Jee-Seop Kim, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA, said the company sought to elevate this year’s campaign by pairing its ambassadors with organizations that could benefit immediately and substantially from an electric work vehicle. He described the eSprinter as a “versatile, all-electric workhorse” and emphasized its potential to help charities improve their reach without sacrificing sustainability. The donations, he added, reflect a broader effort to root the brand’s holiday programming in tangible support rather than symbolic gestures.
Among the most recognizable participants is Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, the rapper, actor and longtime philanthropist. Bridges selected The Ludacris Foundation, his own Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment, as the recipient of an eSprinter. “It’s one thing to talk about giving back,” he said. “It’s another to show up and provide real tools that can change the game for an organization.” Bridges is also appearing in a social media campaign as “Ludacris Kringle,” a tongue-in-cheek stand-in for Santa Claus, highlighting some of the holiday features of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS and the latest MBUX digital interface. The campaign runs alongside a national advertising spot titled “The Substitute,” airing through Dec. 25.
Other ambassadors participating in the gift-giving include Martha Stewart, who selected Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital; Lucy Liu, supporting The Asian American Foundation; supermodel Jess Hart, partnering with Baby2Baby; and athletes and entertainers such as Bijan Robinson, Brad Guzan, Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins, Nigel Sylvester, Miles Chamley-Watson and Tracee Ellis Ross. Each ambassador chose an organization connected to their communities or personal causes. Stewart said she hoped her donated van would “enhance the hospital’s ability to reach and serve those who depend on it,” praising the institution’s longstanding commitment to patient care.
Hart, who has been outspoken about issues facing families in crisis, said Baby2Baby’s mission resonates with her as a parent. She noted the group’s distribution of more than half a billion essential items—including diapers and formula—to children in shelters, hospitals and foster-care systems. She said she expects the eSprinter to expand the organization’s capacity to deliver supplies quickly and reliably.
The company is also directing vans to Atlanta-area nonprofits near its corporate headquarters. FurKids, Georgia’s largest no-kill animal shelter, will receive a van after losing its transport vehicle in a severe crash this fall. The Metro Atlanta Furniture Bank, which suffered a warehouse fire earlier this year, will receive support as well.
Beyond the high-profile eSprinter donations, Mercedes-Benz USA plans to continue a tradition of local outreach tied to its “Driving Your Future” corporate social responsibility program. Employees will host holiday events and provide winter clothing and gifts to students at two partner schools in Atlanta: Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy and Leonora P. Miles Intermediate Elementary. The company describes these efforts as central to the “Holidays With Love” philosophy, which began in 2023 as a way to emphasize connection, generosity and what it calls the “memorable moments” created around the brand during the holiday season.
Together, the initiatives reflect an attempt by Mercedes-Benz to broaden its holiday messaging beyond marketing, anchoring the season in visible acts of support for communities where the company and its ambassadors have deep ties.