In the years of yore, the rich and powerful would travel in a ‘litter’, a chair or resting chamber which would be carried by four bearers. The English have a much more appropriate name for this kind of vehicle, they call it a ‘sedan chair’.
Those who traveled around in a litter in ancient times had everybody stop and look at them as their procession of wealth made its way through the town or city center. At the time, they were the epitome of comfortable travel and exclusive to those who could afford them and the workers to go along with it.
Times have changed and thankfully, no one really gets carried around in a litter anymore, although we have to admit we sort of like the idea of it. Now, if you want to travel around in comfort and luxury while still drawing a bit of attention to yourself, you have to turn to what is essentially the modern day equivalent of the litter, the 2015 Cadillac Escalade.
Comments
Very Nice and Visual Commercial. 🙂
The butler is Asian…….
Black businessman with a cracker butler. Nice.
Yeah, GM was saved by government welfare so they have to appeal to kindred souls.
Smooth commercial.
How is this add not anti White?
Probably because there wasn’t any evidence of a white person being discriminated in it.
I know what you want to say, and what you want to believe the ad is saying. The thing is, you’re going to have a hard time convincing anyone that a white domestic servant in the ad was “anti White”.
At least tell me you’ve heard of domestic servants. ‘The Help’ comes in all shapes and colours nowadays, and yes, they are paid for their services.
Have the shoe on the other foot…I’d like to see an alternate commercial version with a white couple and a young black “domestic servant”…would that be okay? No one would cry racist then…right?
Now if this was a white couple with a African American butler, You are telling me there would not be out rage. Only white people can be racist. Is that what you are say.
I think what the ad is saying is that if you’re wealthy enough to own an Escalade, you’re likely wealthy enough to afford domestic servants for your mansion. Race doesn’t enter into it.
Upon closer inspection, at 0:22 you can see the sign behind the Escalade that reads “Aula Vista Hotel”, in which case the “White Butler” is actually a white bellhop.
Irregardless of the “controversy,” I’m wondering where they came up with the “Aula Vista Hotel” concept in the middle of the Owens Valley in California? The name on the rock wall is clearly photoshopped in front of (I believe) a view of Lone Pine Peak (in any case, definitely Sierra Nevada eastside), and there is no “Aula Vista Hotel” anywhere in existence there.
Regardless of your statement on landscape and fictional resorts, Irregardless is not a real word.
Oh good…just as long as the first impression isn’t a white “domestic servant” helping a black couple into their house. Because I’m sure everybody who sees the commercial will clearly see the sign and come away with a totally different understanding of the commercial.
Thank you.
This commercial just set my mind in stone to never purchase a GM vehicle.
Good day.
Very racist commercial. I will never buy another Cadillac
I can only imagine if it were the other way around. Blacks would be marching on GM. And they would have to pay brother AL
Ah, America! It’s 2014 and you still can’t get your heads around race. EVERYTHING has to be boiled down to shallow and baseless white/black narratives, because anyone seen as being a paid servant is demeaning.
If anyone can show exactly were the racism is in the ad, then I’ll entertain them. As of now, it’s just tired belly-aching yanks.
All quiet on the western front.
No evidence means no case. Lots of hot air, and nobody is willing to step up and prove their baseless claims.
I’ll put it this way:
If anyone has something constructive to say about the matter of race in the ad, speak now or forever hold your peace.
If you REALLY want to say something, but don’t have the balls to attack or defend the ad, keep down voting as it will illustrate how gutless and cowardly you are when discussing matters of race; talkin’ a big game but backing down when I put the heat onto you.
Last chance guys. If you believe your racial identity is threatened and/or challenged by this ad, now is your last chance to speak up and let your voice be heard. Right now, the silence is deafening.
No one is responding because you are annoying and pretentious.
Sorry…I had a life to live…now what were you saying. What’s all this talk of “heat” you’re bringin’?
