Screenshot of Mercedes-Benz’s @MBUSA_A_Scroll_Through_Time Instagram account
German automaker Mercedes-Benz is building excitement for its appearance at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with an Instagram campaign that provides a different perspective.
To celebrate its participation in the Californian collector car and motorcycle show Aug. 15-16, Mercedes created a dedicated Instagram account titled MBUSA A Scroll Through Time, which when viewed horizontally presents a large scale timeline of vehicles that will be featured at the event. As participating automakers gear up for the weekend, Mercedes’ unconventional use of Instagram may help the brand stand out to fans.
“The concept is called ‘A Scroll Through Time,’” said Ryan Johnson, social media specialist at Mercedes-Benz. “To celebrate its 129-year heritage and complement a vast array of performance and luxury vehicles on display at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Mercedes-Benz USA has created an interactive timeline of iconic vehicles.
“‘A Scroll Through Time’ is an Instagram campaign that allows users to discover the ‘spark of ingenuity’ behind each of the vehicles that Mercedes-Benz has onsite at Pebble Beach this year,” he said.
Altered perspective
The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is an annual event held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Car collectors and brands come together to compete in style, with vehicles judged for their historical accuracy and technical merit rather than for their speed on a racetrack.
Mercedes introduced its Concours d’Elegance account on its U.S. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. Preparing consumers for the experience, the brand tells them they will need to flip their phones to view the “one-of-a-kind” display.
We’re changing the way you see Instagram. Follow @mbusa_a_scroll_through_time, then flip your phone to pan through a one-of-a-kind display of Mercedes-Benz luxury and performance vehicles featured at this year’s @pebblebeachconcours. #Mercedes #Benz #Classic #Vintage #PebbleBeach #Instagram #instacar #carsofinstagram #germancars #luxury cc: @MBClassicCenter
A photo posted by Mercedes-Benz USA (@mbusa) on
Aug 11, 2015 at 4:43pm PDT
When consumers navigate to the event-specific Instagram account, they are met with similar instructions.
The slideshow fills the width of the screen when turned horizontally, with images split over multiple posts to form a larger composite.
Mercedes’ slideshow begins with performance models, showing models dating back to the 1950s in a natural setting, either on the road or track. Each photo is labeled with the year and model of the car, and individual posts within the compound photo can be clicked to delve into the story behind the car depicted.
Screenshot of Mercedes’ A Scroll Through Time
Most vehicles in this category are racecars which have gone on to win trials throughout Mercedes history. Other models depicted include concepts and the automaker’s 2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe, which is designed to deliver a sports car feel in an SUV body equipped with a handcrafted engine, and its 2016 AMG GT S, which is the result of “decades of innovation and countless hours of engineering.”
In the middle, the slideshow shifts to focus on models that are demonstrative of the luxury.
This part of the timeline dates back to 1886, beginning with the Benz Patent Motorwagen, an invention Mercedes credits as the origination of the automobile.
Screenshot of Mercedes’ A Scroll Through Time
A Maybach Zeppelin DS7 from 1930 showcases the creation of Wilhelm Maybach, who eventually worked at Daimler to create the first Mercedes vehicles.
Others in this category are limousines and other preferred automobiles for chauffeuring dignitaries and high profile businessmen.
At the end of the slideshow, Mercedes directs consumers to its main Instagram for more Concours d’Elegance content.
“All of the vehicles in ‘A Scroll Through Time’ will be on display at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance,” Mr. Johnson said. “So, whether you are an onsite attendee at the Concours or engaging online, ‘A Scroll Through Time’ explains the spark of ingenuity that continues to inspire the Mercedes-Benz lineup today.”
Social experiment
Mercedes has previously used Instagram in unusual ways, pushing the boundaries of how the platform’s app can display imagery and engage consumers.
The automaker continued to mine Instagram in creative ways with a maze-like “Build your own GLA” campaign.
Mercedes ingeniously worked around the inability to link images on Instagram by creating a large network of tagged images that consumers can easily follow on their way to their ideal GLA model. More so than other automakers, the brand consistently innovates on Instagram, and its 1.3 million followers prove that it knows how to engage fans (see story).
A Mercedes-Benz executive at the Mobile Marketing Association’s SM2 Innovation Summit said that the brand’s wholehearted commitment to advertising on Instagram has developed into a broader community driven by emotional imagery.
The executive’s “How Mercedes-Benz used community inspired Instagram ads to fuel their GLA launch” session with an Instagram executive looked at highlights of content on the brand’s Instagram account that aided in the promotion of Mercedes-Benz’s new GLA model. The campaign promotion concentrated on creative snapshots of consumers’ trunk mats and used hashtags to prolong engagement (see story).
“A key goal for Mercedes-Benz is to connect a new generation of buyers with the rich history of the brand,” Mr. Johnson said. “Instagram, by most measures, is a favorite social media platform with these digital natives —making it a great channel for Mercedes-Benz to tell its story of innovation.
“It is also the perfect platform for artistic imagery,” he said. “This combination makes it the perfect place for ‘A Scroll Through Time.’”
Final Take
Sarah Jones, staff reporter on Luxury Daily, New York