Mercedes-Benz Takes AMG Vision GT Concept from Video Game to Reality

Mercedes's AMG Vision Gran Turismo 1:1 Scale Model designed for Gran Turismo 6

December 6 marks the release of Gran Turismo 6 and the 15th anniversary of the racing game franchise. To mark the occasion Polyphony Digital Inc. has partnered with a number of automakers for an initiative called Vision GT to come up with a vision of the sports car of the future.

Among the list of participants are leading design studios from Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, just to name a few. The results will be made available to players of Gran Turismo 6 as special downloadable content.

The first car from the project to be revealed is the AMG Vision GT, created at the Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in Sunnyvale, California. The car’s futuristic shape was inspired by the iconic 1952 300 SL, and includes an oval grille with variable pattern LEDs. For even more added realism the Mercedes-AMG sound specialists created the sound for special V8 engine sound for the virtual 577hp AMG V8 biturbo engine in the car.

The best was yet to come, as the Mercedes unveiled a full-size concept of teh AMG Vision GT at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. Unlike the virtual AMG Vision GT, the full-size concept was powered only by an electric motor so it could be moved around the convention center.

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[via CarScoops / New York Times]

Mercedes-Benz Curates Photo Exhibit From User’s #Untamed Instagram Pics

Mercedez-Benz #Untamed Instagram ExhibitDo you have a few truly unusual photos in your Instagram collection? If so, then now’s your chance to add them to #Untamed, a unique digital photo installation inspired by the new Mercedes-Benz CLA.

To participate, go to untamed-installation.com, connect to your Instagram profile and select the three most unusual photos from your stream. Each of your photos will be evaluated (it’s not clear exactly how), and given an #Untamed Score. The score is based on how original your style is, and how different it is from others that have been submitted.

As you can see in the screen grab above, my picture of a wooden cat that doubles as a birdhouse scored a healthy 89, yet a giant zombie hand scored a paltry 36.

The installation was created by Hamburg agency Jung von Matt/Alster, and will be on display in Paris in April 2013, hopefully with a few of my Instagram photos included.

[via PSFK]

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Willem Dafoe Stars as the Devil in Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl Spot

Mercedes Benz Super Bowl 2013 'Soul'

Actor Willem Dafoe has the distinctive look and gravely voice that seem a natural fit to play the devil. In Mercedes-Benz’ Super Bowl a young man in a diner stares through the window as a billboard for the all-new CLA is being mounted across the street. A black-clad Dafoe materializes on the other table to the opening percussion of the Rolling Stones ‘Sympathy for the Devil‘ and an Faustian offer that the young man can have the car and everything that goes with it.

The young man imagines himself arriving at a Hollywood premiere, posing with Kate Upton for the paparazzi and dancing Usher. Next, he’s on the highway to Vegas before being chased by crowds of young girls, then racing against a Formula One car.

But before the devil can get his signature on the contract, the last corner of the billboard is completed showing that the car’s price starts at an affordable $29,000.

The ad was created by Merkley + Partners, and directed by Dante Ariola for MJZ.

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30 Most Viewed Stories at RandyMatheson.com in 2011

Top 30 Posted Stories of 2011

The following list is an interesting collection of the the top 30 most viewed, searched for and shared stories on RandyMatheson.com in 2011.

30 / The 12 Days of Christmas Underwear
Bonds Christmas ad features Rachel Taylor eating canned pears in lingerie as Aussie crooner Jack Ladder channels Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’. Read more…

29 / Volkswagen AR Experiences
VW Canada’s campaign for the 2012 Beetle features an awe-inspiring AR experience over Toronto’s Dundas Square. Read more…

28 / Jonathan’s Starbucks Card
Mobile consultant Jonathan Stark invites the world out for coffee in a short-lived and much-debated ‘social experiment’. Read more…

27 / Moosejaw X-Ray App Reveals All
Outdoor clothing retailer Moosejaw launches x-ray vision app that reveals what’s underneath the warm clothes of it’s catalog models. Read more…

26 / Spongebob’s Frozen Face-off Goes Social
Nickelodeon uses Twitter to promote Spongebob Squarepants special with a week of Twitter trash talk between characters. Read more…

25 / Infectious Billboard for Contagion
Warner Brothers Canada posts a living billboard of bacteria and fungi to promote the release of pandemic-themed movie Contagion.Read more…

24 / Tetley Canada’s Shopping Butlers
Tetley Canada brings joy and confusion to grocery shoppers by replacing shopping carts with personal shopping butlers. Read more…

