Visual case study: Cadillac CTS

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Visual case study: Cadillac CTS

By Meg Asaro & Karen D’Silva February 05, 2008

General Motors taps Kate Walsh from Gray’s Anatomy/Private Practice to help Cadillac appeal to men with her sex appeal and women with her strong confidence

General Motor’s Cadillac brand has been struggling in recent years to appeal to a new generation of luxury car buyers who seem more interested in status-boosting foreign luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Etc…) than the same old luxury car their grandparents drove. To counter this perception GM has taken drastic measures by pulling half of Cadillac’s $300 million-plus ad business from Burnett, who has managed Cadillac advertising for more than 75 years, and placed it with Boston-based Modernista!, the agency that recently revitalized the Hummer brand. Meg Asaro and Karen D’Silva from Spark Visual Research take a closer look at the imagery used by Cadillac to help lower the average age of Cadillac drivers, restore the company’s brand image, and convert new luxury automobile owners.

February 08 Case Study: Cadillac CTS

Meg Asaro

There is no disputing this is an attractive image. With its ruby tinted palette, sexy driver (we assume that she just got out of the car), hot ride and little graphic palm trees dancing by her feet, we feel the luscious lifestyle radiating from this image. Not your normal car ad. Usually, we are greeted with a steely stealth product-driven campaign or a Green induced happy-go-lucky, you ain’t gonna spend much on gas, positioning. Here, we are greeted with visual beauty, something attractive to a discerning eye.

When was the last time you saw a woman use her sex appeal to sell a car without her being an objectified, silicone-filled vixen? Years ago, I went to a derby, where I witnessed Gretchen, the Snap-On Tool girl, who sat happily on the sunroof of a souped up VW Golf, looping the track and waving at the crowd. These are the expected female roles when it comes to the auto industry. But the times, they are a changing. Marketers have to find a way for products to be attractive to both sexes. Did you know that, according to www.womenbuycars.com, women influence 85% of all the car buying decisions, 74% of the maintenance decisions and purchase 45% of automobiles annually?

Enter Kate Walsh from Gray’s Anatomy/Private Practice fame. She appeals to men with her sex appeal and women with her strong confidence. There are, of course, exceptions to this considering that attraction is subjective. Regardless of your personal opinion, she does exude a combination of a come- hither attitude men dig and an internal power source that resonates with women. Basically, she’s got ‘it’ which helps explain why she was cast for Cadillac, an automotive manufacturer, whose brand can be a bit stodgy.

Hopefully, you have also seen the on-air spots that rely on her raspy, slow voice to really do the selling. The catch phrase is “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” Luxury positioning tends to center around sex and exclusivity and that line speaks to both sexes concurrently, letting the viewer complete the thought. A car is a means to an end, a way to get from point A to point B. But here, they are implying a different ending, one can find on the “Liberty of the Pursuit” and one that applies to a chosen few, regardless of gender. Cars are one of the most visible badges of luxury and Cadillac is doing their best to remain part of that privileged lifestyle.

Karen D’Silva

Well, I guess it’s official. The car is our newest fashion accessory. Cadillac has definitely changed course with this sexy, fashion campaign. Hard to imagine this is the very same car “old people” or Mary Kay sales girls used to drive.

At Spark, we look for images in the marketplace that reveal important cues for producing smart on-target images. When we look at this advertisement, it’s hard not to first notice Kate Walsh. Cadillac or rather the agency Modernista understands that to successfully market a product to the female demographic, you MUST apply the product to their life. I know, we’re starting to sound like a broken record. It’s just that lifestyle photography is so key to today’s marketing especially with the significant purse power in this country. We look at Kate and see sophistication, class, power. Kate Walsh or Addison Montegomery to all you Private Practice fans, is an empowered professional and most importantly… She chooses to drive a Cadillac. Remember Meg just said 85% of all car purchases are influenced by women. This Cadillac ad addresses the need to speak directly to the female customer, but the seductive quality of the ad is sure to also turn a few heads of the opposite sex.

When selling a luxury car, the advertisers must also appeal to the coveted Boomer club. If you think about it, Cadillac has quite a task trying to sell Boomers an automobile traditionally perceived as an old person’s car. If there’s one thing we know about Boomers is that they don’t consider themselves old. Again we look to Kate for guidance when shooting Boomers. Kate is just a year off the youngest Boomer. In beauty advertising, Ponds and ROC tell us that the most desirable age for Boomers is 43 years old. Cadillac chose a younger spokesperson in hopes that they can trickle up to the Boomer. Trickling up in laymen terms basically means, the older generation will think it’s cool because it appeals to a younger generation. Here’s an important casting note, if you’re shooting for luxury the 35-45 year olds are key. Speaking of cool, check out the photographic treatment. It’s refreshing to think that when marketing to Boomers, there’s room for something a little edgy. This is definitely not your grandmother’s pink cadillac.

Finally, Cadillac has always been a symbol of success and quality. Don’t forget, Cadillac is synonymous with America. In a time where consumers are wary of tainted overseas products, this might be a good time to choose “made in the US” products when propping.

Click here to view larger image of featured Cadillac CTS ad.

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