I CAN’T BELIEVE these idiots! They’re the only racist ones boycotting a company because of the actor’s skin color. Wtf
Ramble on all ya want. Simply ask yourself, if the roles were reversed, if it were a WHITE couple driving the Escalade with a BLACK guy carrying the bags in to the mansion, would it be considered racist? Everyone knows it would be! The outcry would be insane all led by the reverends “Jessie” and Sharpton who would immediately move to boycott GM. Think about it. HONESTLY.
The ad progresses through various rulers and their slaves (egypt, india) and peasant subjects (England)… it then goes on to a black couple with a (white) servant… If it went through that same progression of Rulers and Slaves followed by white couple with black servant… it wouldn’t be aired. The FCC would shut it down. However, the black couple with white slave is of course aired.
Well, believe me its not just black/white narratives for me, but I can’t say the same for Black people. I use these terms b/c you used “black/white” I think black people cry foul loudest amongst all of us. Take the Sterling issue…what exactly did the man do other than say that he didn’t want his young bimbo to be seen with Black people in public for whatever reason (not saying I agree but…). He didn’t say “he hated Black people”…did he? He said it in the privacy of his own home and was illegally recorded. You mean the majority of professional sports owners don’t share the same view. And…again if the shoe was on the other foot…Black owner said he didn’t want his young bimbo seen in public with a White guy…well a rap song would be written about it…and that’s about all.
The answer to your question is:If a commercial went out of it’s way to pick a black couple and a white servant when the intended purpose is to CATCH YOUR ATTENTION in an industry that obsesses and plans EACH and every detail, if you can’t understand the implications, you’re not only thick-headed you’re ignorant. Also, if the roles were reversed, you don’t think that would be perceived as racist? Oh please.
Let’s get past race and get to the real issue. The evolution of luxury relied upon the rich and powerful raping and pillaging their countries and citizens to become rich and powerful. People of every race and culture have marginalized, terrorized and stolen from their own race as well as others, and keep all of the resources while their own people starve and suffer. That is what is offensive about this commercial.
That is perhaps one of the most clueless posts I’ve ever read. We should all be one “middle-class” society with a very strong government presence…right? I highly doubt that the raping and pillaging of societies over the years by the sinister “rich” is exactly what GM/Cadillac was targeting in this agenda-filled flop.
I agree with Libby. This ad might as well be called, “the evolution of sin”.
Okay people knock it off !!! GM makes a wonderful line of vehicles. Many of their commercial are made with just white actors and no one fusses over that. I like just about all the commercials they make, including this one. Wealth can come in all races, so get over it! Anyhow the commercial is not racist, it’s multicultural. I will only purchase GM vehicles!
If I could type out the sound of my two lips smacking together repeatedly in disgust…I would.
Racist?
Huh….Egyptian, Indian, English/French, African, South American (the baggage handler).
Where is the racism?
If anything the commercials about class. Rich versus poor.
Yes the song maybe hollow, but this commercial, it’s all about looks.
Do a search for the lyrics to the David Bowie song “Fame” Then watch the ad Royalty being carried by slaves. Light skin toned black couple driving a white car into a white driveway of a white building. Ad is definitely targeting blacks. The ad IS racist, but it’s blacks who should be offended!!!
Its obviously a rental. If it were owned by them, it would be a 2002 model year, have 26″ rims, and some kind of ugly colored suade interior…and it would say holiday inn on the wall.
Bottom line, if you are black ,you think it’s fine and if you are white, you think it’s racist. Racism will never leave this country. The hard workers will always work hard and the lazy, pitiful scum will always expect more handouts.
So, so true. I live in Metro NYC and in a luxury apartment building right on the Hudson River. For tax break purposes, the building needed to make the entire 4th floor low income. Its crazy, I go to work in the AM in the elevator with all white people. If I happen to be off from work all the minorities are still home with their Escalades, BMWs, Range Rovers etc.. in addition to paying 1/4 of the rent rate. I love busting my ass working two jobs with increased taxes every year to support this socialist borderline communist Obama administration that promotes this complacency in our society.
And by the way, I have worked in healthcare for 15 years running laboratories for large medical groups. I manage about 190 doctors right now. 2 are black and they are foreign born. The liberal media with shows such as ER, scrubs, house etc..wants us all to believe the black dudes with the thin beards and earrings are the next generation of MDs. Right….
