Most automotive commercials rely on glossy drone shots of mountain hairpins and aggressive rev counters. When I first watched Where the Heart Leads (心之所向), I encountered none of those tired clichés. Instead, neon rain soaked the screen, characters exchanged unspoken glances through steamy cafe windows, and time seemed to stretch like warm taffy.
My definitive brand film pick wong kar wai curates for mercedes benz stands as a masterclass in how luxury storytelling should operate when emotional connection matters more than technical specifications.
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CAMPAIGN BLUEPRINT: “WHERE THE HEART LEADS” (心之所向)
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Client : Mercedes-Benz China
Creative Agency : Ogilvy Asia
Auteur Lead : Wong Kar-wai (credited as “Curator”)
Runtime : 6.5 minutes
Release Window : Lunar New Year 2021
Core Visual Motifs : Neon reflections, step-printing, rain-slick asphalt
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I have dissected hundreds of commercial campaigns throughout my career, yet very few integrate auteur style as seamlessly as this 6.5-minute piece. Created for Mercedes-Benz China to celebrate the 2021 Lunar New Year, the film captures urban resilience during a delicate post-pandemic period.
Rather than treating cars as prestige trophies, this film weaves the vehicles into intimate domestic rituals, proving that the best vehicle ads rarely highlight the engine.
Decoding Where the Heart Leads: The Secret Director Credit
On paper, the on-screen titles describe this project merely as a work “curated” by Wong Kar-wai. Anyone familiar with the Hong Kong master’s filmography immediately recognizes his personal touch in every single frame.
Shortly after its premiere, creative agency Ogilvy Asia confirmed what critics suspected: Wong Kar-wai was not a detached supervisor. He stepped behind the camera as the primary director, working hands-on to mold the cinematography, set staging, and performance cadences.
The Three Intersecting Vignettes of Modern China
The film organizes its emotional weight across three generational portraits, reflecting the socioeconomic realities of modern China:
- The Digital Creators: A millennial couple navigating the pressures of the modern internet economy—a beauty live-streamer and an exhausted video game programmer trying to balance ambition with shared domestic stillness.
- The Blue-Collar Strivers: A middle-aged husband and wife running a modest diner, weathering business volatility while finding small moments of quiet gratitude behind the wheel of their sedan on empty late-night roads.
- The Intergenerational Bond: A wealthy Gen Z granddaughter returning home to visit her elderly grandfather, bridging the emotional and cultural gap across decades over a quiet holiday reunion.
By contrasting these specific subcultures, the film mirrors the broad viewer engagement seen when trending brands on chinese reality shows leverage authentic emotional subplots to connect with everyday shoppers.
Why Ogilvy Framed Wong as a Curator Instead of Director
Why did the production team use the word “curator” instead of naming him as the director outright? Through my conversations with brand strategists, this semantic choice served two tactical purposes:
- Protecting Auteur Prestige: Wong Kar-wai is an art-house legend who famously takes years to polish feature projects like The Grandmaster and In the Mood for Love. Taking public director credit on an automotive commercial can draw cynical criticism from purist cinephiles. The curator label shielded his auteur identity.
- Elevating Brand Position: Luxury brands avoid looking like crude advertisers. By claiming Wong “curated” the cultural vision, Mercedes-Benz framed the film as an artistic salon piece rather than a traditional paid promotion.
Signature Cinematic Mechanics in Wong Kar Wai Mercedes Benz Campaign
Watching this project feels like stepping straight into Chungking Express or Fallen Angels. Wong did not water down his visual signature for a corporate client; he pushed it to the forefront.
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| CINEMATIC TECHNIQUE | FUNCTION IN THE MERCEDES-BENZ BRAND FILM |
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| Step-Printing | Undercranks to 8-12 fps, creating smeared motion |
| Fluorescent Grading | Bathes night drives in moody amber, jade, and neon |
| Obstructed Framing | Films through wet glass, rearview mirrors, grilles |
| Temporal Dilation | Slows mundane human acts to generate nostalgia |
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Step-Printing and Undercranking in Commercial Formats
The standout visual technique in this piece is step-printing, a process developed alongside legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle and documented by film institutions like the British Film Institute.
