After discussing creativity and the importance of imagination in class last week, I discovered these Mercedes-Benz ads in my Pinterest feed. I came across them by chance – someone had pinned one as inspiration with the quote “I love it when the right side of my brain wins.” Me too, I thought. But I seriously doubted the power of my creativity after finding myself so challenged to answer if I really was creative in class. I have a lot of growth to do. But that’s why these ads resonated with me so much. Not only were they visually creative but they also address creativity right at its core – the brain. What better way to begin?
Created by the agency Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive Tel Aviv and creative director Gideon Amichay in February of 2011, these “Left Brain Right Brain” double page spreads are striking, especially in a space that’s filled with sleek photos of cars racing down the road or placed on a stark gray background. They exude creativity by showcasing paint, music and passion in vivid, explosive colors and designs that are literally pouring out of the right side of the brain. The left side is linear, clean, and accurate. The ads are clearly created for a younger, professional audience interested in cars and design, males and females who are motivated and interested in self-expression. For a car ad, they really make you stop and think.
The left brain reads:
“I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.”
And the right brain:
“I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feat. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.”
But despite the visual potency of these ads, the Mercedes-Benz logo is easy to miss. The tagline reads “The best or nothing.” Are they saying Mercedes-Benz vehicles are the best of both sides of the brain, despite the overpowering design of the right side of the image? The slogan also appears in some of the Mercedes-Benz more traditional advertising and is said to stand for “perfection, fascination, and responsibility. The “Left Brain Right Brain” ad is beautiful but I’m not sure if it initially connects with the product they are selling. When I look at the images, I immediately think “colorful, fun, and bold,” which is a different response then what Mercedes-Benz believes its slogan is saying.
After letting myself think about the images in these ads for a few days, I realized I couldn’t forget them. Whenever I saw a Mercedes-Benz on the street, I was reminded of these images. Perhaps I’m biased because I’m a student of advertising, but to me, the connection the ads were able to make with me are the epitome of successful advertising. These ads jump off the page. Mercedes-Benz cut through the clutter and that alone is enough to make me, as a consumer, check out the product they are selling.
Sara Wynkoop 