There are two black people driving the car and a white man comes out at the end to get their bags. reverse racism at its finest. Gm is run by monkeys anyways though. thats why they suck.
Haven’t any of the commenters ever seen a valet? If the couple is arriving at a hotel, then the guy helping them with the luggage etc, isn’t a “servant” or a “butler”. He’s a VALET! There are plenty of white valets. In fact, everyone I know who has worked a valet job is white! Stop being so sensitive.
Now my question is: does this hotel actually exist, and if so, where is it? It looks really nice.
Has anyone actually listened to the lyrics of “Fame”? It’s an indictment of fame and how it changes a person – and not for the better “When you get there things are hollow”? I mean, why would anyone want that as their catch phrase for a product. It’s like saying don’t bother buying our car because it won’ t make you happy. Mustbe a bunch of idiots to approve the use of this (great) song!
Escalades have been known to be popular for rappers. Cadillac is trying to target a new market segment, the wealthy black man. How many wealthy black men are out there though? This Caddy is priced around $78K, more wealthy white men than black men out there to consider purchasing the new Escalade. I think Cadillac made a mistake by using this black couple in this ad, and made a mistake by pricing the new Escalade out of the reach of most. Cadillac is really screwing up again. The ATS does not aspire younger BMW 3 series type buyers, the XTS is big and bulky and they are removing the CTS coupe from the lineup. Kind of reminds me of the mid 80’s and the HT4100. They are missing their mark again. They need a few keen Cadillac enthusiasts on their marketing staff to help guide them in the right direction. The new CTS is a good looking car but way over-priced, it should be the vehicle competing with the BMW 3 series at a more competitive price. The XTS should be totally redesigned and compete with the BMW 5 series and the El Miraj should compete with the 7 series if it ever makes it out of the design room. And if Cadillac really had brains they would make a 2 door convertible that could seat at least 4. If the convertible was affordable they would create their own niche. Cadillac wake up: You will never compete with BMW or Mercedes with this crap you are producing! Refine the line up and make these Caddy’s attractive and affordable and you will obtain more American type car buyers. Be completive again like you were in the day and bring Buick and Lincoln buyers over to you. And you may get some straggler acura and infiniti type customers.
Are we honestly turning a car commercial about how times have changed into a rant about how it was wrong of people to take over places and mistreat others?
And as for the racist thing, really. A person can’t have a job for another person of a difference skin tone without it being racist?
Racist pandering, plain and simple. Anyone of reasonable intelligence, blacks in particular, should be offended. Why don’t they just work on making ignition switches that don’t kill people? What a train wreck this corporation is!
What a twisted stroke of genius it was on GM’s part, way back in the 1950’s and 60’s, to discourage the selling of Cadillacs to black people. It made Cadillac an aspirational brand to African-Americans for decades and now it’s come full circle. “Shoe on the other foot now, ain’t it cracka?” Irony.
The initial version of the commercial did not show the words Aula Vista, thus giving the impression that this was a private home and the white man was the Cadillac owners’s private servant. Subsequent versions included the name Aula Vista to give the impression that this was a hotel and the white man a bellhop. Was GM responding to a backlash of criticism? Regardless, this is a stupid commercial, it says nothing about the vehicle and the use of FAME is ironic. Epic fail!
The Only Racist People Here Are The People That Care What Color These “People” Are. Im Really Amazed At All The Racist Comments Complaining About Racism.
So your here why? Lol troll!!! I made a comment.
I have never in my entire life seen a Black being in a commercial showing him or her doing this exact thing, for that matter I have never seen any type of servant Black or White doing this type of thing in a commercial until now! Fairs, fair do this again vice-versa let’s see what happens?
I now will never buy an escalade or any GM product.
I am truly sickened by people continuing to pull the “race” card. WTF does it really matter what color someone is? We can truly become united only when we become color blind.
never going to happen. It seemed like we were moving closer to that direction, but then Obama became President and couldn’t handle being black and President at the same time. Not only is he a lousy President but he was more worried about looking good to the black and minority community than understanding the need to run a multi ethnic country. He set us way back to the 60’s. It matters not what color but how a person handles themselves.
