Cadillac can add the French to the list of people its Poolside ad for the 2014 ELR has upset. The unexpectedly controversial ad first aired during coverage of the Winter Olympics in February, and sparked mixed reactions for boasting about the American work ethic and its subtle jabs at European countries, mainly France.
The commercial starred actor Neal McDonough parading around his house, talking about American values and accomplishments and how other countries just ‘stroll home, stop by the cafe… and take the whole of August off’. The ad never mentions France by name, but makes multiple references to the country, particularly when McDonough signs off with “As for the stuff, that’s the upside of taking just two weeks off in August. N’est-ce pas?”
According to The Daily Mail, French Media immediately took offense to the ad. French news publication The Local ran a story with the headline ‘Anti-French’ Cadillac ad sparks anger in France, while website Slate.fr ran the headline, The lamentable anti-French advert by Cadillac. Another magazine, Nouvel Obs, said the ad implied the French were ‘lazy, spending time relishing their paid holidays’.
The ad was never meant to air in Europe of course, and Caddy knows it could potentially be controversial for some viewers. The brand’s marketing chief, Uwe Ellinghaus, said in March that it is “something that I’d never, ever use to build the brand globally.”
Comments
I’m an American, I’m sorry.
./not
Now that the French hate the ad, even more Americans are going to like it.
Could it be that the truth hurts? Just asking is all.
It’s not advisable to upset potential customers, especially if a brand like Cadillac has historically struggled to make inroads in Europe.
I’m not excusing the ad or defending the French work ethic. I’m thinking about how Cadillac should present itself globally; how it would act if it were a global luxury brand. Generally, it means being neutral about everything except your competitors.
The French are the last people to buy an American car.
Besides If they bought other countries cars who would be left to buy the French cars?
Hey France the keys are in the car on the Moon and when if you ever get there you can use it.
While I can understand why they would be a tad upset, there is nothing in the ad that is made up. French cars are notoriously poorly built and have horrendously unreliable. I was once at a Citroën dealership talking to the owner and he was very honest with me and told me NEVER to buy a French car built in August since the factories bring in skeleton crews who are even less caring about building the cars than the regular teams. These cars are even worse built and are even less reliable. I think they should just suck it up and take it for what it’s worth. Americans are known the world over to be arrogant, brash, loud, and proud of who they are. Nothing wrong with that. It just is what it is. But we must be careful, though. Perhaps all is not what it seems. You just can’t trust the media. When VW aired their Jamaican ad, lots of non-Jamaicans took the offensive and called “racism” on the ad. The truth is that Jamaicans love the ad. We were overjoyed that VW, the second largest car company in the world, thought so much of our little island that we were featured in their Super Bowl ad. The guy who starred in the ad was actually invited to Jamaica on an official, all-expense paid visit. Maybe the real French people don’t mind (or don’t care) at all…
Richard “was once at a Citroën dealership talking to the owner and he was very honest with me and told me NEVER to buy a French car built in August” — I guess he was teasing for ignoring that the car factories would rather be closed in August and produce no car at all, because the workers are on vacation (paid vacation, that is). According to the French language Wikipedia, the legal length of the paid holiday in France is 5 weeks.
Two weeks only? And unpaid? Pathetic!
Why are they even trying to push the ELR? Its a disgrace to the Cadillac crest. Its a Chevy econobox with a hybrid system. Cadillac shouldn’t even be wasting their breath advertising it.
Regardless, who cares what the French think? When’s the last time you bought anything they made?
The ELR shares a powertrain with the Volt, but the Volt cannot be had as a coupe and the ELR cannot be had as a sedan.
Furthermore, Cadillac needs to do whatever is necessary to cater to luxury consumers everywhere; especially when luxury consumer demand the best in technology and build quality. Luxury consumer want the best and most cutting edge products; there is no room for ‘tradition luxury’ (re: lazy luxury).
Disgrace to the Crest, my ass! The ELR’s interior alone is worlds better than any whory old Fleetwood interior of yesteryear; pannel gaps that were used as coin-holder, and stereo head-units that could be pulled out with litte effort.
