We chose an ambitious new story for a car dealer; Mercedes-Benz Dreams Big not just about cars - but about things like safer communities. So we reinvented the showroom experience, inviting people to learn a life-saving skill – CPR – courtesy of their Mercedes-Benz dealer. We partnered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. They loaned teams of experienced CPR trainers. Each of the seven showrooms across Toronto dedicated an entire Sunday to training, closing the dealership to business, hosting four training sessions through the day.

We promoted it via exclusively community newspaper ads, postal drops, Facebook, e-blasts and in-store posters.

Over 1,100 community members completed CPR training. The beaming, attentive faces filling showrooms told the story; people were engaging with their dealer in a new way. Customers brought their children, which they rarely do, then later expressed their appreciation on social media. And Mercedes-Benz received the prestigious Corporate Partner Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada.

Even those who didn’t participate got the important message that Mercedes-Benz is thinking about the customer in new ways; in effect, Dreaming of Bigger things than just selling one more car.

Just as gratifying, Mercedes-Benz recorded its best sales year ever in 2013.