In BMW's wake, Mercedes in U.K. tries its own 'movie'.('Lucky Star' movie trailer)(Brief Article)

Advertising Age, July, 2002 by Hatfield, Stefano

The cry ''Give me a BMW!'' was heard in countless marketing departments and ad agencies after ``The Hire,'' last year's online film series from BMW Films and Fallon, spawned such hype. Several ``me-too'' projects are now in various stages of development. There was, in particular, a rumor that Mercedes-Benz was stung by the cool cachet BMW acquired with ``The Hire.''

Cue Mercedes' first U.K. campaign from its new London agency, the start-up Campbell Doyle Dye. Arguably, it goes even further than BMW did in blurring the lines between art and commerce, and it caused a stir in the U.K. Do we applaud its creativity and chutzpah? Or worry about a consumer backlash?

First, here's the story. Over the July 4 weekend, a theatrical trailer broke in theaters and...

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