This high-octane sports spot is a Mercedes ad

Tennis pro Roger Federer grimaces as he prepares to launch into a killer serve, beads of sweat drip off the nose of South African sprinting star Akani Simbine and a gridiron athlete bellows "Let's go" on the field. The medley of quick-cut scenes are set to the rhythmic rap of German-Ghanaian hip-hop artist $erious Klein and feature the tagline "Never stop improving," completing the now familiar formula of a big production spot from a mega-sports brand.

Thing is, it's an ad for Mercedes.

The effort likens sports pros at the top of their game to the brand's C-Class models, images of which are interspersed among the moments of athleticism.

"This is the sportiest and most dynamic C-Class of all time," said Natanael Sijanta, director of global marketing communications Mercedes-Benz cars in a statement. "The campaign therefore very fittingly shows our best-seller in a sporty and dynamic setting, where it has no need to shy away from comparison with the world's top athletes. This is also partly what makes it so attractive to younger target groups."

The ad was conceived by German agency Antoni Garage, with direction by We Are L.A., the duo behind blockbuster spots for brands such as, well, Nike--they shot the brand's mesmerizing Korean rap video created for the Asian market, work for Converse's "Made by You" campaign, as well as Pharrell's celebrated "Happy" video.

The campaign is running globally, outside of the U.S. The above 75-second film will be running on social media internationally, along with four 15-second films. A 30-second version of the anthem will run on TV.