Mercedes CLA
How do you make a brand known for tradition feel fresh, fast, and fearless?
Mercedes had a breakthrough product: the all-new CLA — sleek, bold, and built for a new kind of driver.
But in the U.S. market, the brand still carried old perceptions:
Elegant. Established. Maybe even... a little stodgy.
We needed to change the conversation — fast — and launch the CLA in a way that felt as disruptive as the car itself.
New Car. New Channels. New Culture.
As part of a global concepting team, I quickly assembled a squad focused on one thing - deliver high-impact thinking.
We generated a portfolio of high-voltage ideas, five of which were ultimately bought for Mercedes’ U.S. phased launch plan.
One key move?
Putting the CLA into the hands of web auteur Casey Neistat and giving him creative freedom to tell a story that no traditional ad ever could.
Casey did what he does best:
Authentic. Energetic. Unfiltered.
And he unlocked a whole new audience for the three-pointed star.
The Result
The CLA launch in the U.S. wasn’t just successful — it was transformative.
Mercedes broke through to a younger, more diverse audience.
The brand gained massive organic reach across new channels.
The CLA became a cultural moment, not just a car launch.
Because when you give a fresh idea the right platform, even a legend can be reborn.