Mercedes Puts G-Class In 39-Foot Red Pill For Matrix: Resurrections Premiere

The Matrix: Resurrections celebrated its U.S. premiere at the Castro Theater in San Francisco this weekend and guests were treated to a special surprise from Mercedes.

Inspired by its inclusion in the film, the automaker decided to encapsulate a Mercedes-AMG G 63 in a red pill that was 39 ft (12 m) long by 11 ft (3.5 m) tall and placed it in front of the theater. The pill is a reference to the main character Neo’s choice to take a blue pill and exist in blissful ignorance or take a red pill and view the real world (or, as Morpheus put it in the first film, find out how deep the rabbit hole goes), where machines seek to exterminate humans and the latter fight back in both the actual and the virtual planes of existence.

“The G-Class and the red pill go very well together,” said Dr. Emmerich Schiller, CEO of Mercedes-Benz G GmbH. “Both stand for freedom, individuality, and self-determination. That’s why we are delighted to support Warner Bros. Pictures with the worldwide cinema release of ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ with an extraordinary and attention-grabbing installation.”

The SUV, finished in Selenite Grey, is a nod to the G-Class that takes part in a fast-paced chase scene in the film. A G 550 is used by the film’s lead characters, Neo/Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), to escape the titular Matrix.

Mercedes seems to have an affinity for encasing the G Class in odd containers. In 2018, it put a 1979 G-Class in a 44-tonne amber-colored block of synthetic resin. The stunt was done to promote the launch of the latest G-Class and show the vehicle family’s timeless appeal.

Then, as now, the point was to show off the intense emotional appeal of its vehicles.

“Mercedes-Benz has a long tradition as a sought-after partner of the film industry, both nationally and internationally,” said Dr. Schiller. “We have had a close partnership with Warner Bros. for around 20 years, because the medium of film allows brand and product communication to be implemented in a highly emotional way and also immortalized to a certain extent.”