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Mercedes-Benz Wins Three Interactive Awards for Advertising

29 January 1999

Mercedes-Benz Wins Three Interactive Awards at International Advertising Competition

    Recognized by IAAA for Best Corporate Web Site in Automotive Industry

    MONTVALE, N.J., Jan. 28 -- Mercedes-Benz of North America,
Inc. (MBNA) took top honors among interactive Web sites at the prestigious
4th Annual International Automotive Advertising Awards (IAAA) in Detroit,
Mich., on January 6, 1999, with two gold awards and one bronze award for its
corporate Web projects.
    The first gold award was in the freestanding Web Site category for the
Mercedes-Benz corporate Web site, http://www.MBUSA.com, which has received numerous
accolades in a variety of venues including the London International
Advertising Awards, the WebMarketing Association Web Awards, the @d:tech
Awards, the One Show Awards, the International Communication Congress Awards
and the AMA & Desgrippes Globe & Associates Awards.
    IAAA also presented MBNA with another gold award in the "Web site --
promotion/event" category for the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Mood Ring Microsite --
an innovative web promotion tied in with a direct mail piece that included a
mailing of 70's style mood ring and a letter asking prospective clients "are
you in the mood" for an M-Class?  A Mercedes-Benz interactive advertising
campaign titled, "Value," received a bronze award in the same category.
    "Our focus is on using the Web to build and enhance relationships with our
clients by anticipating their needs, and these international awards validate
our relationship marketing efforts," said Rich Anderman, general manager of
marketing communications at MBNA.  "The Web site is an increasingly important
tool in providing relevant information to customers or prospects efficiently
and effectively."
    For this year's IAAA awards, entries were garnered from more than
30 countries and from every major automobile manufacturer in the world.  The
panel of judges included Rubin Postaer & Assoc.; Campbell-Ewald Advertising;
BMP DDB Ltd.; Lowe & Partners/SMS; Grace & Rothschild; Saatchi & Saatchi
Pacific; Bozell Worldwide Detroit; Publicis Hal Riney; The Designory; and
TBWA/Chiat Day.
    Lowe Interactive of New York and Critical Mass Productions of Calgary,
Alberta, Canada worked with MBNA to develop the U.S. Web Site and provide all
interactive design, programming, as well as the developing strategy and
analysis of customer response for all MBNA interactive projects.