In a nutshell: For the tech giant Asus, we created a global campaign with a storytelling approach, to launch their new range of Zenbooks.
In a nutshell: For the tech giant Asus, we created a global campaign with a storytelling approach, to launch their new range of Zenbooks.
The Intro: Asus is a multinational computer and phone hardware electronics company, headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Since 2013, their brand claim has been ‘In Search of Incredible’.
The Plot: In 2021 Asus were looking for a global campaign idea to relaunch their new range of Zenbooks. They wanted a storytelling approach that spoke to and about the customer, rather than only focusing on the product features and the brand.
The Twist: Looping Group created a campaign idea built around the concept: „Incredible comes from within“. A line designed to tell two stories at once, one about the creativity that lives within us all, the other about the incredible Zenbook features that enable this creativity.
Incredible comes
from within.
The Result: In May 2022 an epic film launched the campaign, along with four 30 second commercials, a behind the scenes film and multiformat print and outdoor material. The launch caught the attention of 1.3M Twitter viewers and was incorporated into a spectacular light show on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which was viewed by a YouTube audience of over 1M people.
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Reuben Wu, artist and photographer
We create over 50 campaign assets, including channel specific videos, a behind the scenes documentary and the out of home campaign key visuals.
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In a nutshell: With stories like Alicia’s, we helped She’s Mercedes to evolve from a popular magazine into a thriving ecosystem. She’s Mercedes is now published in 25 markets in 27 languages and has over 42m account followers across all channels.
Alicia Keys © Kennedi Carter, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Intro: Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s most popular luxury car brands. It has sought to connect and empower women through a programme of high-quality, independent editorial content. Their flagship channel for communicating with women has been She’s Mercedes magazine.
Kennedi Carter, photographer
© Kennedi Carter, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Plot: Capturing and sustaining attention in a branded environment requires constant reinvention, both in terms of the quality of content and the channels selected to share the content and drive engagement. To keep She’s Mercedes relevant to modern women, Mercedes-Benz needed to evolve She’s Mercedes into a 360-degree ecosystem.
© Kennedi Carter, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
Alicia Keys, She’s Mercedes guest Editor-in-Chief
‘Top Coat’ © Johanna Jaskowska & Manuel Bueno, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Twist: We worked with Mercedes-Benz to ensure that She's Mercedes content embraced three core themes at its heart: inspiration, diversity, and female empowerment. We invited 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, producer and accomplished actress Alicia Keys to be the guest Editor-in-Chief. We connected her to Kennedi Carter, the youngest-ever cover photographer for British Vogue, to capture a unique photographic essay on a road trip through Joshua Tree Park in Southern California.
Crypto artists Serwah Attafua, Krista Kim and Johanna Jaskowska
‘Continuum’ © Krista Kim, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Result: She's Mercedes now lives online and offline. It has evolved from a popular magazine into a thriving ecosystem. The community continues to grow through festivals, masterclasses, readings and debates. It is now published in 25 markets in 27 languages and has over 42m account followers across all channels. Alicia proudly shared her story with her 22m Instagram followers. She's Mercedes inspired over 62m people.
‘Top Coat’ © Johanna Jaskowska & Manuel Bueno, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
‘Antheia 2021’ © Serwah Attafuah, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
No war is fought only with weapons. The war against Ukraine also has several secondary battlegrounds. Particularly remarkable for the editorial society are the battles on different social media fronts: For the support of other states and politicians, the favour of the economy, the sovereignty over the flow of information and ultimately the question of who can keep the morale of its soldiers and citizens high.
On all these fronts, Putin has decisively lost influence in recent days. Why? Three reasons that speak for a strengthened editorial society.
"You should put sunflower seeds in your pockets so that they will grow on Ukrainian soil after you die." – This sentence will go down in the history of this war. It was said by a previously unknown Ukrainian woman who confronted Russian soldiers – but the whole world could hear it, via a viral video on social media.
