Mercedes-Benz is getting more affordable. It has just launched its all-new C230 sports coupe, priced at $24,950 plus a $645 destination charge. According to M-B USA, "the sports coupe marks an aggressive foray into the highly competitive entry-luxury segment, which accounts for approximately 75 percent of all luxury market sales." Now they need to convince younger buyers that a Mercedes-Benz is not a stodgy, old-person's car.

Speaking of the overall marketing effort behind the C230 sports coupe, Ken Enders, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA, said, "The new sports coupe represents an enormous -- and completely new -- opportunity for us. The marketing behind it has to not only reach these younger buyers but also challenge their perceptions of Mercedes-Benz both in terms of affordability and relevancy. The sports coupe is a dynamic, sporty, exuberant expression of the Mercedes-Benz brand and the marketing is designed to reflect this."

The introductory 30-second television ad, created by M-B USA's advertising agency Merkley Newman Harty (MNH), New York, is called "Change Lanes." In the spot, a 30-ish driver joyfully maneuvers his C-Coupe though the city and the countryside in a transforming drive. Savoring the moment and enjoying the ability to change lanes are emphasized by the quirky beat of the Geggy Tah song "Whoever You Are." The spot closes with a super that states: "The new C-Coupe. Change Lanes."

Keyed into this new group, M-B USA will also be using new tools to reach these buyers including Palm Pilot downloads, highly interactive Digicards that allow consumers to navigate through product info and enter a sweepstakes. The sports coupe is also the beneficiary of the company's largest Web effort to date, featuring a high-tech, highly customizable microsite incorporating the latest Flash technology. Online media for the brand includes search engines, automotive web sites, financial sites, E!Online, Shockwave, WebTV and such wireless applications as Avantgo, Vindigo and Windwire.

M-B USA expects the C230 sports coupe to play an important part in its plans to achieve its highest annual sales volume on record with 2001 sales surpassing the 205,000 sold in 2000.