Mercedes-Benz launched an ambush Super Bowl mobile gaming stunt a few days ahead of the Big Game with a promotional campaign for its modern, mobile ‘Last Fan Standing’ car competition.
Bringing a fresh ‘Touch The Truck’ style twist to Super Bowl marketing, instead of a big budget ($5.2m) commercial, the premium automaker returns to the Big Game with a smartphone ‘Last Fan Standing’ competition offering fans a chance to win a Mercedes-AMG sports car.
While the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles fight on the field of play, Mercedes-Benz hope thousands of car lovers will keep their eyes and fingers trained on their on smartphone screen car as they try to win the high performance prize.
This is a contemporary approach to a classic car company giveaway challenge: typically taking place at dealerships and promoted across local ad platforms (particularly press and radio), it tests participators patience, determination and stamina by giving away a new vehicle to the ;last person with their finger touching the car.
This digital spin on the stunt, created in partnership with agency R/GA, challenge players to use their fingers to follow a virtual Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe around a smartphone screen until their patience or attention gives way.
The medium might be new, but the original rules remain: lose contact with the car and you’re out – the last person left touching the (screen) car wins it.
As the game difficulty evolves and contestants drop out, a live on-screen counter will show the number of players remaining in real-time.
Those who want to play are able to practice before the official competition begins at 6.30pm on the day of the Super Bowl (4 February).
From 31 January players can practices their skills and dexterity via an interactive training game, as well as set up smartphone reminders and socially invite their friends and family to play.
A promotional campaign drives viewers to visit www.LastFanStanding.com where people can officially register and pick up tips and tactics: from phone charging advice, to solving bathroom break challenges.
Once registered, those who share on Twitter that they’re joining the game gain a one-off, five minute ‘timeout’ to use at their own convenience during the game itself: which could prove a vital bonus for a challenge that looks set to last far longer than an average 3 hours and 15 minute NFL game.
Could the competition still be going by the start of next NFL season (on 6 September)?
The stunt is promoted through PR, as well as its US digital and social and platforms such as a teaser video on YouTube,
as well as content across Twitter,
Can you keep your finger on the Coupe? On Sunday at 6:30PM ET, if your finger stays on the car longer than anyone else, it’s yours #LastFanStanding pic.twitter.com/998FxKml3P
— Mercedes-Benz USAㅤ (@MBUSA) February 2, 2018
Instagram,
and Facebook.
“We wanted to get beyond the traditional game-day executions and do something that was more reflective of the social co-viewing phenomena that game day has become with people alternating between watching the big screen and socializing on the small one,” said Mercedes-Benz marketing VP Drew Slaven.
“Earlier this year we launched a digital campaign for our high-performance Mercedes-AMG models called ‘Join the Obsessed’ and that’s what inspired Last Fan Standing. So, may the most obsessed win on February 4.”
Comment:
This Super Bowl tactical distraction strategy has become a full blown trend this year: with brands ranging from official partners like Skittles (see case study) to ambusher such as online bank Ally’s ‘Big Save’ (see case study) running real-time Big Game marketing initiatives that actually aim to detract attention away from the official ($5.2m) Super Bowl commercials themselves.
A trend started by Volvo’s brilliant and award winning Super Bowl ‘Interception’ in 2015.
While the US Mercedes marketers have invested heavily in official NFL related activations in recent months – spearheaded by its naming rights deal and arena integrations with the Atlanta Falcons revolutionary new Mercedes-Benz Stadium – (indeed Falcons fans will probably recognize the football field that the smartphone vehicle drives around) –
this Super Bowl work is something of a tactical and thematic departure from last year’s Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl blockbuster Easy Rider commercial directed by the Coen Brothers.
But, the premium auto maker has been steadily moving into the gaming and esports space in recent months.
For example, check out its late January ‘Grow Up in eSports’ commercial – the latest content roll out in its evolving #GrowUp marketing campaign strand (a content creation led marketing strand first launched in March 2017 which aims to further move the Mercedes brand forward towards more modernity, progressivism and dynamism).
Links:
Mercedes-Benz
https://www.youtube.com/user/mbusa
https://www.facebook.com/mercedesbenzusa
https://www.instagram.com/mbusa/