“When’s the last time you bought anything they made?”
Their Chablis isn’t bad, but I don’t expect you to know that.
“Regardless, who cares what the French think? When’s the last time you bought anything they made?”
Look closely and try harder next time.
http://img.netcarshow.com/Chevrolet-Corvette_Z06_2015_1600x1200_wallpaper_12.jpg
Luxury? Have you forgotten the ELR is front wheel drive? Because when I think luxury, I think of FWD Chrysler Sebrings, Cadillac Eldorados, Lincoln Continentals, and Lexus ESs, that are a dime a dozen in every local junkyard across America.
Also, note how I never say “Volt” anywhere in my original post. I was referencing the general Delta II platform it shares with almost every cheap, nasty compact in the GM stable. What do you think sounds better? Cadillac Cruze? Cadillac Lacetti? Cadillac Cimmaron Hybrid? I’m quite fond of Daewoo ELR, myself.
Also, you couldn’t get the Cadillac Fleetwood as a wagon, but that doesn’t mean the parts from an Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wouldn’t fit on one.
I’m not against platform sharing, within limits, but no Cadillac should have interchangeable parts with A FREAKING DAEWOO LACETTI.
If they wanted a hybrid, they should’ve put a Voltec engine in an ATS with a special, redesigned exterior, instead of putting lipstick on a pig, the ELR may have an alcantera interior, but its still a Cruze.
FWD or RWD, it doesn’t matter as drivetrains do not describe the definition of what makes a luxury product; exclusivity does. All mainstream luxury automakers offer RWD and FWD models, and nobody except the eldery care about that minor technical matter.
The Delta platform itself is flexible enough to support a whole range of body styles. Inevitably, there will be part sharing, though Cadillac is not the only luxury automaker who shares both platforms and parts.
“the ELR may have an alcantera interior, but its still a Cruze.”
Apart from in every single way; you’ll notice how the Cruze and the ELR look completely different. The ELR already has a “special, redesigned exterior” in this respect.
I hope you’re not making the same sweeping and shallow judgment calls about the Lexus RX being just a Toyota Highlander.
This “general Delta II platform it shares with almost every cheap, nasty compact in the GM stable” is not, as your words suggest, a product of Daewoo, but of the development center at Rüsselsheim, the headquarters of GM’s European subsidiary, Opel.
Sure, the Chevrolet Cruze is a successor of the Daewoo Lacetti or Nubira, but not an evolution of it; its basis having been developed elsewhere, makíng a real break in the succession from Nubira/Lacetti to Cruze.
A Daewoo Lacetti has nothing to do with the Cadillac ELR, nor the Chevy Cruze, Buick Verano, Opel Astra, etc. Do you even brain?
The Volt will never have an interior like the ELR has. It is amazingly crafted.
“the ad implied the French were ‘lazy, spending time relishing their paid holidays’.”
HAAAA HAHAHA HA HA HAAAAAWWW! Man, I guess the truth hurts.
Since when did anyone give a damn what the French thought. They are the poster boys of a “spineless, roll over and give in, self righteousness”. Even other Europeans roll their eyes when France comes to the table.
They better enjoy what they have while it’s good. At the rate they are going, France will be nearly all Muslim/Arab/North African in 10 years. Maybe “post-white” France will be able to garner a little more respect for itself.
this comment is racist like the ELR by the way
Envy is speaking out of the ad, from this cramped person taking pride of looking down on other people. He explains that he does not like to enjoy his life, by visiting a café after work, and even before (to take the morning coffee).
Actually one is taking four weeks off in August, not just two. That is quality of life. Having more free time. That’s what the guy wants to hide from the USanian public, which does not have much of a guaranteed and paid holiday, even less guarantieed medical care taken of by the Sécurité Sociale. Well, the USA has of course much more aircraft carriers in all oceans and a global spying network working hard to keep humanity under the heel.
I don’t think that advertisements which builds on degrading and humiliating other people do work.
I wrote “I don’t think that advertisements which builds on degrading and humiliating other people do work”, and like to add that this also applies to earlier Cadillac advertisements which played with the “joy” of destroying things which other people had worked hard to create.
