The Mercedes-Benz logo traces its origins to the early 20th century. Image credit: Mercedes-Benz
German automaker Mercedes-Benz is marking the centennial of its iconic trademark with a new campaign balancing its heritage and ambitions.
In November 1921, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) filed a patent application to protect the trademark that is now known as the Mercedes star in the ring. The signet, which was officially trademarked in August 1923, honors the marque’s two predecessors.
Guiding star
The trademark can be traced to 1909, when DMG applied for utility model protection for its three-point star, with each point symbolizing motorization “on land, on water and in the air.” That same year, competitor Benz & Cie. registered a trademark featuring “Benz” framed by a laurel wreath.
When the two car manufacturers began the process of a corporate merger in the 1920s, their respective trademarks were also brought together. The star in the ring is now an internationally recognized symbol of Mercedes-Benz, the new brand name.
Mercedes-Benz is noting an important brand milestone
The first Mercedes-Benz vehicles featuring the trademark were released in 1926.
To celebrate this pivotal turning point in its brand history, the automaker released a new video.
Borrowing elements from other campaigns blending heritage and education, such as the long running “Inside Chanel” series, the spot relies on an enthusiastic narrator and archival imagery with bold graphics.
“The world changes, the star changes with it,” the female narrator says.
The campaign also alludes to the automaker’s next chapter, a “zero emission future.”
This is not the first time Mercedes has looked to the past to move forward.
In 2018, the automaker honored the woman who is considered the first driver in a vignette that captured the marque’s long legacy of innovation.
Bertha Benz, the wife of automobile inventor Karl Benz, has long been celebrated in Germany for her own automotive achievements, including completing the first long-distance drive with a production vehicle. In the short film, Mercedes-Benz shared her story with a wider audience while emphasizing its own trailblazing history (see story).