In the summer of 2013, while most luxury brands were still debating whether social media was “on-brand,” Mercedes-Benz launched a campaign that would unknowingly write the playbook for modern social media marketing. A decade later, its principles are more relevant than ever.
The Birth of "Take the Wheel"
Before MrBeast made giving away cars on social media famous, before influencer marketing was an industry, Mercedes-Benz launched “Take the Wheel.”
Mercedes faced a unique challenge: launching the CLA, their most affordable model yet, aimed at younger luxury buyers. Traditional marketing wouldn’t cut it. They needed something that would speak to a generation that valued experiences over possessions and authenticity over polish.
The concept was deceptively simple:
- Five influential Instagram photographers
- Five days each behind the wheel of a new Mercedes CLA
- One simple rule: whoever gets the most likes keeps the car
But here’s where it got interesting – they added a sixth spot, open to anyone with an Instagram account. Your feed was your portfolio, and if it best reflected the spirit of the CLA, you wouldn’t just take the final journey – you’d keep the car.
Why It Was Revolutionary
1. Influencer Marketing Before It Existed
In 2013, “influencer” wasn’t even a career option. Instagram had no paid advertising, no stories, no reels. Mercedes recognized something that would take years for others to understand: authentic content from trusted voices drives action.
2. User-Generated Content at Scale
While brands were busy pushing polished product shots, Mercedes turned their audience into creators. They understood that in social media, the audience is the medium. This wasn’t just content creation; it was community building.
3. Engagement-Based Competition
Today, like-based contests are common. In 2013, using social engagement as a metric for real-world rewards was unheard of. Mercedes created a direct link between digital engagement and tangible value.
Why This Still Matters in 2025
You might be thinking, “That’s Mercedes, they have millions to spend.” But here’s why this campaign matters for your business today:
- Community-First Approach
- They understood that engagement comes from community, not advertising
- Created content people actually wanted to see
- Built genuine relationships before it was trendy
- Scalable Framework
- Started with established creators
- Extended to user-generated content
- Created multiple touchpoints for engagement
- Platform-Native Content
- Used Instagram’s strengths before there was even an ad platform
- Focused on visual storytelling
- Let the audience drive the narrative
How to Apply This Today
Even without Mercedes’ budget, you can use these principles:
Start Small, Think Big
- Begin with your existing customers as content creators
- Create simple engagement-based contests
- Focus on authentic content over polished ads
Build Multi-Phase Campaigns
- Start with micro-influencers in your community
- Extend to user-generated content
- Create opportunities for audience participation
Measure What Matters
- Focus on engagement over follower count
- Track conversion from engagement to sales
- Build long-term community metrics
The Tools Have Changed, The Principles Haven't
While we now have more sophisticated tools and platforms, the core principles that made “Take the Wheel” successful remain the same:
- Authentic content wins
- Community drives engagement
- User-generated content scales
- Real stories sell better than ads
Your Next Steps
- Audit your current social strategy – are you still pushing traditional ads in a social wrapper?
- Identify opportunities for community engagement
- Create a framework for user-generated content
- Build campaigns that scale naturally
Remember, if Mercedes could do this in 2013 without today’s technology, imagine what your business could achieve with all the tools we have now.
Putting It Together
Let’s be honest – understanding these principles is one thing, but implementing them effectively is another. Many of the businesses we work with struggle with:
- Creating a sustainable content strategy
- Building genuine community engagement
- Scaling their social presence effectively
- Converting followers into customers
Ready to Fast-Forward Your Social Strategy?
You don’t have to figure this out alone. We help businesses implement these proven principles in today’s social landscape.
Book Your Strategy Call
During your 30-minute consultation, we’ll:
- Audit your current social media presence
- Identify your biggest growth opportunities
- Create a roadmap for implementing these principles
- Show you how to scale what’s already working