SINGAPORE A bespectacled Chinese man with a clipboard and a talent for rapping is the unlikely frontman for a new Mercedes-Benz online survey.
The 'Singing Inspector' created from concept to completion by MEC Interaction, uses rapping and smooth dance moves to implore visitors to complete the survey.
'Hey man, don't try to run; just give me a sec - it'll be fun', rhymes the diminutive inspector in a deep American accent over a strong hip-hop beat, 'answer the questions, give it a shot; I promise you, you could win a lot'.
The six-point online survey is connected to the Mercedes-Benz 'Experience the Star' microsite (www.experience thestar.com) and asks visitors for their opinions on the site and the Mercedes-Benz brand. "We needed to spice up the survey by executing it in a different way," said Rosemary Lising, regional director for MEC Interaction.
The agency strove to produce creative that was engaging and entertaining for a consumer base that was affluent, knowledgeable and web-savvy. Lising said the survey took about six weeks to produce, and that real rap artists were used for the voiceovers.
She said it was a bold move for Mercedes-Benz, but a step in the right direction.
James Miner, regional director of MEC Interaction, said Mercedes-Benz was "fantastic" to work with on the campaign. "The experience and the execution breathes innovation into the brand," he said.
'We knew that we had an opportunity to move forward the experience for Mercedes online, and of the ideas that we'd actually come up with, we were most excited about the ability to develop a rich web experience," he added.
The end result was a more memorable and deeper consumer experience, he said, and the survey has already received excellent click-through rates.
Miner also made special mention of lead actor Chua Enlai from Singapore sitcom My Sassy Neighbour, who pulled off the inspector's role with finely balanced aplomb.
The survey launched last week in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia in multiple languages, along with email activity and interactive banners. It is believed to be a watered-down version of an earlier execution that was deemed too insensitive for certain markets.
