Mercedes brand campaign finds a smart critique

Mercedes Benz had recently launched, Nature or Nothing brand campaign. As the name suggests, it focussed on increasing sensitivity and awareness towards the environmental danger we all are in. However, the campaign’s chances of a global exposure was cut short because of one witty reply.

Nature or Nothing was aimed at promoting Mercedes’ series of electric vehicles. It showcased various pictures from nature where Mercedes’ logo was visible in them. Images such as of a leaf’s veins, rose’s petals and even lightning bolt, all showing a three-pointed star. Mercedes wanted to show how intertwined nature and Mercedes’ new section of electric vehicles are. So much that nature itself displays Mercedes’ logo in different aspects.

However, the internet didn’t receive the campaign very well. Many accused Mercedes of being one of the chief contributors to the pollution. Claiming such a brand campaign was met with accusations of ‘Greenwashing’.

Amid this a Sustainability rating platform WhereFrom had a unique answer to the campaign. Through their Instagram Account @WhereFrom_UK, they posted a series of pictures. These pictures included various adverse effects of climate changes, and showed Mercedes’ logo on them, just the way Mercedes did in their Nature or Nothing campaign. WhereFrom even put the cherry on the cake,  with undersigning the images with Nothing or Nature mark. The opposite of Mercedes campaign name. 

The images showed Oil Spills, Lands drying and cracking up and Melting Glaciers with Mercedes logo. Interestingly the last image of lightning bolt has been kept the same as the original campaign. You can check the post here.

This witty reply has left Mercedes dumbfounded. There hasn’t been any official reply to this. However it has been heard that the brand campaign won’t be pushed globally. 

Discussion

  1. David Blake Avatar
    David Blake

    This is a perfect example of how a brand campaign can backfire severely sometimes, as Mercedes has just learned. It was a great example of how recognizable a successful logo design can become, but some people felt the choice of subject was more than a little inappropriate. Increasing rate of climate change is really a big concern for us. We should focus on the development of reusable and renewable products for our sustainability.

    Reply
  2. Mark Beck Avatar
    Mark Beck

    The feat shows that it always pays to think twice about the broader context of a campaign, no matter how clever the visual design. Many accused Mercedes of being one of the chief contributors to the pollution. Claiming such a brand campaign was met with accusations of ‘Greenwashing’. Interestingly the last image of lightning bolt has been kept the same as the original campaign.

    Reply
  3. Larry Colt Avatar
    Larry Colt

    Another way to look at it is that the WhereFrom’s response was a clever and effective way of holding Mercedes accountable for their actions and pushing them to do better. It showed that consumers are paying attention and expect companies to take real action towards sustainability, not just use it as a marketing tool. It also highlights the importance of third-party organizations such as WhereFrom to hold companies accountable and provide transparent information to consumers. This incident serves as a reminder that companies need to continuously strive to align their actions and messaging with their values and mission, if they want to maintain consumer trust and support.

    Reply

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