Mercedes-Benz revs up interest in US Open through tennis mockumentary

2017 Mercedes SL Roadster

Mercedes-Benz USA is proving that great performance is more than a passing trend by making an athletic comparison.

“Timeless Legends” aligns Swiss tennis star and brand ambassador Roger Federer with the SL Roadster, following the course of their histories through the decades. While many branded athletic partnerships tend toward the inspirational, using humor may help Mercedes’ video stand out on social media.

“The concept is built on the premise that legendary performance icons like Roger Federer and Mercedes-Benz transcend time and reinvent themselves, year over year, decade after decade,” said Alexa Harnett, department manager, marketing communications, at Mercedes-Benz USA, Atlanta.

“Mercedes-Benz celebrates the legendary Roger Federer as he spans the eras to experience classic Mercedes-Benz SL roadsters of every generation – culminating in our latest high performance thrill machine – the 2017 Mercedes-AMG SL63,” she said. “Style, speed, passion, power – it’s all on display when these two all-time performance greats get together.”

Serving up satire
Mercedes-Benz is a sponsor of the U.S. Open, which will be held from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11 in New York.

The automaker’s pretend history begins with a voiceover, which speaks of the gamechangers that exist in every sport as Mr. Federer is shown standing proudly on a court with one foot perched atop a pyramid of golden bricks.

Sports broadcaster Bill Macatee takes on a role he is familiar with, as he narrates the documentary from a room filled with trophies and framed photos. He starts the story with Mr. Federer’s early signs of greatness as he points at a black-and-white picture of him alongside other tennis players dressed in vintage gear.

An imagined reel shows Mr. Federer meeting a member of the nobility during the “golden age.” The narrator continues about the newcomer as media clippings of the tennis player appear.

Roger Federer for Mercedes-Benz

Adding to the idea that Mr. Federer started far before his time, Australian tennis great Rod Laver makes an appearance to talk about the first time he played “the kid.”

What impressed him about this younger athlete was not just his prowess on the court, but his car. Illustrating this idea, the subject of the film is seen getting into a cherry red SL with a blonde woman.

As time changed, Mr. Federer changed with them, trading in his squeaky clean style of white linen for long hair, tube socks and a headband. He is seen getting frustrated during a match, cursing and slamming his racket into the ground.

Returning to the overtly prosperous image at the start of the film, Mr. Federer is depicted as having it all, including a cologne and a private plane.

Still from Mercedes’ film

The decades change again, and with the switch comes a new style as the tennis star sports a mullet. In voiceover, Mr. Macatee explains that even with changing trends, Mr. Federer’s commitment to excellence did not change, as the film shows him on a court alongside a squarer version of the SL that was fashionable at the time.

Finally, the tennis player is seen in modern times getting into a current SL model. The end note from the narrator is, “True performance is timeless.”

Roger Federer and the SL. Timeless Legends.

“Roger Federer, a Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador since 2011, has consistently delivered some of the most memorable performances in sports,” Ms. Harnett said. “With the launch of the redesigned 2017 SL roadster, one of the most iconic, timeless sports cars in the world, Mercedes-Benz USA had the opportunity to align these all-time performance greats.

“Roger Federer represents the same resilient drive, commitment to excellence and enduring greatness that Mercedes-Benz brings to every vehicle that receives the three-pointed star,” she said.

Sense of humor
Not one to take itself too seriously, Mercedes has used outlandish characters before to delve into its history.

Mercedes-Benz has created an ongoing Web series to educate viewers on the history and accomplishments of its classic automobiles.

The series, titled “Museum Monday,” is set in the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany, where more than 160 vehicles are on view. It stars Uke, the night guard at the museum, who gives a tour of different exhibitions and explains historic facts (see story).

Mercedes-Benz also reminded its fans that its brand stands for more than just automobiles in comic fashion.

The brand has released its fourth “Fashion Creatives” film to enhance its ties to the sector, this one directed by Toben Seymour and starring Michel Gaubert, one of fashion’s leading sound designers, and his puppet friend. The humor of the video likely caused the video to spread beyond Mercedes loyalists, giving the brand an opportunity to establish new clients as it ties itself to a lifestyle (see story).

“By aligning the Mercedes-Benz SL with brand ambassador Roger Federer, we are able to strengthen our relationship with those within the tennis community, fans of Roger Federer, as well as with our annual sponsorship of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships,” Ms. Harnett said. “With a branded entertainment campaign such as this, Mercedes-Benz aims to reach a broader audience and show a more youthful, light-hearted side of the brand.”

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