The Mercedes-Benz #YOUDRIVE campaign enabled a Twitter audience to decide the story of a TV campaign that played out inside three advertising breaks, in one programme.

After launching with a 60” spot in the first break of X Factor, the UK’s most-tweeted-about programme, the Twitter audience used hash tags to decide what would happen in the next installments. The resulting audience vote was shown at the beginning of each TV ad.

Real-time voting data was displayed on our YouTube channel youtube.com/YOUDRIVE, which, after the event, showed all the available films, enabling viewers to drive their own version of the story.

The world’s first TV campaign controlled in real time by social media

A world first use of media was appropriate to mark the event of Mercedes, inventors of the car and pioneers of innovative technology launching a brand new car.

The creative idea is based in consumer behavior that only emerged in the year prior to the campaign. According to Second Sync, 60% of UK Twitter users use Twitter while watching TV and 40% of all UK Twitter traffic at peak TV viewing time is about TV.

By tapping into this convergence, launching the world’s first live and interactive driving experience was appropriate to Mercedes launching a new car to a younger audience.

Lead generation:

• ROI of 9.4:1

• A-Class brochure requests + 142%

• 10,398 qualified leads sent to retail network

• 82% of leads from new prospects. 41% aged between 25 and 44.

• 360% increase in organic A-Class related searches

• Mercedes-Benz website visits + 17% over launch weekend, with 24% unique visitor to lead conversion rate.

Brand content interaction:

Mobile site recorded 110,000 click-throughs in 24 hours. Highest ever recorded by YouTube.

Brand perception:

• 89% of 25-44 year old respondents (TNS ad tracking, Q4 ‘12) took away positive message, most often referring to “for young people”