Mercedes Benz has launched an interactive marketing campaign in the UK called ‘Escape the Map’ to help the car brand attract younger consumers.

Escape The Map blends print, online and broadcast providing an entirely unique approach to new-age marketing strategy, and was debuted at the weekend with a 30 second advert that was broadcasted during The X-Factor on ITV.

The campaign follows a young woman called Marie, who finds herself trapped in her C63 AMBG Coupé in Google Streetview. The advert urges consumers to help ‘free’ Marie (@girlinmap, #escapethemap), by working-out a series of clues given on the website. If the person successfully frees Marie, they stand to win a C-Class Coupe and prevent Marie’s face from remaining blurred in other Streetview images.

The 30 second advert has already been launched on YouTube, with viewers requested to visit the Escape the Map website to see the full interactive film. We think the campaign is a great case study of how brands can use the mechanics of gaming - or ‘gamification’ - to create a objective-based engagement with consumers.