Translating that philosophy into new types of products for collaborations sounds incredibly complex. Is there a specific way in which you approach collaborating on different product categories while maintaining the Mercedes brand/look?
We are extremely careful with the selection of our cooperation partners. The following questions accompany us in the selection of our partner: Do we have the same understanding of what beautiful design means? Can the design approaches of a potential partner be reconciled with our design philosophy of Sensual Purity? Do we share the same passion for craftsmanship at the highest level? Does the partner have a technology that meets the high standards that we manifest with our cars?
In Master & Dynamic we have found such a partner. The products are characterized by great clarity in design. The use of authentic materials, their skillful craftsmanship and the application of the latest technology, which leads to a fascinating sound experience, have the same importance as in our cars and lead to a sensual perception of the products.
Mercedes-Benz has a dynamic reach, and works with global brands across different sectors. How do you and your team come to understand the different environments your products will be used in?
We look at our target groups. When we think of products beyond the car, what matters to us is which ones might be relevant to our customers. Music and its whole environment is such an interesting product field. We always want to learn from our partners what is important to them with a product in order to learn for our own product.
Mercedes-Benz has been designing luxury vehicles since 1926. Can you describe what the main design philosophy is?
The designers of the Mercedes-Benz design department are involved between the poles of tradition and modernity to develop the cars of the future. Everything they do starts from, and comes back to, sensuality on one hand and purity on the other. Thus, their design philosophy is Sensual Purity, which in a nutshell is called: Hot & Cool. Hot means falling in love with something, and is an expression of the designers’ passion for beauty. On the other side, Cool is unexpected, technoid and reduced, something completely new, never seen before, which surprises. So for us Sensual Purity is a leitmotif, but not a rigid frame. We pick up on current trends and developments. At the same time, we establish new trends ourselves with our design.
Where does your team draw inspiration from during the design process?
We always take a holistic approach when working on a project like the Master & Dynamic products. How can we ensure that wherever a customer comes into contact with our brand, the values and identity of Mercedes-Benz are immediately visible? So we are inspired by what we have already created elsewhere - our car design, our brand aesthetics specific to each brand of the company, our communication strategy, to name just a few aspects, but also all the information from the partner and of course everything that happens in our diverse world.
The new partnership between Mercedes and Master & Dynamic celebrates the two brands' shared passion for high-quality craftsmanship and advanced technology. What other aspects of Mercedes and Master & Dynamic did your team want the collection to evoke?
Master & Dynamic, has a clear vision - to be the luxury brand in its field. We fully share this mission and want to bring our understanding of luxury into the world.
