(April 30, 2019) STUTTGART, Germany —  Mercedes-Benz is coupling sales release of the new CLA Coupé with an emotively appealing film which is being shown starting today on Mercedes-Benz YouTube. The five-minute film tells a story of youth and adulthood, of fitting in and non-conformity. In a fictitious inner dialogue a young adult looks back at the dreams and desires of their younger self.

"Play by your rules." is, appropriately, also the slogan for the new CLA Coupé. Beyond the campaign itself the Mercedes-Benz brand wants to encourage people to follow their inner voice and do the important things in life in their own individual way.

"A unique car for extraordinary people — this is how we see and present the new CLA Coupé. The film speaks the language of a young, confident target group which is true to itself," says Bettina Fetzer, director Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. "We are concentrating more on entertainment than classical advertising here. The film is bold and emotional, without taking itself too seriously."

CLA drivers are seen as individualists. Creativity, aesthetic expression and the sense of being in control of their own life is of the utmost importance to them.

As the first automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz virtually offers to enter an imaginary CLA world and design it according to its own rules with the Instagram Augmented Reality (AR) Filter #PlayByYourRules created for the CLA campaign.

The filter is inspired by the typical neon lights of the Japanese metropolis Tokyo, the location for the photo production of the CLA Campaigns print ads. #PlayByYourRules invites fans of the star brand and social media users to become part of the campaign and enjoy trying different filter variations. The only requirement is to follow the Mercedes-Benz Instagram account @mercedesbenz and select the AR filter in your own filter tray.

The film was directed by François Rousselet. He is currently one of the most creative minds behind music videos and advertising films. Rousselet has worked with stars including Kanye West, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell and Jack White. He has received MTV Music Awards and World Music Awards.

The film's images are acoustically accentuated by the song "Just like honey" by Scottish rock band "The Jesus & Mary Chain." As well as the long version the film will be available for viewing as a 30-second version at https://www.mercedes-benz.com/cla. It is part of an integrated marketing campaign for the new CLA Coupé, which was unveiled at the world premiere on 8 January 2019 at the CES in Las Vegas.

The stills are from CG Watkins. The fashion photographer, who lives in Paris, is highly influenced by skateboarding and music subculture and is characterized by his progressive style of photography. He has worked for renowned international magazines such as i-D, Dazed & Confused and brands such as Kenzo, Nike and Adidas.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupé combines sporty and emotive beauty with highly intelligent technology. Alongside its unique look, this design masterpiece features the next level of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with the Interior Assistant, plus many individualization options.