Lucky Star (advert)
Encyclopedia
Lucky Star was an advertisement
commissioned by Mercedes-Benz
in 2002 to promote their SL500 automobile
. Created by advertising agency
Campbell Doyle Dye, it impersonated the form of a trailer
for a purported thriller feature film
titled Lucky Star. Actors Benicio del Toro
and Ana Cristina
starred in the piece, which was directed
by Michael Mann.
and on stock market
trading
attracts the attention of United States
intelligence agencies
, who are suspicious as to how he can be so consistently luck
y. They cannot find any evidence of illegal behaviour but nonetheless continue to hound their suspect, eventually forcing him to flee. Pursued by the authorities, including a helicopter, through downtown Los Angeles
, he makes a surprise getaway in his car with his female companion Evilina (Cristina).
and on television
in the United Kingdom
market, starting in July 2002. Participating cinemas aired it as part of the forthcoming-presentations block, after other advertisements, to further promote the illusion of a feature film; advertising rules only require clear transmission of an advertisement's nature in printed media. A companion "official film" website was also commissioned. The production cost for the entire campaign was estimated at GBP
5 million (then USD
7.9 million).
Director Michael Mann imagined the piece as if it were a complete motion picture, hiring a number of the production staff
he worked with on previous films Heat
and The Insider
, likening the finished product to the classic 1955 film noir
Kiss Me Deadly
. Although he was uncredited for his work (the billing
credited "Mercedes Films"), he received an undisclosed fee for his involvement and retained the rights to make a real Lucky Star movie in the future. The "lucky star" is the name of the three-pointed star that makes up the Mercedes Benz logo.
as novel and subtle, drawing comparison with an earlier advertising campaign by BMW
, but also criticised Mann and Mercedes for utilising moviegoers' suspension of disbelief
to promote their product.
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
commissioned by Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
in 2002 to promote their SL500 automobile
Mercedes-Benz R230
Changes include new engines for SL 350 and SL 500, with improved performance on SL 55 AMG and SL 600, as well as a new top-of-the-line SL 65 AMG. ABC was improved to reduce body movements in dynamic driving by up to 60%....
. Created by advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
Campbell Doyle Dye, it impersonated the form of a trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
for a purported thriller feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
titled Lucky Star. Actors Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican and Spanish actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic . He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual...
and Ana Cristina
Ana Cristina
Ana Cristina Álvarez Ana Cristina, is an Cuban American singer-songwriterAna was born in Miami, Florida, United States and is of Cuban descent and of Spanish and French ancestry. Ana Cristina showed exceptional talent at a very young age...
starred in the piece, which was directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Michael Mann.
Content
The 2½-minute presentation centres on Mr. H (del Toro), whose success in gamblingGambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and on stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
trading
Trader (finance)
A trader is someone in finance who buys and sells financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, commodities and derivatives. A broker who simply fills buy or sell orders is not a trader, as they are merely executing instructions given to them. According to the Wall Street Journal in 2004, a managing...
attracts the attention of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
intelligence agencies
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
, who are suspicious as to how he can be so consistently luck
Luck
Luck or fortuity is good fortune which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense...
y. They cannot find any evidence of illegal behaviour but nonetheless continue to hound their suspect, eventually forcing him to flee. Pursued by the authorities, including a helicopter, through downtown Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he makes a surprise getaway in his car with his female companion Evilina (Cristina).
Concept
The piece aired in cinemasMovie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
and on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
market, starting in July 2002. Participating cinemas aired it as part of the forthcoming-presentations block, after other advertisements, to further promote the illusion of a feature film; advertising rules only require clear transmission of an advertisement's nature in printed media. A companion "official film" website was also commissioned. The production cost for the entire campaign was estimated at GBP
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
5 million (then USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7.9 million).
Director Michael Mann imagined the piece as if it were a complete motion picture, hiring a number of the production staff
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
he worked with on previous films Heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
and The Insider
The Insider (film)
The Insider is a 1999 film based on the true story of a 60 Minutes television series segment, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive, Jeffrey Wigand. The 60 Minutes story originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because of objections by CBS’ then-owner, Laurence Tisch, who...
, likening the finished product to the classic 1955 film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly
Kiss Me Deadly is a 1955 film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre. The film...
. Although he was uncredited for his work (the billing
Billing (film)
Billing is a performing arts term used in referring to the order and other aspects of how credits are presented for plays, films, television, or other creative works...
credited "Mercedes Films"), he received an undisclosed fee for his involvement and retained the rights to make a real Lucky Star movie in the future. The "lucky star" is the name of the three-pointed star that makes up the Mercedes Benz logo.
Reaction
Media reaction to the premise of Lucky Star commented on its style of product placementProduct placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
as novel and subtle, drawing comparison with an earlier advertising campaign by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, but also criticised Mann and Mercedes for utilising moviegoers' suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief
Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is a formula for justifying the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literary works of fiction...
to promote their product.