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Domenic Donjuan

Dr. Sharity Nelson

English 1301 122

1 December 2022

Visual Analysis of a Mercedes-Benz Instagram Post

On September 15th, 2022, Mercedes-Benz posted a short video on their official Instagram

page of a blue CLS-Class coupe to promote and showcase the vehicle to all their fans and

followers. Mercedes-Benz, often referred to simply as Mercedes, is a German company which

manufactures luxury automobiles that was founded in 1926 by Emil Jellinek and Paul Daimler.

Owners of Mercedes-Benz vehicles only get “the best or nothing.” The company has tens of

thousands of photos and videos advertising and illustrating their cars not only on their Instagram

profile, but on almost every other social media platform. In the clip of the CLS, the primary

focuses are the three-pointed star (emblem), the body style, and the rear lighting (taillights).

These three aspects of the car shown in the video are used to deliver the message that this vehicle

gives the owner a status symbol, as it is a Mercedes-Benz that has gorgeous, head-turning looks

which will get the driver from one point to another in style, all while being easily identifiable.

To begin with, an important visual component in the short clip of the CLS is the

legendary Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star emblem. There are two emblems—one from the

rear of the vehicle and another from a wheel center cap—put side by side and then become

merged to show a complete three-pointed star (Fig. 1). Although the emblem is very simple, it

has a high shine to it. On the wheel center cap side, the three-pointed star is surrounded by

laurels to give it a sense of luxury. Additionally, the name of the brand is printed so people can

be reminded of which brand the vehicle is. The company highlights its emblem not only because
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of its rich history, but also because it is a status symbol. Some people might look at the emblem

and think about how great Mercedes-Benz vehicles are, but that is not the main focus of it. As

Mercedes automobiles are very high quality and expensive, a majority of people see them as

status symbols. That silver three-pointed star can make the owner look and feel as if they are

successful. They are meant to be driving a fancy and luxurious Mercedes-Benz, nothing more or

nothing less. Without the emblem, the vehicle would not only be unrecognizable, but it would

take away the whole status symbol of the person who is driving it. The driver would probably

feel as if they were driving a car that is worthless and like they should just completely give it

away to buy a different vehicle that can make them look like a very important person who has a

ton of money. That is the whole reason the three-pointed star is on the vehicle, so someone can

look good and boost their confidence.

Secondly, showcasing the body style of the Mercedes-Benz CLS is important in

promoting that it is a one-of-a-kind vehicle. At the beginning of the video, a side view of the blue

CLS is shown before the frame splits into two to showcase the emblems (Fig. 2). Mercedes

illustrates a side view of the car to promote the uniqueness of the body style and the blue paint,

as there are no other automobiles on the road that look like it. The vehicle is shown in a

perspective that is not viewed normally. Viewers would usually expect to the see whole car in

landscape, but instead, it is shown vertically. The coupe-like body style, nice flowing lines on the

sides, and eye-catching blue paint stand out from all the other boring and simple cars being made

by other manufacturers. The background is also blue, just like the paint of the vehicle. Mercedes

uses a blue background instead of a boring black or white one to make the color of the CLS stand

out. Basically, showcasing the gorgeous side view and shiny paint of the CLS helps in attracting
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buyers and promoting sales of the vehicle because it allows it stands out more than all the other

cars.

Finally, another aspect of the CLS Mercedes-Benz highlights in the video are the rear

taillights. Following the reveal of the emblems, the taillights are shown for a couple of seconds

(Fig. 3). The Mercedes-Benz CLS comes equipped with uniquely shaped LED taillights that will

not only allow the vehicle to be seen unmistakably by others on the road. The taillights on the

body of the vehicle have a rectangular shape to them, while the part of the lights on the hatch are

more triangular. The taillights are a dark red, creating a contrast with the blue paint of the car,

making them stand out so they can be visible to other drivers. If Mercedes equipped the vehicle

with taillights that look similar to another vehicle, visibility at night would be much more

limited, potentially increasing the risk for accidents. Additionally, it can make the car

unrecognizable, giving people the impression that the vehicle is cheap, which might draw buyers

away. It is important that the lighting aspects of the Mercedes-Benz CLS are the highest quality

they can be so that the price tag of the vehicle is accurate, and people can see the vehicle clearly

at night.

All in all, the short video of the Mercedes-Benz CLS centralizes on the three-pointed star,

the car’s looks, and the rear lighting to give people the message that this car is one hundred

percent worth the money. The company’s emblem allows a person to identify the vehicle, the

blue paint looks undeniably gorgeous, and the bright back lighting allows the vehicle to stand out

at night. It is important to understand these visual aspects from the short video of the vehicle to

understand how Mercedes-Benz has so many loyal/returning buyers and superfans all over the

globe. Other automobile manufacturers, especially rivals of Mercedes, should post short videos
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on social media like this one to showcase important aspects of their vehicles in order to not only

gain popularity, but also to increase sales.

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Appendix

Fig. 1 – clip of half of the rear

emblem and half of the wheel
center cap (0:06)

Fig. 2 – clip of side view of the

Mercedes-Benz CLS (0:00)
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Appendix, cont.

Fig. 3 – clip of rear taillights of the

Mercedes-Benz CLS (0:10)
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Work Cited

Mercedes-Benz. Video short displaying Mercedes-Benz CLS. 15 Sept. 2022, Instagram.com,

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cih7_8JLlPz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link.

Accessed 27 Sept. 2022.