I understand the point but the MB example could be off the mark. According to their site [1] they sold more than 2 M cars in 2019. Luxury yes, at least a bit, but a pretty large club. Maybe Ferrari and similar brands? But they do a different kind of advertising.
I don't think they meant that it's a private club.
Personally, I think it's less about luxury and more about value signalling. Having a Mercedes says that you're comfortable financially, and they're "dignified". I'm not saying it's true, but it's what their marketing generally implies. Luxury is generally just a dog whistle for value signalling merchandise.
Ferrari does different value signalling. They imply wealth because of the cars performance, and they're generally a much more obvious signal. They're usually a bold color like red in the ads, and the body styles are distinctive. You could miss a Mercedes in a group of sedans; you're not going to miss the Ferrari.
The private club brand, to me, is Rolls Royce. I would guess because I never see ads (and rarely see them in person), so my only references are pop culture where they're associated with the ultra wealthy.
[1] https://www.daimler.com/investors/key-figures/markets/