Thousands of Ukrainians have already volunteered for service on the fronts, the queues in front of the recruitment offices are proverbial blockbusters. But most Ukrainian citizens are armed with nothing but their smartphones – a simple tool that is proving impressively effective.
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In the first hours of the invasion, the movement of Russian tanks can already be followed live on Google Maps, Ukrainians post footage of battles on TikTok and Reddit – while they are happening! – and document on Twitter which Russian helicopters have crashed and how one can defend oneself against tanks with cardboard boxes.
Ukrainians and supporters around the world share information on all channels about relief supplies and entry regulations for refugees, escape routes, translation assistance and call for donations. IT experts, programmers and copywriters are organizing themselves as a volunteer cyber army via Telegram. And a 19-year-old from Florida tweets live where the Russian oligarchs' planes are flying to.
More important than the content of some messages, however, is the fact that the speed at which posts travel around the world has increased dramatically. This increase in speed signifies nothing less than a turning point in history.
"When I was a reporter stationed in Iraq for the US Army in 2016, same-day information sharing was considered fast by Department of Defence standards," writes journalist Daniel Johnson. "What is happening in Ukraine is only possible on this scale if citizens and soldiers across the country have easy access to mobile phones, the internet and therefore social media apps. A large-scale modern war is being broadcast live to the world minute by minute, battle by battle, death by death."
Not only the speed, but also the variety of sources is new. While in the Arab Spring – the first live broadcast revolution – most of the information on the web spread fragmentarily and comparatively slowly via large social networks and established media, Ukrainians are resorting to all real-time messengers, small and large networks as well as other info apps. Never before has the global editorial society been able to get such a comprehensive picture of a war within such a short period of time.
No wonder, then, that Russia immediately tried to control the major social platforms – with moderate success. One by one, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others announced in the past few days that they would by no means give up fact-checking Russian posts. On the contrary, they are all tightening their controls.
Of course, the Russian government did not hesitate for long and retaliated by banning the platforms in Russia.
But this development is astonishing when one considers the seemingly endless debates of recent years: From Brexit to the US elections, Russia's propaganda empire seemed to be pulling the strings in the background yet unabashedly, while the major social media platforms talked down their responsibility. But the war of aggression against Ukraine is now forcing the platforms to take a clear stand. And this is having an effect: even a rich, influential and experienced cyberwar power like the government of Russia cannot omnipotently switch lies for truth.
Fake news are checked in real time by the global community, and sometimes even made absurd by Ukrainian citizens with smartphones. For example, the Russian military's claim not to attack civilian targets – while everyone on social media can see Russian bombs hitting the "Freedom Square" of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city.
The most important platform – because it is the most widely used in Russia and Ukraine – is still holding back: Telegram, a company founded by the Russian brothers Durov. Telegram has threatened to close down war-related channels because fake news is spreading rapidly and unchecked. So far, however, they only threatened.
Many Ukrainians and Russians have therefore already switched to alternatives: Cloudflare recorded a massive increase in the use of Signal since shortly after midnight on 24 February – at the same time as the Russian invasion began. Signal is considered the most secure private messaging app by cyber security experts.
Whether Telegram will follow suit with stricter controls will become clear in the coming days. But the other big platforms seem to have realised that they cannot claim a monopoly on global communication and networking without taking responsibility for it at the same time.
As German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in her speech to the UN General Assembly: "In a situation where war and peace are at stake, you have to decide whether you are on the side of the aggressor or on the side of families, of children hiding in underground shafts from bomb and missile attacks." The major social media platforms have now chosen sides.
The Russian government spread rumours at the beginning of the attack that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had fled – and was immediately refuted by his video series directly from Kiev.
Vladimir Putin claimed that the Ukrainian government was led by "a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis" – on social networks everyone could make up their own minds.
One thing is certain: The Ukrainian government uses social media with a speed and virtuosity that makes Putin's pompous propaganda spectacle with its bizarrely large panels and rehearsed pseudo-debates appear old-fashioned.
