On the 28th of last month (local time) on the eastern Spanish island of Ibiza in the Balearic Islands. After driving for about 10 minutes from the center of Ibiza Town, exotic natural scenery unfolded. Along the road lined with cliffs overlooking the sea, white mansions surrounded by well-maintained gardens appeared intermittently amid the olive and grapevine-filled mountainside.
Mercedes-Benz's top brand, Maybach, recently held a global new car event on the island of Ibiza. The German automobile company chose this Mediterranean island in Spain as the venue to highlight the luxury image and lifestyle the brand seeks. A Mercedes-Benz headquarters official noted, "Ibiza is a place not easily accessible even for Europeans."
Ibiza is mainly known in the country as the 'mecca of clubs' and 'sacred place of parties.' However, the Ibiza visited this day was far from a glamorous nightlife city. The overall atmosphere was peaceful and calm, with unique architectural styles, fashion, and artistic elements standing out. In recent years, high-end villas, resorts, and restaurants have been continuously established, particularly in the northern part, drawing attention as a super-luxurious vacation destination.
Music producer Cumhur Jay, who has been active on Ibiza for over a decade, said, "It has become too expensive for teenagers and young adults from Europe to come for a casual party like before," adding, "As the luxury and elegant image becomes stronger, the number of luxury brands visiting the island for filming, events, and more has increased."
Luxury car brands, including Maybach, work hard to provide differentiated services and experiences for their customers. According to Maybach officials, the demand for luxury cars is relatively limited, focusing on the lifestyles of high-net-worth individuals, high-income professionals, and celebrities, which emphasizes travel and hobbies.
Prior to Maybach, Rolls-Royce, under the BMW Group, held a new car event on Ibiza last June. The Italian supercar brand Ferrari chose Ibiza as the location for its annual customer invitation event in 2022. The UK’s Jaguar Land Rover also unveiled six limited edition Defenders (Abiza) inspired by the island.
For this event, Maybach not only maintained various locations on the island to serve as test drive courses but also recruited music studios, galleries, and farms as stops. They even rented an entire 'private island' (a privately owned island), which requires about an hour by boat from Ibiza. The month-long event invited not only global media but also actual customers.
As Ibiza establishes itself as a super-luxurious vacation destination attracting luxury brands, concerns about skyrocketing prices have also been raised. The housing crisis for locals living in cars or tents due to unaffordable housing costs has become a social issue. According to local media El Diario de Ibiza, Ibiza is among the islands in the Mediterranean with the highest prices, following Saint-Tropez in southern France and Capri in southern Italy.