The Invisible Drive
Mercedes-Benz2012
The Invisible Drive is a 2012 branded vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, created by Jung von Matt, Hamburg.
Why it works
A car that seemed to vanish in traffic. For about a week in early 2012, Mercedes-Benz drove a B-Class F-CELL through Hamburg looking as if it wasn't there. Jung von Matt covered one side of the hydrogen fuel-cell car in LED mats and mounted a Canon 5D Mark II on the other; the camera's live feed played on the LEDs, so people on the screen side appeared to see straight through it. The point was the car's zero tailpipe emissions, made literal on a public street. It is studied as a product demonstration that turns an abstract benefit into an uncanny sight, then lets the film travel: FOCUS Online reported more than two million YouTube views within days, while noting the claim only holds if the hydrogen is made with carbon-neutral power. It shared the Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes 2012 with Coca-Cola's 'Coke Hands' and won a One Show Silver Pencil.
Techniques
- Demonstration Makes zero tailpipe emissions literal by covering a car in LED mats fed by a camera, so it appears to vanish.
- Guerrilla and ambient Drives the seemingly see-through car through city streets, letting passers-by and then online viewers encounter the uncanny sight.
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