advertisement) appears to be the all-electric model. The company deciding to put the all electric vehicle closest to the viewer (at the front) can subtly show the brands commitment to becoming more sustainable. The bottom part of the advertisement which shows the clean paved road, also has the phrase “The Power To Choose” and the words “Gas. All-Electric. Plug-in Hybrid”. The placement of the words on this advertisement ensures that the viewer looks at every part of the image. The colors used in this advertisement are neutrals including black, white, grey and beige, most advertisements use brighter colors but this brand was able to use the neutrals in a way that it is still aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching. The colors of the vehicles are significant as well, as they are the most popular colors among vehicles today, so the colors of the vehicles are strategically picked, with the assumption being that the advertisement will be more appealing to consumers this way. The advertisement being set in a sophisticated/upscale area, in the presence of tall trees that have been well-maintained, modern buildings and large windows also reinforces the luxury branding of Mercedes-Benz. The timing of this image being taken is presumably daytime as it’s light outside, and the image quality is high-resolution and clear.
It seems the message of the advertisement promotes the company’s shift towards sustainability by offering hybrid and all-electric vehicle options to appeal to the environmentally aware consumers, while still selling gas-powered vehicles to not alienate the consumers who like the gas-powered engines. The company is allowing consumers to make an environmentally responsible choice while still enjoying a luxury vehicle. This reflects a growing trend where companies use green marketing to appeal to sustainability-conscious consumers (Hildebrand et al., 2011).
While this advertisement is about promoting a vehicle, it also promotes the idea of the luxury status you may gain while owning a Mercedes-Benz. The modern and clean aesthetic of the background of the advertisement and the design of the premium cars displays sophistication and wealth, reinforcing the brand’s luxury image, which may be an image that some people chase to acquire. This shows the concept of aspirational branding, where consumers often associate a product with a desirable lifestyle (Kwon & Lee, 2021).
The target audience for this advertisement would include the consumers who can afford luxury vehicles, consumers who may value modern design and technology or for those who are looking for an eco-conscious vehicle that is also luxurious. Personally, I would not be able to afford a Mercedes-Benz at this time, but these advertisements can also target individuals who may want to consider buying the brand in the future. Advertisements can be designed for consumers to develop a brand preference early on so that when they are ready to purchase they will remember the product (Kwon & Lee, 2021). These types of advertisements are often visible to many people through social media, which is used by a large number of people.
On a visual level, the advertisement is sleek and aesthetically pleasing. The emphasis on the hybrid and electric options aligns with my personal interest in sustainability but the vague wording, suggesting any choice, makes the environmental message lose its meaning, in my opinion.
I recognize this company’s brand because Mercedes-Benz is a very popular luxury car brand throughout Canada and even worldwide. The company also started a battery recycling plant in Germany after hearing the concerning problems that come with mining for new batteries (Ochoa, 2024). However, the brand hasn’t always been the most environmentally friendly. The owner of Mercedes did face legal action from climate groups in Germany over its negative environmental impact and the company has been called out repeatedly for green-washing (Ormesher, 2022).
References:
Hildebrand, D., Sen, S. and Bhattacharya, C.B. (2011), “Corporate social responsibility: a corporate marketing perspective”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45 No. 9/10, pp. 1353-1364. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561111151790.
Kwon, K. and Lee, J. (2021), “Corporate social responsibility advertising in social media: a content analysis of the fashion industry’s CSR advertising on Instagram”, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 700-715. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-01-2021-0016.
Ochoa, James. “Mercedes’ New Factory Is the Answer to a Very Common EV Criticism.” The Street. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://www.thestreet.com/electric-vehicles/mercedes-new-factory-is-the-answer-to-a-common-ev-criticism.
Ormesher, Ellen. “Mercedes Distances Itself from Environmental Ads as It’s Called out for Greenwashing.” The Drum. Accessed January 30, 2025. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/08/18/mercedes-distances-itself-environmental-ads-it-s-called-out-greenwashing.
Mohammadhosein Hasanpour
The analysis of the Mercedes-Benz advertisement offers a rather detailed examination of its visual and thematic components, though it could be enhanced by a more in-depth exploration of the ad’s purpose and overall impact. Although the reviewer highlights the brand’s focus on both luxury and sustainability, the critique regarding the ambiguity of the environmental message seems somewhat underdeveloped. The passage claims that the ad’s wording is unclear but does not delve into how this ambiguity could affect the audience’s interpretation or decision-making. Furthermore, while the analysis mentions the past environmental criticisms of the German company, it does not thoroughly examine how these concerns might affect the ad’s credibility. The reference to the aspirational luxurious lifestyle is well-supported, but the analysis could have further explored how this connects to the overall marketing strategy behind this specific ad, which I believe does not fall under the category of greenwashing or misleading claims. In this ad, Mercedes-Benz is trying to highlight its focus on offering a wide range of options and unlimited choices for potential customers. In other words, the brand does not claim that one car is superior to the others, nor does it prioritize the environmental aspect as much as it emphasizes showcasing its commitment to appealing to a diverse range of customers with different perspectives.