Dream Days: Mercedes-Benz put its steering wheel in newspaper readers’ hands

In September 2025, Mercedes-Benz India placed a steering wheel across the front page of The Times of India. Its position matched the way people naturally held the newspaper, making every reader look like they were sitting behind the wheel. Created by Team X, part of BBDO India, the print ad became the centre of the brand’s festive campaign, Dream Days.

For a few seconds, a car that existed inside someone’s imagination was sitting between their hands.

The Front Page Became the Driver’s Seat

The ad featured a large Mercedes-Benz steering wheel with the three-pointed star at its centre. When readers picked up the paper, their hands landed on either side of it.

As a result, the page changed from a picture into an invitation. The reader was no longer standing outside the car. Instead, the position of their hands placed them in the driver’s seat.

The copy carried the thought further.

“A dream is never far away. It’s in your hands, hold it.”

Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at BBDO India, called the idea “a test drive before the test drive.” In fact, the ad focused on the first physical connection someone makes with a car. The moment their hands touch the wheel.

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The Newspaper Completed the Thought

Dream Days was based on the platform “A Dream is Never Too Far Away.”

Mercedes-Benz connected its cars with the ambitions people carry through their lives. However, the newspaper ad gave that message a physical meaning.

The steering wheel sat inside the reader’s grip. Meanwhile, the copy told them that the dream was already in their hands.

More importantly, the idea needed no special device or instructions. Picking up the paper activated it. The scale of the page, the position of the wheel and the reader’s normal grip did the work.

Furthermore, the ad was not tied to one Mercedes-Benz model. The steering wheel and three-pointed star represented the wider brand. Therefore, every reader could imagine the particular car they hoped to own.

The newspaper supplied the frame. The reader completed the image.

One Print Ad Led Into a National Campaign

The front-page ad was part of a wider festive campaign across India. Dream Days also appeared through retail, connected television, digital and social media.

At the same time, a campaign film titled “A Dream is Never Too Far Away” celebrated India’s dreams and dreamers through the visual language of the Mercedes-Benz star.

Roads, curves and everyday encounters became signs of people moving towards their goals. Meanwhile, the car appeared as part of that journey rather than its only destination.

The film supplied movement and scale. By comparison, the newspaper supplied touch.

Together, both executions carried the same thought. The film showed people moving towards their dreams. The print ad let them hold one.

The festive timing added another layer. The season is closely linked with new beginnings and major purchases across India. As a result, Mercedes-Benz could connect the emotional promise of ownership with its retail and digital activity.

What Made It Different

Team X used the way people handled a newspaper as part of the idea.

The page was more than a flat space for an automotive photograph. Instead, its size and the reader’s grip created the driving position.

A screen could display the same wheel. Still, the newspaper could place it at full scale between someone’s hands.

The interaction also happened without explanation. The reader picked up the paper and entered the image.

After that, the ad had another life. The visual illusion made it easy to photograph and share, allowing a physical newspaper placement to travel naturally through social media.

Dream Days told people that owning a Mercedes-Benz was closer than it appeared.

For one morning, the dream was sitting on the front page.

Credits

Dream Days (2025). Mercedes-Benz India. Agency: Team X BBDO India. Chairman and Chief Creative Officer: Josy Paul. Senior Vice President and India Market Lead: Pritish Nathaniel. Senior Copywriter: Govind Pillai. Copywriters: Nimisha Vora and Adil Fateen Muhammad. Group Head, Art: Jobin George. Senior Visualisers: Sayali Ovhal and Simran Naik. Senior Client Services Director: Roshan Shetty. Account Supervisor: Ritika Rathi. Account Managers: Anish Nair and Dhwani Modi. Studio Head: Hitesh Shah. Studio Team: Unmesh Patange, Ravendra Yemjala and Manoj Bankar. Production: Ducktape Studios. Director: Ken Rolston. Executive Producers: Raylin Valles and Apratim Bhatnagar. Producer: Ashwarya Chawda. Director’s Assistant: Kkunal Jadhav. Media agency: OMD. Media Planning: Yogesh Pawar, Priti Thakore and Jheel Bhavsar. Market: India. Launch: September 2025.