Zelensky in particular has risen in record time from politically inexperienced comedian to war hero in social media. His experience and charisma as an actor and director clearly work to his advantage: he gave his first speech in a suit, but since then he has swapped his tie for a green military shirt. He shoots his videos in Ukrainian, Russian and English, with clear announcements in Twitter-suitable precision. Every day he gains hundreds of thousands of followers, and 4.40 million people now follow him on Twitter.
When the US offered him the chance to leave the country with their help, Zelensky replied: "I need ammunition, not a ride." It was this sentence that cemented his hero status for all Ukrainians.
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Video: Twitter Account of Ukraine's President Selenskyji (ZelenskyyUa)
But there is one thing in particular that is decisive: without truthfulness, Zelensky's production would be nothing. Because Zelensky actually stayed in Kiev and did not flee, because he actually stands by his soldiers and volunteer fighters, because Russia is actually the aggressor and Ukraine has to defend itself – only because Zelensky also does what he says and says what he does, his communication on social media works. He has bet on the two most important social media currencies and won: Authenticity and credibility.
"History is written by the winners" is a well-known saying. And in times of information monopolies it certainly had its justification. In the editorial society, however, news or information monopolies no longer exist. Therefore, this sentence can no longer apply. It belongs to the past.
Never before have so many people had such immediate access to so much information, sources and channels. Never before has a war been documented so extensively. Even his own population cannot be completely cut off from the stream of news by Putin, as proven by the courageous anti-war demonstrators in Moscow who take to the streets despite threats of imprisonment and violence.
Whoever wins this war – the whole world can watch it live. Because the editorial society cannot be switched off. It is always-on.
Bernadette Mittermeier is editor-in-chief of the newsletter P!NG. As Senior Editor at LOOPING GROUP, she is also responsible for the Science & Tech cluster as well as for the conception and implementation of books, podcast, live and serial formats. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist, primarily for ZEIT Online and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Brendan Hickey
In a nutshell: For Mercedes-AMG we crafted the powerful and moving story of Bart Hickey, a blind mechanic. With more than 7 million views, ‘My Father’s Dream’ became the most viewed film that Mercedes-AMG have ever published on their YouTube channels.
© New Step Media, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Intro: Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s most iconic luxury car brands and its AMG subsidiary is synonymous with powerful, high-performance vehicles.
© New Step Media, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Plot: Although established customers and ‘petrolhead’ fans of Mercedes-Benz respond to the raw power of its vehicles, especially those with the AMG marque, the company wanted to add a deeper, more emotional resonance to the brand through storytelling.
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The Twist: Brendan Hickey wrote to Mercedes-Benz asking if they could make his father’s lifelong dream ‘to drive a Mercedes’ come true. We set about crafting the powerful and moving story of how Bart, who is blind, could get behind the wheel of an AMG GT R. We added the science of data to every step of the creation of the story, ensuring that edits of the film were optimised for each relevant channel.
Bart Hickey
© Jeremy Hill, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
The Result: My Father’s Dream was the most viewed and liked film that Mercedes-Benz/AMG have ever published on their YouTube channels. It attracted more than seven million views and 300,000 likes. The film has generated more comments than any other film in Mercedes’ YouTube history, 99% of them were positive. It generated significant earned media coverage, including a prime-time TV slot as the number one ‘best moment’ on RTL’s The Ultimate Chart Show. The media value of this spot alone was worth €1m.
© New Step Media, Mercedes-Benz AG, Looping Group
In an interview with MEEDIA, our co-founder and CPO Dominik Wichmann talks about the early days and the development of our company. Starting with only a few employees and the production of Mercedes-Benz customer magazines, he shares how we have developed into an agency that not only handles editorial work, but also develops PR and Social Media strategies and creates international campaigns.
Will. I.AM.
