34 The Best Digital Marketing Campaigns in the World
Mercedes-Benz wanted to challenge the public’s misconceptions about their
ultra-compact vehicle. ‘The truth about smart’ was an online campaign
designed to harness the interactive nature of online media to do exactly that.Campaign budget
US $120,000.Target audience
Predominantly young couples aged 20–35 living in the city.Action
The campaign utilized a combination of rich media advertising and a dedicated
rich media microsite (www.truthaboutsmart.co.uk) to highlight ‘the truth
about smart’, and to resoundingly dispel widely held misconceptions about
crucial areas such as comfort, safety, space, fuel economy and features.The theme of the campaign was all about exposing the truth, and to drive that
message home the microsite needed to feel very honest. So while it did use
rich media to immerse the visitor in a dynamic and entertaining experience
that includes video and audio, it did so without the flashy techno-gimmickry
you’d generally associate with automotive websites. Instead it embraced a
simple, clean design, and featured a down-to-earth, engaging narrator with a
warm tone of voice and an amiable manner to lead people through the site.A series of interactive sections prompted site visitors for their opinions about
certain aspects of the smart fortwo through a number of multiple choice
questions. The site also highlighted previous responses based on the last 10
visitors to the site, allowing the current participant to gauge other people’s
perception of the compact car.