Pushing a negative, destructive attitude against other people, trying to pit one against the other, is not attractive.
what i see here is a lot of american racism about french! i live in France and i love american cars, i have a chevy cruze and i love to come in holiday in USA.yes I am proud to live in France and have four weeks of vacation per year, to have a high performance health system and almost free…. for this high standard living we pay a lot of tx, France have the highest tax rate in Europe
very intersting UBS survey :
http://www.businessinsider.com/are-the-french-the-most-productive-people-in-the-world-2009-8
Caddy’s marketing team needs to remember that social media including YouTube has a global presence and that they need good PR if they want to sell cars on a global scale.
I recommend to read this article on the website Slate.fr with the headline ‘The lamentable anti-French advert by Cadillac’ L’affligeante pub anti-française de Cadillac (BTW, “Le Robert & Collins” english-french dictionary translates “affligeant” as distressing or pathetic, both meant ironically).
The author points out that the brand name “Cadillac” is actually of French origin, taken from Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (look that up on en.wikipedia.org), the founder of Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit wich later became the city of Detroit, with détroit being the French word for “strait” or “narrows”.
So, the irony is, that Cadillac is trampling on its own heritage…
Of course, Chevrolet is also French, and Pontiac and Buick sound to me as coming from the same source as Cadillac. Think of Chirac, the former French president. I am amused.
If the ad was not intended for France, then why was it run?
BTW, this article on slate.fr links to a video on Youtube “Upside: Anything is possible”:
Why do we work so hard? There are a lot of opinions. Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt (http://www.detroitdirt.org) explains that for some of us, it’s about trying to make the world a better place. #Upside
Taking up one on one the scenes of the GM video, but not for putting your neighbour down, but pointing to ways to make this planet a better place for all of us. And showing at the end an electric vehicle from Ford, which according to the slate.fr Author Marc Naimark costs half of what the ELR costs.
BTW, this article on slate.fr links to a video on Youtube “Upside: Anything is possible”:
Why do we work so hard? There are a lot of opinions. Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt (www. detroitdirt .org) explains that for some of us, it’s about trying to make the world a better place. #Upside
Taking up one on one the scenes of the GM video, but not for putting your neighbour down, but pointing to ways to make this planet a better place for all of us. And showing at the end an electric vehicle from Ford, which according to the slate.fr Author Marc Naimark costs half of what the ELR costs.
Making fun of your oldest ally hey. I hope you all be good sports about it though because there are plenty of things worse than a couple of extra weeks of annual leave that a French car manufacturer could make fun of the US for if they really wanted to.
Trust me a company or country that is responsible for the Le Car could never say anything that we would take seriously. LOL!
Maybe if they took less time off in the late 30’s 2 of my great Uncles would have not had gone ashore on D day to help save their hides.
Maybe if you Americans took more time to solve your own problems with the Brits back in the day, the French would not have had to waste time saving American hides, you ungrateful American pr*ck.
BELIEVE ME!… I just read all the comment in the French magazine on line… MAX 20post (some 2 or 3) …NOT MORE!!!!! Yes, the French don’t care anymore about what americans say of them!… France / Germany relation is the only goal now for French people. America is a dead-end now for France. The Nb of French comments about this tread show that!
I recommend to read this article on the website Slate.fr with the headline ‘The lamentable anti-French advert by Cadillac’ L’affligeante pub anti-française de Cadillac (BTW, “Le Robert & Collins” english-french dictionary translates “affligeant” as distressing or pathetic, both meant ironically).
The author points out that the brand name “Cadillac” is actually of French origin, taken from Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac (look that name in italics up on en.wikipedia.org), the founder of Fort Ponchartrain du Détroit wich later became the city of Detroit, with détroit being the French word for “strait” or “narrows”.
So, the irony is, that Cadillac is trampling on its own heritage…
Of course, Chevrolet is also French, and Pontiac and Buick sound to me as coming from the same source as Cadillac (although I am not so sure regarding Buick). Think of Chirac, the former French president.
I am amused.