The Mercedes me café in Beijing’s Sanlitun district is the sixth and the largest in a series of new lifestyle experience concept cafés launched by Mercedes-Benz. The other five cafés are located in Hamburg, Hong Kong, Milan, Munich and Tokyo. These cafés integrate food and beverage with shopping and car trials through an innovative sales model enhanced by digital elements, greatly enhancing the brand experience. The Sanlitun Mercedes me café opened in April 2016 and is now a landmark of this bustling district.
Signage concept
To deliver a perfectly crafted and highly aesthetic signage solution for the Mercedes me café, the A.E. Smith team took inspiration from Mercedes-Benz’s service motto: ‘The Best for Me’.
Visual execution
Signage plays a vital part in the overall brand experience and in the creation of a modern look which attract young customers. In this case, the main sign was designed as a sculpture, with a bold, flowing three-dimensional ‘me’.
A.E. Smith delivered the ultimate in high-quality signage which created the right look and feel and achieved the visual impact required by this premium client.
A.E. Smith has been activating the brand image for Mercedes-Benz since 1998…
The three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s most recognised symbols of automotive excellence. With a heritage that stretches back to the dawn of the motorcar, the company’s premium reputation is built on peerless engineering, quality and performance.
Service milestones
Over the last two decades A.E. Smith’s relationship with Mercedes-Benz has evolved from supplier of signage and furniture to partner for CI synchronisation in China. In a 14-month period in 2015-16, A.E. Smith completed approximately 400 store upgrade projects and 50 new store renovations for Mercedes-Benz in the Asia-Pacific region.
More than 20 years of cooperation with Mercedes-Benz in China and global markets helps both companies to grow. In 2016, A.E. Smith provided service for Mercedes-Benz’s digital showroom optimisation that brought the brand up to date with consumer expectations for multimedia and digital retail environments.
Knowledge and skills
Signage manufacture, for example, used silk printing in place of traditional coating methods, resulting in decreasing the chances of wear out. The rooftop signage boasted a strikingly fresh look and required an unparalleled degree of precision for installation.
Systematic powder coating is deployed in the production of other visual identity elements, resulting in simplifying the manufacturing process while creating a quality product with the durability to last for up to 10 years. The team also selected an advanced LED system that continuously measures brightness and realistic visibility at night, and utilised data to optimise visual lighting effects.
