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Mercedes makes match, places mobile ad on Details

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is pushing its 2016 GLE through a banner advertisement on Condé Nast men?s magazine Details? mobile Web site.

The ad appears at the top of Details? home page and atop various articles, and a click will take users directly to the 2016 GLE?s mobile-optimized page on Mercedes-Benz?s Web site, which prominently displays the vehicle?s $51,000 MSRP. The placement on Details suggests that Mercedes is targeting affluent and fashionable younger men.

?[The ad placement] tell us that Mercedes is not only concerned with connecting with the right demographic and consumer, but also with associating their brand with the trend-setters, the aspirational,? said Eric Mugnier, senior vice president at M&C Saatchi, New York.

Mr. Mugnier is not affiliated with Mercedes-Benz but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Details oriented
The ad urges the user to ?explore the new 2016 Merecedes-Benz GLE,? while the landing page boasts that ?the new GLE SUV? is the automaker?s ?most innovative SUV ever.?

The page also offers dozens of photos showcasing both the interior and the exterior, with descriptions and images of the vehicle?s amenities, style, technology and comfort. 

Among the selling points are the all-LED lighting; the versatility of the six engines, which run on gasoline, diesel and electricity; and the size and various technological advancements, including a system that can brake on its own to avoid a collision.

Although the vehicle?s page is well put together, showcasing a variety of models and relaying relevant information on a navigable page, many potential consumers may not notice the ad because it appears only at the tops of pages. 

In addition, the ad uses the same color scheme as Details? banner, which may inadvertently camouflage the automaker?s effort.

However, if the ad is noticed, it may be more likely to capture a reader?s attention than if it were in the middle of an article. 

?It is much more ideal to speak to the consumer before they?re engaged with a piece of content as to not distract their browsing experience,? Mr. Mugnier said. ?Ad placement atop of a page gives us more of a chance to connect with the consumer with minimal disturbance of their experience, while also guaranteeing visibility of message.?

Going mobile
In the past, Mercedes-Benz has placed advertisements at multiple points on a Web page to better pull-in readers, although its decision to advertise two different vehicles saw it competing against themselves.

In October 2013, the German automaker generated awareness for S-Class and C-Class models through a trifecta mobile ad found on New York magazine?s The Cut site.

Due to the ad?s placement at the top, center and bottom of the content page, its recurring appearance was likely to attract the attention of readers. A mobile ad that repeatedly pulls the reader away from the site?s content may generate more click-throughs than an ad that appears only once (see story).

Details? young and affluent readership makes the magazine?s web site a popular location for luxury automakers to place advertisements.

Last August, for instance, German automaker Porsche targeted stylish male consumers with an ad on the magazine?s mobile site.

Porsche?s ad promoted its ?No Substitute? campaign, which included a call for consumers to share their stories about the auto brand on social media. Choosing to focus on top of the funnel brand building for a mobile audience made sense, since consumers could easily participate via their device (see story).

?The promotion of the GLE line is likely a top priority for Mercedes, especially because it is a renamed version of their M-Class,? Mr. Mugnier said. ?A brand can achieve multiple things by only advertising one product line, with one format ? it brings forth a spotlight of the product line in promotion, while in its implied priority, achieves clarity of message.?

Final Take
Forrest Cardamenis, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York