After sitting out the Super Bowl in 2018, Mercedes-Benz’s Big Game commercial this year went big, featuring cameos by everyone from Ludacris to Wile E. Coyote in the pursuit of helping a man control his world in the same way that he can control his car.

Created by New York agency Merkley & Partners, this 60-second ad focuses on MBUX, Mercedes’ in-car voice assistant, as well as its all-new A-Class vehicle models that are targeted to younger buyers.

Airing in the game’s second quarter, the ad’s miracles start small with a man asking for a golfer’s successful putt on TV—and voilà, his wish is the world’s command. As he goes about his day, his requests escalate: changing a crosswalk light from red to green, then making bundles of cash fly out of an ATM, then freeing Free Willy while sitting on a pier.

“If only everything in life listened to you like your new A-Class,” a narrator says as the man gets behind the wheel, using MBUX to queue up his music (Ludacris’ 2003 hit “Stand Up”) and change the color of the car’s interior lights.

Ad Age went behind the scenes with Merkley & Partners to find out how the German automaker’s “Say the Word” spot came to life with the help of CGI. 

BRAND: Mercedes-Benz

YEAR: 2019

AGENCY: Merkley & Partners

SUPER BOWL: LIII

QUARTER AIRED: Q2