Bliss Amongst Chaos: Maybach Zeppelin Unveiling with Patrick Marinoff, Global Brand Manager

Internationally renowned photographer David LaChapelle collaborated with Maybach to unveil the limited-edition Zeppelin at Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. Premier Guide Miami sat down to find out what that means — and what comes next.

"They gave me the creative freedom to do whatever I wanted to do," David LaChapelle told Premier Guide Miami. "I fell in love with the brand."

David LaChapelle, the internationally renowned photographer, was inspired by the ultra-luxury culture of the Maybach brand and collaborated with them to portray the limited-edition Maybach Zeppelin for an exclusive unveiling during Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. The event, titled "Bliss Amongst Chaos," was a portrayal of the Maybach Zeppelin through LaChapelle's lens.

Maybach is a high-end luxury automobile with a price tag of $450,000. The two photographs focused on the Maybach Zeppelin Limited Special Edition and its historic predecessor from the 1930s, the Maybach Zeppelin DS8. In both motifs there are elements representing chaos — a burnt forest, nakedness, drunkenness, and debauchery — yet from all those dark elements emerged this symbol of luxury and status.

PGM: How did you manage to form this partnership with David?

PM: We are familiar with his exhibitions worldwide, so choosing David was easy. We chose each other. We were impressed by his work and he managed to bring photography into museums. He really went out into a class of his own. We feel Maybach and David are a great fit.

PGM: Why have you chosen Art Basel Miami Beach for the unveiling?

PM: We traveled here last year to see if Maybach should go in this direction, and I was thrilled by the atmosphere. We were thinking about projects and it was a natural decision to have this world premiere of these pictures here at Art Basel Miami Beach.

PGM: How are people reacting to the brand?

PM: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We sent out the press release and had a major press response from it. It may be the biggest Maybach activity to have received this overwhelming response in the last year. The people here say it is maybe provocative but a progressive way to interpret the Maybach brand — the right way forward, tapping into a new target group of people who have not had contact with the Maybach brand. We are very happy.

PGM: A guest offered his opinion that he is a bit bothered by Maybach being associated with such debauchery. What do you say to that?

PM: Being critical about the display of luxury I can understand, because luxury can be seen from different sides. The important thing is of course our customers — someone who can afford a Maybach enjoys luxury. The vast majority of our customers are very aware of that, and they are very active in our foundations to do social activities. The Maybach brand has supported the Beyeler Foundation, of which we are the primary partner.

PGM: Tell us about the Beyeler Foundation and Maybach's commitment to this cause.

PM: From 2010, Maybach will be the official partner of the renowned Foundation Beyeler in Riehen near Basel, Switzerland. We are supporting young talents — not only in the field of arts but also in other fields — where we try to connect them with mentors. The Wilhelm and Karl Maybach Foundation is dedicated to this principle of supporting young and emerging artists through established mentors. David LaChapelle is supporting the idea of patronage by providing the opportunity for an emerging photographer to share his experiences with him for three months in Hawaii, supported by Maybach.

PM: If you made it to the top, you have to be able to send the elevator down to the people standing at the ground level to bring them up. That is the responsibility of big companies, and especially of companies in the luxury world.

PGM: Will you return next year?

PM: We will definitely be here next year. 2010 will be a very important year for Maybach. We will also be the official partner of the Beyeler Foundation. We will be in St. Moritz, we will again have events with David LaChapelle and these wonderful pictures. Next year is pretty packed already, but we will definitely think about new highlights for Miami Beach.

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