Roger Federer Meets Mercedes-Benz Mastery in ‘The Art of Craftsmanship’
“Our job is to be a translator of emotions,” the Parisian director duo Original Kids (OG Kids) say. “Every film is a single experience, and we really enjoyed working on this one.”
The duo created ‘The Art of Craftmanship’ starring tennis legend Roger Federer for MANUFAKTUR, Mercedes-Benz’s customisation program. OG Kids and creative director Gustavo Sato worked on the project together for the German production company LE BERG and focused on minute details to make the campaign come to life.
The spot shows Roger Federer in a museum with Mercedes-Benz craftsmanship as art pieces, showcasing the S-Class as a sculpture of detailed engineering. Throughout the piece, the tennis player narrates his experience in the art space. The audience sees the intricate details of the handmade Mercedes-Benz items displayed in the museum with epic string music in the background.
“It’s never a coincidence”
The one-minute spot was shot on 35mm analogue film by cinematographer Xiaolong Liu because “that way the film was able to catch the colour metric space.” A 35mm analogue film can retain quality and greater depth of detail whilst also managing to bring something conversely soft and warm to the image. Through that, OG Kids were able to show the set in the most “precise, accurate and stylish way.”
The set was intentionally planned and crafted. Creative director Gustavo Sato explains further how the team created the craftsmanship museum for the campaign: “The steering wheel, the leather wall, the big plates, all of it real and was done on set.”
The museum, the colours and the set design were all an ode to Rogers and the craftsmanship of MANUFAKTUR. OG kids say: “So the type of leather, the type of sewing, the colours, the steering wheels... all of it was a metaphor for Roger Federer's playground.” The final look of the museum was a “good mix”, they add. “You can see everything visually standing out from the set without being too sterile, which makes everything come together in synergy.”
The music was composed by “close friend” Andrea Lo, OG Kids say. “He's a true musician. Our approach for this film was to get something elegant and epic at the same time because we needed to bring that sense of epicness through the film. They say they wanted to highlight the museum's emotional experience, and the music's evolving rhythm was helpful in doing that.
“Excellence demands commitment”
One of the significant challenges was the quick turnaround OG kids share. “We wanted to show an advanced personalisation experience for customers through the eye of Roger.” So, getting an idea of Roger’s personality was important while creating the story idea.
Another crucial thing to highlight was the brand identity of Mercedes-Benz's MANUFAKTUR. Gustavo stresses the versatility of the cars and how personalised they are through handmade craftsmanship. “Making people understand the value of handcrafting was a big goal and part of the creative process."
The creative team also visited Stuttgart, Germany, to see the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing process in person, where they were able to see the handmade car pieces in person. “It inspired us a lot”, OG Kids say. The detail-driven work is very similar to tennis, in a way.”
“On and off the court”
While creating the campaign, the former tennis player Roger Federer played a significant role. “It was about expressing advanced craftsmanship in the car industry, through the eye of someone who has a similar approach to his sports career.”
After watching tapes of Roger for research, the team came to appreciate his “elegant” and “light” game style, while retaining “extreme precision” in his work – all qualities shared by the Mercedes-Benz MANUFAKTUR cars. The cars have “so many different textures and details," making them unique and luxurious. “In the end, it is all about the details,” OG Kids say.