I wonder what people would think if it was, lets say an Italian couple, and the baggage person was… I don’t know.. how about a Chinese person? Come on people let’s get over race/color issue already. Everyone has different levels of income and occupations. And it’s not like the guy was wearing a servant uniform or name badge. It could had been a friend waiting for them at his house and was being a good host and grabbed their bag(s). LoL
But still I’m not a big Cadillac fan. Maybe the older ones from the 50 or 60s. Most cars now days have no real character. Throw away cars after the warranty runs out.
disgusting, you dont even have the cojones to put up front the racist bs in this ad, As long as I live I will never buy a Cadilac. ps if you dont like the country..leave, no ones making you stay
You are all exhausting.
The couple pulls up to a hotel, not their home. The man getting the couple’s bags is a hotel employee, not a domestic servant or butler. Look closely, you will see that they arrive at an Aula Vista Hotel.
How big is your ego?
Is this the evolution of luxury?
OR
The evolution of narcissism?
One of the best ads in a long time because it totally nails their target market.
My Favorite moment is when the little white boy is running along side waving…
not at the coach at Versailles but…
cut to the black woman laughing him off from inside the behemoth of a car.
There’s so much psychology going on in this 30 second ad you could write a book.
…Don’t know why it always has to be about race these days…But idiots & haters aside…I personally loved this commercial. I often have little tolerance for most car commercials which to me are often stupid, boring, a stretch, sexist, or all about sex but this one took me by surprise. I found it beautiful, tasteful, intelligent, & was lots of fun-well done! It may have been all about indulgence (& evolution/advancement) but it also looked like GM really indulged in the cost of this commercial as well. Hope it pays off.
Yep, the General screwed the pooch on this one. Sign of the times, join the band wagon and raise the roof for the colored people, show the whities where they belong……… I am a DIE-HARD GM guy with a stable full and currently drive an Escalade; I will NEVER buy a new one solely on this commercial. Intentional or not, it DOES send a racist image. Sensitive white guy? You’re damn right! I am tired of the double standard BS. The search for EQUAL rights went out the window right after they were garnered; the demand for MORE rights, BETTER rights, UNEQUAL rights to retaliate, compensate and aggravate is the swing now. This commercial is a perfect example of trying to ‘appease’. Forget ALL this AND Cadillac! Forget all you haters too trying to play off the Egyptian connection to ‘blacks’. I lost count of how many black people I know trying to link themselves to Egypt. So all you dreamers of that image got played on too; played because there is no real link, but GM wants your money, so they real you in. This commercial is clearly racist because of showing all the colored people in positions of power, other than the ‘servant’. It’s called PORTRAYAL. I don’t give two shits if there is a sign out front that says hotel………the scene is portrayed to be a colored couple of wealth and power coming home to only have their white butler take their bags. Oh, not a white guy? I don’t see any proof of him not being so……… YOU LOST A CUSTOMER GENERAL. I may have to go FOREIGN now, DAMN!
After seeing that commercial it, to be honest shocked me. In my view Obama has set racism back to the 60’s. Meaning if color was reversed there is a good chance that protests would have happened. CNN, the news media would have tried and succeeded in inciting the protests and anything else. Look at Ferguson Obama could have spoken the truth and maybe stopped what had happened!! So GM is taking advantage of unschooled, gang affiliated, rich criminal rappers ( just the criminals ) to drive there white Cadillac it makes you have class!!?? That is what Obama has done for the black community. This commercial in itself is completely racist against blacks! Yes there is a upper class black community, but I doubt very seriously that the clean cut drive them. what I see where I live are the poor Latinos and blacks driving these ugly cars and living in ghetto housing. I drive a GM ( not a Cadillac ), never again, not after seeing them trying to con the black community. Lincoln MKC puts the Cadillac to shame! PS! no matter what color you are if your a criminal expect to be in jail or dead and when the latter happens why in Gods name would protests be ok, only in Obamas world!