Cadillac’s ‘Poolside’ ad for the the 2014 Cadillac ELR got people talking about the brand, but maybe not in the way they would have liked. The 60-second spot had no shortage of American chest-thumping, but little in the way of information about the plug-in hybrid coupe it was centered around, which leads us to GMs newest commercial for the ELR.
The new ELR ad takes a more conventional route, offering up information about the car and how its plug-in hybrid Voltec powertrain and Regen On Demand system works to save you money and fuel. And instead of an actor, this time the commercial is presented by GM’s executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles, Pam Fletcher.
The more traditional ad was not released because of the backlash caused by the Poolside ad, Cadillac communications manager, David Caldwell, told AutoblogGreen. He said the new ad is not intended for TV and is different because it is aimed at a different audience.
“It doesn’t have any direct relation to Poolside,” Caldwell said. “TV advertising is not necessarily the heart of marketing something like the ELR. Notwithstanding the fact that we had a very thought-provoking ad.”
Cadillac said the way you reach out to people on the internet is much different than the mass-media approach taken when forming ads like Poolside which will air during big TV events. Caldwell said TV is “not going to be the predominant methodology,” and “the web is closer to what you need to do to reach people. We definitely have a need to communicate what the ELR is. It’s not television advertising at all.”
Caldwell said more short videos similar to the new ad will be posted on the internet in the near future to highlight the powertrain and other features on the ELR, so those of you who hated Poolside don’t have to worry about the possibility of a sequel. If you haven’t seen the new ad for the ELR yet, scroll below to check it out.
Comments
Still love the first one. I think it had the right stuff, who cares if it was arrogant? It got noticed. Cadillac needs to be ballsy, puff out their chests and step on a few toes. Because if they don’t, someone else will.
Curbed LA reports that the house used for this shoot is for sale for the eye-watering sum of $28.8 million. It’s not even in the more exclusive sections of LA like Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills or Bel Air. It’s in the Hollywood Hills above the Sunset Strip. What is unique is that the home as a 5-car garage and parking for an additional 30 cars. That’s a lot, even by LA standards. What’s insulting is that the two of the listing photos clearly showcase a Lamborghini Aventador – apparently the target owner of this house should have one. They could have at least shown an ELR to tie it into the Cadillac spot. Any owner of this house would surely have several cars.
Here’s a link to the Curbed article: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/are_you_hardworking_enough_to_buy_the_flashy_sunset_strip_house_in_that_cadillac_ad.php