The Latest Mercedes-Benz GLE Commercial Destroys Three Movies in 30 Seconds

We still believe the Mercedes-Benz engineers and designers deserve most of the praise, but maybe we're just too pragmatic about it. However, it's hard no to when you look at the latest scandal involving the new E-Class and the unrealistic claims made or suggested by the video commercial.

A few consumer and auto safety groups took notice of how the latest E-Class video spot made the car look as if it could drive itself, and with the fatal accident involving Tesla's Autopilot still fresh in their memory, took immediate action. Mercedes-Benz retracted the commercial but released another one that wasn't much tamer than the previous. Instead of marching on the whole self-driving thing, it went for the more ambiguous - but also more encompassing - description of "it's everything."

By these standards, the new GLE advertisement created for Mercedes-Benz USA is child's play. So what if they chose a woman for the one commercial where the driver has to be made look as if they're not very good behind the wheel, and it's the car that saves them? That's not sexist at all. She's an empowered, successful woman wearing a suit. So what if she can't drive that well?

As for the actual action going on, just imagine this were real for one second. First off, the woman gets chased by a pair of velociraptors, probably angry she ruined their take and now they had to eat a goat for the fourth time. There's only so many goats a velociraptor can eat and still enjoy it. Ruined film #1.

Then she goes on the set of a western film where she goes side by side with a stage coach that was presumably being robbed or something. She doesn't interact with the actors, but a modern SUV is far from what the director had in mind when he asked for "lots of extras to make the streets look alive." Ruined film #2.

Finally, she drives through more familiar scenery: the streets of an American city, presumably New York. And what does our driving-impaired hero do here? Nothing much, she just interferes with the pursuit of dangerous bank robbers. Or, at least, with a movie about it. Ruined film #3. Still, let's not forget about this ad from Mercedes-Benz USA launched shortly before the start of the US Open. OK, Mercedes-Benz, all is forgiven.