23 / Biker-filled Movie Theatre
Carlsberg directs unsuspecting couples into a movie theatre full of burly growling bikers. Who goes, who sticks around for a surprise ending?
Read more…

22 / Reebok Street Art
Reebok promotes Crossfit program at London’s Canary Wharf with an amazing record-breaking work of 3D street art.
Read more…

21 / Ballatine’s Interactive Tattoo
As part of their Human API campaign, whisky-maker Ballatine’s creates the world’s first interactive tattoo streamed live from their Facebook page.
Read more…

20 / Jack Daniels Letterpress Posters
Knoxville-based printers Yee-Haw Industries create gorgeous hand-crafted posters for Jack Daniel’s campaign.
Read more…

19 / Nike’s Back to the Future Shoes
Nike shoe designers create 1500 real-life versions of the Back to the Future MAG shoes and auctions them on eBay to benefit Michael J Fox foundation.
Read more…

18 / Starbucks AR mobile app
Starbucks releases ‘Magic Cup’, an augmented reality app that brings the coffee shop’s holiday-themed cups to life with animation.
Read more…

17 / Boston Pizza’s Playoff Rebrand
Boston Pizza jumps on the Canuck playoff bandwagon by rebranding it’s BC stores as Vancouver Pizza for the Stanley Cup finals.
Read more…

16 / Ariel Fashion Shoot
Laundry detergent brand Ariel lets Facebook users shoot a remote-control gun filled with chocolate, jam or ketchup at designer clothes… and win them.
Read more…

15 / O.B. Says Really Really Really Sorry via Song
Johnson & Johnson tampon brand O.B. responds to miffed customers by creating personalized apology song.
Read more…

14 / Karen O sings for Chipotle Halloween promo
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O provides vocals for Halloween-ish short film promoting the Chipotle Boorito campaign in benefit of the American family farm.
Read more…

13 / Honda Pilot’s Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic 1980 hit ‘Crazy Train’ gets a unique a capella treatment in this fun Honda Pilot commercial.
Read more…

12 / You’re Never to Old to Sit on Santa
New York’s Improv Everywhere comedy troupe performs a holiday-themed surprise-musical for shoppers in a New Jersey mall.
Read more…

11 / Nissan Damned Ponies
A frustrated pickup driver opens the hood to find a group of prancing ponies that want nothing to do with getting dirty. Just when you think it’s over the leader turns into a demonic fire-breathing horse.
Read more…

10 / State Farm Giant Robots
The insurance provider brings the giant house-wrecking robot from their TV ad to your neighbourhood via an inventive Google Streetview mashup.
Read more…

9 / Red Hot Chili Peppers QR Code
A street poster campaign for the Peppers’ ‘I’m With You’ album features a QR code nicely integrated into the band’s logo.
Read more…

8 / Volkswagen Fans Vote on TV Ad
Volkswagen Canada’s Facebook Fans invited to choose scripts, car, cast and music for the latest TV commercial.
Read more…

7 / Spotify Launches in U.S.
After years of false starts, it was big news in July when European-based online music service Spotify finally launched in the U.S. (but still nothing for Canadian listeners)
Read more…

6 / Müller Wonderful Stuff Ad
German yogurt-brand threw everything on the screen, including unicorns, the Knight Rider car and Yogi Bear in this crazy TV commercial and campaign.
http://randymatheson.com/muller-wunderful-stuff-yogurt-campaign-features-unicorns-yogi-bear-k-i-t-t/

5 / Pan-Am Social Media
ABC launched an ambitious promotional campaign for Pan-Am using Facebook, Twitter, GetGlue to no avail as the series was shelved after just 9 episodes.
Read more…

4 / Mercedes Benz Blurs
Mercedes Benz Canada creates an attention grabbing street installation that makes their C-Class Coupe look fast even when parked on a Toronto street.
Read more…

3 / Canadian Tire Spirit Tree
Canadian Tire lights up Toronto’s Union Station with a 30 foot tall Christmas tree powered by the positive sentiment of social media.
Read more…

2 / Dermablend Covers-Up Zombie-Boy
Dermablend demonstrated the power of their skin coverage make-up by covering the tattoos of Montreal model Zombie-Boy.
Read more…

1 / TakeThisLollipop Creates Creepy Facebook Connection
A mysterious project provides Facebook users a creepy peek behind the screen.
Read more…

What were your favorite campaigns of 2011?