
Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.
I tend to judge car brands by those who drive them.
It's shameful, I know.
However, it also turns out to enjoy some accuracy.
Currently, I see more painfully arrogant driving from those in a BMW than those in a Mercedes.
Which, peculiarly enough, might also reflect the people behind each brand.
My cogitations on this subject were stimulated by BMW's recent attempt to denigrate Mercedes in a touchingly arrogant manner.
On Twitter, naturally.
It was Halloween, so BMW thought it would insist that Mercedes's vision of a superhero was, in fact, a BMW.
Now every car can dress up as its favorite superhero. @MercedesBenzUSA #HappyHalloween from #BMW pic.twitter.com/Gpb5rvzEer
-- BMW USA (@BMWUSA) October 31, 2019
I worry about the basic premise.
It strikes me that Mercedes drivers likely bought their cars because they didn't want to buy a BMW or an Audi. (Or, I suppose, a Lexus.)
Ergo, perhaps they wouldn't consider either of those German brands supremely heroic.
Yet to drift to Twitter in order to take up an arrogant posture and belch at your rival was surely asking for it.
It took Mercedes less than an hour to offer its considered, measured response.
Nice one, @BMWUSA. That's a really scary costume! Especially that radiator grille...
-- Daimler AG (@Daimler) October 31, 2019
Should you not have been aware, BMW has endured considerable mockery for how its cars have become greater around the grilles.
Two examples of the BMW grille, ~40 years apart.
-- Alex Luck (@AlexLuck9) November 4, 2019
Also, the E30 is still one of the prettiest wagons ever made. Source: https://t.co/4jhRomVDwf pic.twitter.com/0QxQcqmIjA
Some fear it's tending toward the ugly.
Year 2050 ... this Grille has got a nice BMW pic.twitter.com/UPDMi7SzyT
-- Zweli Not Vavi (@ZakNdlovu) November 1, 2019
So Mercedes's pithy response seemed to brilliantly reflect the public mood.
There's always a temptation to mock a rival, especially if the rivalry has its bitter tinges.
But if you're going to do it--especially if you're going to do it on Twitter--make sure that your mockery has a winning aspect.
Otherwise, you might get grilled. (My apologies.)