In a nutshell: With AMG Uncovered, we initiated a new storytelling approach: pairing high-performance cars with absorbing personalities, focusing on how AMG inspires them. Over 4.1m people have viewed the AMG Uncovered Series.
Will. I.AM. © Sterling Hampton
The Intro: Mercedes-AMG is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG, they hire independent engineers and manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles. They typically have higher performance levels, better handling, better stability and more extensive use of carbon fibre than their regular Mercedes-Benz counterparts.
True luxury is
more than a
product.
It's personal.
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AMG Uncovered. Driven by Dreams Feat. Will. I.AM © Looping Group
The Plot: They launched the content series AMG Uncovered in 2020 in order to broaden the spectrum of their moving image portfolio. To further emphasise its focus towards a refined lifestyle, they were looking for a way to initiate a broader female shift towards the brand. They wanted to increase the engagement and loyalty of this new target group of hedonists while still motivating their existing customers.
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AMG Uncovered. Be Yourself Feat. Jess Hart © Looping Group
Jess Hart, Model, Los Angeles
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AMG Uncovered. Unstoppable Spirit Feat. The Duc Ngo © Looping Group
The Duc Ngo, Chef, Berlin
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AMG Uncovered. Chase Your Dreams Feat. Debra Bennett © Looping Group
Debra Bennett, Race Driver, Austin
The Twist: We initiated a new storytelling approach, stimulating the interests of these hedonists by pairing the cars with absorbing personalities and focusing on how AMG inspires them. Among others, we identified will.i.am and Jess Hart as protagonists whose life is a lesson in courage, tenacity, and determination. Pushing limits is in their DNA and driving their AMGs gives them the thrill of independence and freedom they have been seeking all their life.
The Result: Over 4.1m people have viewed the AMG Uncovered Series with an average watch time of 64%. The average number of female viewers has risen above the benchmark at 37%. In just over a year, the series has generated over 20m impressions.
VIRGIL
ABLOH’S
CERAMIC
BLOCK
In 2019, Vitra and Virgil Abloh presented the installation TWENTYTHIRTYFIVE, a vision of a future home, in the Fire Station on the Vitra Campus. Three products were developed and launched in a limited edition as spin-offs of the exhibition. Vitra and Virgil Abloh made editions of limited pieces available online.
Virgil Abloh
Limited to just 999 pieces worldwide, the Vitra x Virgil Abloh Ceramic Block is a powerful statement piece. Each Ceramic Block is individually numbered 1 to 999.
TINA TURNER’S
GOLD RING
Tina Turner once strolled through a flea market where she discovered a golden thumb ring. The moment she put it on her thumb, she felt stronger, more confident. In this ring, she saw a symbol for the inner strength she was just beginning to discover in herself. A Limited Edition, 14 Carat Rose Gold replica of this ring, handcrafted by Tina Turner’s personal Swiss jeweller is included in the book Tina Turner: That's My Life.
Tina Turner
TINA TURNER’S
DRESS
Georgio Armani designed this stunning red dress for Tina, and she wore it on her sell out 50th Anniversary Tour in 2009, which was seen by over one million enraptured fans. This dress is a famous piece of Tina’s history and a piece of it is included in the book Tina Turner: That's My Life.
Tina Turner
TINA TURNER’S
KISS
Tina Turner is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. She has received 12 Grammy Awards and is the first Black artist and female to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, A serviette with a special lipstick kiss from Tina is included in the book Tina Turner: That's My Life.
Tina Turner
TELEKOM
ELECTRONIC
BEAT’S CUBE
The Cube consists of a 360° video collage covering the most memorable cornerstones of the last two decades, combined with a series of six films showcasing and celebrating the platform’s legacy in the fields of music, innovation, fashion, culture, and community.
Telekom Electronic Beats
With club culture organically dovetailing into the digital realm, the design studio’s collaboration with Telekom Electronic Beats acts as a testament to the web’s reflective and still under-explored potential.
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