40 years of the G-Class and the world’s fascination with the remarkable SUV has not dimmed but brightened, becoming as much of a fashion statement as a serious flex of ability for tackling the toughest of terrains.
All the ingredients to throw an action-packed scenic punch are here – an iconic vehicle, a dam wall over 100 metres high and water jets exploding 50 storeys into the air.
While it’s something worthy of a James Bond flick, this is no fictitious scene, but a stunt from the 2019 Stronger than Gravity campaign celebrating 40 years of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
As the commercial opens, we’re given a bird’s eye view of a red G-Wagon driving along to some funky tunes on what appears to be pavement.
After a few clever and suggestive shots, a mirror accessory hanging at an odd angle and a driver in a helmet, it becomes clear this SUV isn’t on an average leisurely Sunday drive.
The camera moves out, jets of water begin erupting from geysers and viewers are suddenly cast sideways with the SUV scaling a slope of roughly 45 degrees.
What’s more, the G-Wagon is doing so with ease, keeping its sublime traction as it cruises along the 101-meter-high wall of the Punta Negra dam in Argentina.
The model braving the heights is the G 350 d, which weighs in at 2,51 kilograms and boasts a combined fuel consumption of 9.8 – 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres.
The idea of the campaign was to give viewers an insight into the extreme environments the iconic off-roader can handle as well as demonstrate its power and ability.
Whether venturing off-road or traversing a trendy street, the G-Wagon is everything you would ever need or want in an SUV.
With cinematic flair, this commercial perfectly and dramatically shows the G-Wagon can conquer more feats than similar vehicles with its outstanding driving characteristics and impressive capabilities.
While the commercial hit the internet on the 2nd of March in 2019, footage showing the making of the campaign dropped six days later, showing that this was no visual trick or computer simulation.
In a series of four short videos on Instagram, behind-the-scenes footage shows the G-Wagon being lifted over the top of the dam and documents the various stages of how the stunt came to life.