Cadillac

You are currently browsing articles tagged Cadillac.

Cadillac and BBH. Hitting the Mark?

May 12, 2010 in Marketing | 0 Comments

The new advertising coming out of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) for General Motors Cadillac Division is quite nice to look at and listen to. It begins and ends with the Cadillac grille emblem, which may or may not have been redesigned for the TV spots. The tagline beneath the emblem at the end of the work read “Mark of Leadership.”

I often snap to judge but since a big fan of BBH I’ll hold off until seeing more of the body of work before I go long form.  That said, anyone who reads What’s The Idea knows I’m an idea guy.   “Mark of Leadership” is an idea. Leadership is an overused marketing concept but it’s rich and doable – if you are a leader. Cadillac is and has been a leader, but the demonstrations will most definitely need to deliver, otherwise it’s just cheese. 

I’ve seen the first three TV spots and must admit the car designs don’t look so hot. The station wagon looking model, the coolest of the bunch, is nice on the eyes but the other two models are best shot at night. 

BBH needs to find its voice, its idea and then not fall into the Detroit compromise trap.  I’m not saying don’t show the boxy angular cars, but just focus on their best body parts. Create an allure for the mark that a parent has for newborn. “Isn’t she beautiful.”

Nice film, nice music, energetic editing – BBH.  Now find an idea with ballast and load it up! Peace!

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , , , , , ,

Predicktions[sic].

December 30, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

I came across a great 2010 predictions article this morning, though I had to find it by reading John Durham’s wall on Facebook (John is a principle of Catalyst:SF a haps dig. co.), which pointed me to a IAB SmarBriefs piece, that directed me to, of all places, Adweek. Can you say circuitous? Here’s the piece.

Anyway, it made me think about doing a couple of predictions of my own.  (RIP William Safire…I loved your yearly predictions with the multiple choice answers.)

 Here are my predicktions:

  •  The Dachis Group will be purchased by a big consulting company. Capgemini perhaps.
  • Razorfish will snap out of its post-Microsoft “Where are my stock options?” malaise and see mad growth fueled by traditional brand business.
  • Iran will continue to revolt and the Iranian gov’t will buy Twitter.
  • Pete Doherty will clean up, become a father and get hit by a bus of tourists.
  • Gareth Kay’s name will make it to Goodby’s stationery.
  • BBH will lose the Cadillac pitch because of a dream someone at GM had.
  • The economy will show signs of real life by the time the leaves pop.
  • Brand strategy will make a comeback following tactics-palooza.  
  • A teenage with a vowel in her name will emerge as the next Mark Zuckerberg.

 Peace it up!

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is the Economy Turning?

July 1, 2009 in Marketing | 0 Comments

The front page of The New York Times today has pictures of smiling Iraqis, smiling Al Franken, a smiling German choreographer, a not so smiling uninsured couple and a big fat, juicy hamburger.  4 out of 5 ain’t bad. The first section of the Times is 34 pages thick with ads from Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Verizon, Liberty Travel, HSBC, New Balance, Chevrolet, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Sirius-XM radio and Cadillac.

 

The financial pages suggest hope and the bank ads are about saving, not spending. My friend Cory Teffiletti, who publishes a newsletter called “The Digital Influencials,” is once again filling his space with some exciting start-ups and Twitter is growing so fast, we marketers haven’t quite figured out what to do with it. In fact, it seems there is a Twitter Conference on every corner of every major city this summer.

 

Right or wrong, marketers of every stripe are embracing social media as a new way to improve sales and that has started up a cottage industry of consultants. Social media is also making traditional agencies fight harder for their breakfast – another good thing. Embrace the good people. I smell goodness in the market. Peace!

 

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Detroit Bail-out Challenge – No Winner.

December 3, 2008 in Marketing | 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I issued a challenge that would reward one of Detroit’s Big 3 auto makers with all $25 billion in requested bailout funds. There was to be only one winner and that winner had to demonstrate it “got it” by presenting a plan forward to profitability. The challenge required each company show vision and commitment to smart design, resulting in vast improvements to natural resource consumption and reduced emissions.   

What Detroit came back with was a bigger hat (to put money in), lots of cuts, lots of sales (buh-bye Hummer, Saturn and Saab,) agreements to renegotiate with the UAW, plant closings and a lot of other below-the-line, cost-cutting initiatives. Oh yeah, they all said – probably in the last paragraph of the leave-behind – they “would accelerate their timetables to make more fuel efficient vehicles." RUKiddingME?

Had GM come back with a plan in which they decided to keep scaled back versions of Cadillac, Saturn and GMC only, had Chryslercommitted $8B to research and development of electric cars and charging devices, had Ford suggested buying Tata Motors, we may have had a horserace or a winner.

What we got were cost-cutting solutions. Solutions to win the hearts of congress. No future-forward ideas. Nada. No winner!

 

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,