During last night’s Academy Awards broadcast, Mercedes-Benz launched the newest installment of commercials to promote its A series, a car model geared to younger buyers. The commercial targets hip, skeptical shoppers who associate Mercedes with an exclusive, out-of-reach and out-of-touch lifestyle. The ad is clever, with self-aware dialogue directed at Mercedes’ interface equivalent of Apple’s Siri. Cadillac, Buick and other high-end car manufacturers have been jockeying for younger car shoppers for years. But how can these ads make the difference? 

Click the audio player above to hear the full story.