A To B
by Alan Douglas (18 Aug 05)

Forget Aberdeen, Aberystwyth or Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Whatever A-town you're setting off from, according to Mercedes, you'll end up in B. Which B-town they don't specify so you could find yourself in Bognor, Blackpool or, if you're not careful, the quaint North Yorkshire village of Bedlam. Regardless of your journey, they want you to make it in their new B-Class multi-activity vehicle, which is why their £4 million advertising campaign is called "All Roads Lead to B", even if, confusingly, you might happen to be heading for the little spot of Zeal Monachorum in deepest Devon.

It's a catchy theme and the highest-profile part of the campaign is a series of TV ads which has been going out over 44 nights in the run-up to the launch on September 15th. But what is different about this campaign is that each night sees a different mini theme designed to show the versatility of the car. The ads are innovative and do well to highlight the new car's attributes of generous space and practicality while still having style and design and good driving dynamics.

Quite simply, and not surprisingly, the B-Class fits in neatly between the existing A-Class compact MPV and the conventional C-Class estate. It shares some of the engines and transmission of the A-Class but is 40cm longer with 60 litres more boot space than the C-Class estate.

It's also more stylish, designed alongside the forthcoming and eagerly-awaited R-Class which will be with us next year. It will have to fight for its place in a very competitive market occupied by the likes of the Vauxhall Zafira, the Renault Scenic, VW's Touran and Golf Plus, the Peugeot 307 SW and Ford's C-MAX but at the higher price range and offering greater status and quality.

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