What it had to solve
The auto industry needs to resonate with the tech-savvy generation; Mercedes-Benz chose cinematic craft to speak authentically to the esports audience.
The idea
A full-CG futuristic Seoul where a young heroine journeys to the Gocheok Sky Dome, the EQS SUV woven into League of Legends' fantastical world.
How it works
Directed by The Mill+'s Tim Fox, the full-CG spot integrates the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV with the vivid, fantastical world and characters of League of Legends for the tournament's opening, complete with a soaring dragon.
What it did
No results reported; the spot marked the Worlds 2023 opening in Seoul.
Background
For the League of Legends Worlds 2023 opening in Seoul, Mercedes-Benz worked with The Mill+ on a full-CG film set in a meticulously built futuristic Seoul. A young heroine navigates her journey to the Gocheok Sky Dome, the dynamic Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV integrated seamlessly into the vivid, fantastical world and characters of League of Legends.
Directed by The Mill+'s Tim Fox, the spot was framed as a confluence of the automotive, esports and cinematic spheres — a brand that resonates across demographics by 'blending the cutting-edge with the fantastical', as Fox put it, joking that 'while we missed featuring our heroine's flip-flops, a soaring dragon more than made up for it!'
Why it lands
The integration is narrative, not a badge: the car travels the heroine's journey through a meticulously built CG Seoul.
Esports openings now command cinematic budgets — a car brand treating a tournament like a film premiere.
The director's fan-native tone (a soaring dragon making up for missed flip-flops) signals in-joke fluency, not corporate polish.
What you can take
To earn a fan community's respect, fund craft inside its world rather than stamping your logo on it.
Since then
The spot ran for the Worlds 2023 opening in Seoul. No viewership or brand results were reported.
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