It's that old understated thing again. It's an area that a lot of people have played around with o... more..

It's that old understated thing again. It's an area that a lot of people have played around with over the years, and Mercedes sits very happily within it. Despite their popularity with Russian mobsters and west coast rappers, Mercedes have remained surprisingly understated vehicles. They do produce flash ones, and if they've been suitably ` breathed on' by AMG they go like the clappers, but there is something intrinsically restrained about a Merc. It comes from a long history of inbuilt quality, they used to say that they made them by taking a block of metal and simply cutting away the bits that weren't Mercedes. They are not nearly as well built these days but that reputation for extreme excellence lingers on and reflects favourably even on their funny little runabouts.

So the premise of this ad which was I think originally made a couple of years ago, is perfectly sensible, but the execution is not quite up to Mercedes standard.It has a feel of quality, is nicely shot and fits the brand. The message about understatement is delivered quite efficiently. Unfortunately despite the care with which it has been put together the ad, unlike the cars themselves, tips over into dullness. It plods along in a workmanlike way, and if it had been made 30 years ago, people might have thought it interesting and enigmatic, but looking at it in 2010 it looks rather pedestrian. Too many people have gone down this road before and if Mercedes are going to claim this territory, which could quite rightly be theirs, they are going to have to produce adverts which are not just well made, but also have distinction and a bit of oomph.

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