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Domenic Donjuan

Dr. Sharity Nelson

English 1301 122

4 October 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 lighting (headlights and

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 doing it

safely.

First of all, 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). The company highlights their emblem not only because 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
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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 have

really made it in life. They are meant to be driving a fancy and luxurious Mercedes-Benz,

nothing more or nothing less. They did not work hard for so many years only to be driving an

old, ugly, beat-up vehicle. 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 it, as there are no other

automobiles on the road that look like it. People who are looking for a nice ride that has its own

personality to it would definitely be attracted to the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The coupe-like body

style and nice flowing lines on the sides stand out from all the other boring and simple cars being

made by other manufacturers. If someone is going to buy an expensive luxury vehicle, they at

least want to make sure that it not only drives great, but also looks great and can turn heads. If

the CLS was just another vehicle with plain and dull style, there would be little to no sales of the

car. The effect of that would be that buyers would start to look into other brands, ditching

Mercedes-Benz all together because of the boring style. The company would need to either

redesign the vehicle or end production and discontinue it. Basically, showcasing the gorgeous
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side view of the CLS helps in attracting buyers and promoting sales of the vehicle because it

stands out more than all the other cars.

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

headlights and taillights. Following the reveal of the emblems, the headlights and taillights are

shown for a couple of seconds each (Fig. 3 and 4). The company showcases these components of

the car to demonstrate that the vehicle will get a person from place to place safely, especially at

night or in the rain, when all the lights of the vehicle are on and shining bright. Anybody who

drives their vehicle at night wants to be seen by other drivers and avoid getting into any

accidents. The Mercedes-Benz CLS comes equipped with uniquely shaped LED headlights and

taillights that will not only allow the vehicle to be seen unmistakably by others on the road, but

also provide enough light for the driver to see the road in front of the car clearly. If Mercedes

equipped the vehicle with halogen headlights and incandescent taillights, visibility at night

would be much more limited, increasing the risk for accidents because the lights are not as bright

as LEDs. Halogen lights 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 road ahead clearly.

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

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

worth the money. The CLS not only gives a status symbol to the owner, but it also looks

undeniably gorgeous and will get the driver all over town in a safely manner. 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
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manufacturers, especially rivals of Mercedes, should post short videos 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

Fig. 2 – clip of side view of the

Appendix, cont.

Fig. 3 – clip of headlights of the

Fig. 4 – clip of rear taillights of the

Work Cited

Mercedes-Benz. Video short displaying Mercedes-Benz CLS. 15 September 2022.

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

Accessed 27 September 2022.