Bertha Benz: The Journey That Changed Everything - Mercedes | Clapboard Ad Archive

Mercedes’s 2019 campaign Bertha Benz: The Journey That Changed Everything, created by antoni for the German automotive market, revisits a pivotal moment in automotive history through the lens of pioneering female empowerment and technological innovation. This cinematic film commemorates the 1888 journey undertaken by Bertha Benz, whose determination to validate her husband Carl Benz’s invention propelled the first long-distance automobile trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim, covering 106 kilometers at a time when skepticism about motor vehicles was widespread. By dramatizing Bertha’s resourcefulness in overcoming mechanical failures and logistical challenges—such as sourcing fuel from a pharmacy, clearing clogged fuel lines with a hat pin, and insulating the vehicle’s wiring with her garter—the campaign centers the Benz Patent Motor Car as both the vehicle and catalyst for progress. The narrative’s stylistic choice to blend the aesthetics of a classic Western with contemporary cinematic elements underscores the tension between fear, curiosity, and awe that surrounded the nascent technology, while highlighting Bertha’s resilience and visionary role in shaping mobility’s future. This approach situates the product not merely as a historical artifact but as a living symbol of innovation, endurance, and empowerment, aligning Mercedes-Benz’s heritage with present-day values in a way that reinforces brand identity and emotional resonance. What Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#5—Exemplary Story—the campaign integrates the product at the core of its storytelling, with the vehicle’s capabilities and limitations driving the plot and resolution, rather than serving as a passive backdrop or mere prop. The film’s release on International Women’s Day further amplifies its message of female agency in a traditionally male-dominated industry, inviting audiences to engage with the brand’s legacy through digital platforms such as Mercedes-Benz’s YouTube channel and social media. Clapboard rates this campaign 86/100. This campaign matters to the industry because it demonstrates how automotive storytelling can transcend product demonstration to embody cultural values and historical narratives that deepen brand relevance and inspire future innovation.