Tag: press ad

Mercedes-Benz Interactive Print Ad

The interactive print ad mania continues. After RWB and Axa, we have Mercedes Benz joining in with their ad for the new Mercedes CL63 AMG.

Why “interactive print” keeps showing up

Print is fighting for attention against screens, so the smart responses are the ones that make print behave a little more like digital. Not by adding complexity for its own sake, but by adding a clear reason to engage.

Across these executions, the pattern is consistent. The page stops being the end of the experience. It becomes the trigger.

The useful takeaway for brands

  • Give print a job. Not just to inform, but to activate.
  • Keep the interaction obvious. If the mechanic needs explanation, it dies on the page.
  • Let the reveal earn the attention. The payoff should justify the extra step.

A few fast answers before you act

What is this Mercedes-Benz post pointing to?
That Mercedes-Benz joined the wave of interactive print ads with an execution for the Mercedes CL63 AMG.

What were the earlier references in this “interactive print” trend?
Earlier examples referenced here include the RWB execution and an AXA-related print activation.

What is the core mechanic of interactive print ads?
The print ad becomes a trigger that invites a second step, so the experience continues beyond the page.

Why does the format matter in 2011?
It helps print compete by creating engagement, not just delivering a static message.

AXA: iPhone App for Car Accidents

AXA is Belgium’s first insurance company to launch an iPhone app. Their free application helps and guides you through some basic steps when you have a car accident.

To launch this new app Duval Guillaume Antwerp / Modem from Belgium created an innovative print ad that required your iPhone to complete the message.

Why the print idea is a smart match

The product promise is practical. Help me when I am stressed and do not know what to do next. The launch mirrors that by making the iPhone essential to “finishing” the ad, so the viewer experiences the role of the phone immediately.

  • Device as the missing piece. The iPhone is not just where the app lives. It is how the message becomes complete.
  • Low barrier to understanding. You do one simple action and the concept clicks.
  • Print-to-mobile bridge. The campaign uses print to trigger a mobile behavior, instead of treating print as a dead end.

What to reuse from this approach

If the utility of your app is “guidance in a critical moment”, your launch should demonstrate guidance, not describe it. A small, tangible interaction can do that faster than any list of features.

A few fast answers before you act

What does the AXA Belgium iPhone app do?

It helps guide drivers through basic steps after a car accident, providing practical assistance when they need it most.

What made the print launch ad innovative?

The print execution required the viewer’s iPhone to complete the message, turning the phone into an active part of the ad rather than a separate channel.

Why is this a strong launch mechanic for an insurance app?

It demonstrates the phone’s role as a helper in-the-moment, which aligns directly with the app’s accident-assistance promise.

What is the transferable pattern?

Design a simple physical or media trigger that forces a first interaction with the device. Then let that interaction explain the product in seconds.