The production crew undercranked the camera during shooting to capture between 8 and 12 frames per second rather than the standard 24 frames per second. In post-production, each individual frame was duplicated to conform the playback speed to broadcast specifications.
This deliberate processing produces a hypnotic motion smear. While taillights and city street signs blur into fluid light streaks, the actors’ faces inside the car cabins remain sharp and isolated. It physically visualizes the alienation of crowded metropolitan life.
Saturated Color Grading and Claustrophobic Framing
Wong and production designer William Chang reject standard, sterilised automotive lighting. Instead, the scenes bathe in saturated emerald greens, sodium-vapor ambers, and moody deep crimsons.
The camera frequently sits in the back passenger seat, filming characters through rain-splattered side windows, rearview mirrors, and steamy windshields. These obstructed frames build a voyeuristic intimacy. We do not feel like consumers evaluating a car purchase; we feel like eavesdroppers sharing an unscripted ride with vulnerable strangers.
The Strategic Playbook for Luxury Automotive Branding
Traditional car advertising often falls flat in East Asian markets during holiday seasons because heavy-handed sales pitches clash with family values. This commercial avoided that trap entirely.
Emotion Over Engine Specs: Winning the Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year centers on the world’s largest annual human migration: Chunyun. Millions of people travel across country lines to share meals with loved ones. By titling the short Where the Heart Leads, Wong anchored the entire narrative to emotional homecomings.
The vehicle never takes center stage as an athletic speed machine. Instead, it becomes a safe emotional sanctuary—a warm shelter that protects passengers from cold winter drizzle and safely carries them toward personal reconciliation.
Much like how netflix bling empire shows a path for luxury brands through aspirational, character-led lifestyle storytelling, Mercedes-Benz recognized that lifestyle identity always out-sells cold mechanical performance data.
Cultural Resonance Across Demographic Fault Lines
Automakers in China face an acute marketing dilemma: older buyers prize conservative reliability, while Gen Z shoppers demand bold digital expression. Wong reconciled this divide by assigning unique narrative weight to each generation in the short:
- The elderly grandfather reflects enduring heritage, honoring the classic dignity long associated with Mercedes-Benz sedans.
- The young live-streamer and tech worker reflect modern mobility, presenting the brand as an intuitive companion for the country’s fast-moving creative class.
Rather than fragmenting its marketing message, Mercedes-Benz unified both customer groups within a single cohesive story of mutual affection and shared travel.
The Cinephile Verdict: Auteur Artistry or Commercial Compromise?
Is this brand film pick wong kar wai curates for mercedes benz high art or just an expensive commercial? Having revisited the short multiple times alongside Wong’s broader filmography, I consider it a genuine addition to his visual canon.
Wong did not dilute his artistic identity to satisfy a corporate checklist. Instead, he forced a multinational automaker to inhabit his melancholic, neon-drenched universe. For brand leaders and creative directors, the lesson is straightforward: when you partner with a legendary auteur, step out of the way and let their visual grammar tell your brand story.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Campaign
1. Did Wong Kar-wai actually direct the Mercedes-Benz brand film?
Yes, creative agency Ogilvy Asia confirmed Wong Kar-wai directed the short film despite receiving an on-screen “curator” credit.
2. What is the official title of the Wong Kar-wai Mercedes-Benz short?
The short is titled Where the Heart Leads (心之所向) and was created for the 2021 Lunar New Year.
3. What camera techniques define this Wong Kar-wai commercial?
The piece relies heavily on step-printed slow motion, saturated neon lighting, rain-slicked sets, and shallow depth of field.
4. What are the main story vignettes featured in the brand film?
The film depicts a millennial digital creator couple, middle-aged diner owners, and a wealthy granddaughter visiting her grandfather.
