Via production house Company, Academy Award-winning (No Country For Old Men, Fargo) filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, a.k.a. the Coen brothers, directed “Easy Driver,” a Super Bowl commercial for Mercedes-Benz, which will make its broadcast debut during the 4th quarter of the Big Game on Feb 5.
The “Easy Driver” :60 pays tribute to the 1969 seminal film Easy Rider, replete with Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” actor Peter Fonda, and a group of rebel bikers who are considerably older now. Fonda too has some gray around the temples. It turns out that his Mercedes AMG GT roadster is parked in front of the bikers’ bar hangout, blocking their motorcycles from getting out. Not to worry, though. Fonda appears, gets behind the wheel of his AMG and hits the open road, driving free and easy akin to the spirit of his character in Easy Rider. The AMG GT was "built to be wild" and "born to be wild."
Merkley + Partners, NY, teamed with German agency Antoni on “Easy Driver.”
Credits
Client Mercedes-Benz Agency Antoni-Germany André Kemper, chief creative officer/founder; Dr. Tonio Kröger, managing partner/founder; Marcell Francke, Stephan Schaefer, creative directors; Mark Rota, executive producer. Agency Merkley + Partners NY Andy Hirsch, chief creative officer/chairman; Gary Grossman, director of broadcast production; Alex Kobak, sr. producer. Production Company, Los Angeles Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, directors; Dan Hainey, DP; Ron Neter, line producer; Robin Benson, Richard Goldstein, exec producers; Ari Schneiderman, head of production. Editorial Final Cut NY Rick Russell, editor; Jen Sienkwicz, producer; Sarah Roebuck, exec producer. Mike Radforth, UK loading assistant; Geoff Hastings, NY cutting assistant. Visual Effects Blacksmith Tom Bussell, VFX lead; Iwan Zwarts, lead compositor; Daniel Morris, Liz Lyons, compositors; Michael Dunkey, CG FX artist. Rotoscoping Trace VFX Bogdan Mihajlovic, tracking; Megan Sweet, producer; Charlotte Arnold, exec producer. Color Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist. Music “Born To Be Wild”–Steppenwolf Audio Post Heard City, Phil Loeb, sound mixer; Sound Design Trinitite Studios Brian Emrich, sound designer.
This trailer promotes Charge Around The Globe, a new adventure docuseries that follows record-breaking traveler Lexie Limitless on an extraordinary journey to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle--traveling over 30,000 kilometers across six continents, all in pursuit of one world record. The three-part series on Prime Video in the U.K. showcases the capabilities of modern electric vehicles while immersing viewers in the numerous experiences and challenges Lexie encounters throughout her journey. As she navigates various challenges throughout her trip, Charge Around the Globe serves as a testament to the spirit of exploration. Ford, Wieden+Kennedy London and WracK teamed on the series.
The documentary aims to address the primary concern hindering many consumers from transitioning to electric: doubts about the range and capability of electric vehicles. As a 120-year-old brand, Ford looked to its past as inspiration for the switch that’s taking place today. Over a century ago, pioneering explorer Aloha Wanderwell set off from Nice at the age of 16 to become the first woman to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Now, in 2024, we get to see Lexie, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, take to the wheel of the electric Ford Explorer, reinventing that historic journey for a new generation. Along the way, she meets extraordinary people, navigates difficult terrains, and faces the challenges of a constantly evolving charging infrastructure that puts her to the test.
“Charge Around The Globe has been the ultimate test drive for our new electric Ford Explorer. We took on every kind of weather and road condition and dealt with just about every charging scenario. The journey embodies the true... Read More
