Long Waited Mercedes 2010 GLK-Class compact SUV
Friday, July 11th, 2008
Sex and the City’ Movie One Long Mercedes Commercial
Long-Awaited by Fans, Film Will be Rife With Product Placement
Although viewers may not always realize it, movies today are often feature-length commercials for companies that pay for strategically placed products. The new “Sex and the City” movie will be rife with them. It’s not just coincidence that Mercedes Benz’s flagship S-Class sedan is Mr. Big’s fav ride. Along with “Carrie Bradshaw” (Sarah Jessica Parker), “Samantha Jones” (Kim Cattrall), “Miranda Hobbes” (Cynthia Nixon) and “Charlotte York” (Kristin Davis), 
Mercedes’ new 2010 GLK-Class compact SUV will be one of the stars of the movie. In the film Samantha will drive the GLK350 SUV, there will be scenes from and Carrie Bradshaw’s love interest “Mr. Big” (played by Chris Noth) is chauffeured throughout the film in the S550 sedan. So, How did this happen?
Mercedes-Benz GLK Rentals has a longstanding relationship with the entertainment industry, and maintains offices in Hollywood that “explore and maximize branded entertainment opportunities,” according to the company. Starting with the script, projects are cultivated from the idea stage to the finished product and, when commensurate at the level of “Sex and the City,” production and marketing collaborations also take place. The blatant commercial tie-in includes a regular “Sex in the City” themed television commercial that will begin airing May 11 featuring the
SUV. The car, however, won’t even be available in the U.S. until next year. The new 30-second television spot will be far from the only Mercedes-Benz USA marketing tie-in with New Line Cinema’s movie. A special micro
Web site, displays at dealerships, title sponsorship of the film’s New York City premiere, exclusive movie screenings prior to the film’s release, and innovative local-market “premiere events” are also part of the package. A new micro site will launch for the “Sex and the City” movie that will include a virtual tour of the new GLK-Class. It features New York City’s hotspots from the film. The commercial push will also play in Canada, Europe, Japan, and other parts of Asia.
In the “preview” advertisement for the GLK-Class, “Sex and the City” crew members portrayed by actors including a fictional production assistant, grip, make-up artist and publicist are interviewed behind-the-scenes about the film’s tempestuous (but unnamed leading star. Would that be Sarah Jessica Parker they are portraying as bitch? “When you’re that beautiful, and that powerful, people love to say that you have attitude,” says the publicist, “but she’s not a diva.” “Does she have attitude? Yes!” quips the grip. As the commercial closes we learn they’re not talking about any of the film’s leading actresses, but rather the all-new GLK-Class as seen in the film. How cheesy can you get.
But it doesn’t end there. When the movie premiers, May 27, Mercedes-Benz will be 
a presenting sponsor for both the “Sex and the City” New York City premiere at Radio City Music Hall, as well as “premiere events” at movie theatres across the United States, according to the company. Cattrall was even required to appear with Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG, at the Detroit Motor Show in January. After the success of HBO’s SATC series, Cattrall probably never thought she’d be working auto shows, again. Welcome to the new Hollywood. Is it any surprise no one goes to the movies nymore.
“The Mercedes-Benz brand has always attracted trendsetters and style-makers and the partnership with New Line Cinema’s ‘Sex and the City,’ which personifies these attributes, is a very natural fit,” says Steve Cannon, Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes-Benz USA. “The movie is a great platform for us; it showcases Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, shows off our S-Class in its natural element and perfectly Positions the new GLK-Class before it arrives in showrooms.”
Right, it’s great for Mercedes Benz, and New Line Cinema, but what about moviegoers and fans? Well, don’t expect the media to raise a lot of questions about it. The ad will run on ABC, CBS, and NBC, Fox and CW as well as cable channels such as Bravo, CNBC, Headline News, E!, AMC, TBS, The History Channel and National Geographic.
In short, all the major media outlets have been co-opted, and they rarely bite the hand that feeds them. As for fans who want to see the movie, just grin and bear it, and try to forget that it’s just one big long commercial.
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