If you missed Cadillac’s main debut ad for the 89th Oscars, we’re happy to report it finally takes the potential we knew the “Dare Greatly” marketing motif possessed and achieves it. However, there’s more than one ad. And this is the second commercial you can expect to see if you tune in for the awards show.
The spot is titled “Pedestal” and, surprisingly, does not feature a vehicle you can buy today. What it does do, however, is present the Cadillac Escala concept car as the future of the brand.
The ad proudly proclaims, “A Cadillac is no trophy; no museum piece. This is our future,” referencing the Escala concept vehicle. It’s a unique approach for an ad since the Escala is strictly a show car with no production intent. But, the ad does do an excellent job expressing what to expect from Cadillac from here on out, with the ad also stating “intermission is over.”
Last year, Cadillac took “Dare Greatly” into a different territory with mild success. This year, it’s finally flexing its marketing muscles by proving it understands where the brand came from and seems to have a true sense of direction.
Comments
Bold!!!
Make this car asap!! Not that it will sell like hot cakes but to set the tone for Cadillac as a true flagship to set the design language for the brand. As it normally is with others the top dog gets the new look then it trickles down to the lower models not the other way around.
I hope this is the flagship that johan was talking about when he ruled out being a sedan. Or why else build a campaign around a car that has 0% chance at production.
The escalade is a perfect flagship on the SUV side but a sedan/coupe is desperately needed and with the mid engine at least minimum 7-8 years out this car is doable.
I agree with Eric. Furthermore, i cannot believe that an automobile company like Cadillac has not come commited to a a flagship vehicle that would be able to compete with the big three’s flagships. We know you have the talent and tje technology. When i saw the ELMIRAJ COUPE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PEBBLE BEACH THIS YEAR ALONG WITH CLINT EASTWOOD, I knew immediately that the ELMIRAJ WAS GOING TO BE MY
VER SEEN A MORE BEAUTIFUL CAR, EVER. I WAS SALIVATING AND LOOKING ALMOST EVERYDAY ON THE INTERNET TO GET ANY TYPE OF CONFIRMATION OF ENGINE CHOICES. AND THEN, LIKE ALL THE TIMES BEFORE, CADILLAC DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE BUILDING THE CAR. THIS IS MY B GGEST CONPLAINT AGAINST CADILLAC: THEY FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEIR CONCEPT VEHICLES. AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, CADILLAC WANTS TO KEEP SHOWING THESE CONCEPTS TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS OF FUTURE VEHICLES LIKE THE ESCALA BUT IT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND SERVES NO VIABLE PURPOSE. HOWCAN THIS HELP RETAIN OR GET NEW CUSTOMERS WHEN YOU NEVER MAKE YOUR CONCEPTS A REALITY.
IF YOU WANT TO IMPRESS , KEEP AND GAIN CUSTOMERS, YOU DO NOT DO IT BY CONTINUALLY FRUSTRATING THEM. AS A MATTER OF FACT CONTINUING TO TEASE YOUR CUSTOMERS BY MAKING AND SHOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS THINGS THAT YOU SAY ARE IN THE FUTURE BUT NEVER PRODUCING THEM DOES YOUR COMPANY OR YOUR BASE ANY GOOD. I DO NOT WANT YOU TO CONTINUALLY SHOWING AND REMINDING ME OF VEHICLES THAT YOU CAN BUILD OR YOU ARE THINKING OF BUILDING,
IF YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BUILD THEM.
ALL YOU ACCOMPLISH BY DOING THIS IS MAKING YOUR CUSTOMERS ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED.
I WAS PLANNING ON BUYING A CADILLAC FOR THE FORST TIME WHEN I SAW THE ESCADA.
For you and Eric…..
Cadillac will have a flagship automobile above the current CT6. There is much under development, but some has been delayed to get three important SUV’s to production. By 2025, there will be a CT7, CT8, and, eventually, a CT9.
There will be a large flagship Coupe, much like the ElMiraj, but many Escala design elements. There will also be an Escala like sedan, and, eventually, an S Class Sedan.
There will also be a Cadillac Sport, 2 passenger , mid- engined vehicle around 2027, look for 3 variants.
The XT8 (after 2020) will replace the Escalade.
Why the delay…..
In order for future Cadillac product to come to production, Cadillac vehicles must sell. There must be a demand, a market, to justify the high development costs. Customers must see Cadillac as every bit competitive, with the pride in ownership, and the desire to owm, as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and, eventually, Bentley and RR (XT9 and CT9). The CT6, upcoming CT3, CT4, and CT5 , as well as the XT3, XT6, and XT7, must sell, and be profitable in order to lead to future product.
So, put your money where your mouth is, and get to your Cadillac dealer. Cadillac ADMIRERS do not help future product development, Cadillac BUYERS do. If you want that Escala, show GM how bad you want it, go buy a CT6……
Based on GM and Cadillac’s track record, none of that is going to happen. We’ll get more nose-heavy FWD SUVs, a refreshed FWD XTS and another version of the blinged-out Tahoe called Escalade. CT6 might not even live very long if it doesn’t start selling better.
Cadillac has already said CT8 is dead, there are no plans for Elmiraj, and Escala merely points to where Cadillac styling is headed. I see no evidence for the certainty in your statements.
This all sounds fantastic and wish it were true. But how do you have such detailed product plans when little to nothing is known on what Cadillac has in store?
You sound like Obama care with your statements. Difference is we are not forced to by a caddy. Build the Escalator, it will sell
ya Cadillac designs are starting to look stale and boring.
Speaking of stale and boring…
For the sake of everything Cadillac has and dose stand for they need to build this car or something very close to it to sit above the CT6. They can fill the lineup with a couple CUVs and SUVs since their supposedly such hot sellers now but you absoulety need a car like this.
There Flagship is going to be like these escala. There will be a Cadillac flagship.
Oh gosh, please build this classy beast. And Buick, build the Avenir. If both happen, I wouldn’t know what to do. At that point, both could just shut up and take my money. /ponder. Wait, I’d have to pick one, alright, alight, don’t do it.
I believe this ad resonates.
Appropriate balance of honesty, transparency and promise. Escala design language, particularly the interior, elevates the brand and perception. More of this please, Uwe.
Yes, intermission is over. Stop FU?%$#G around and build it!
It is interesting that they chose the Oscars to showcase the best concept that Cadillac has brought to the auto show circuit . Tempting the audience with what is coming from the division is a good idea , but how long are they willing to wait .
I still believe we will see a production version of this car in 2020 or 2021. I can’t remember a time that a car company has spent so much time showing a concept to the general public for this long .
Cadillac’s crossovers are suppose to have elements of the Escala as the new face of the division , the next generation of A&S . And the refreshening of it’s current cars will have the same influence .
This is the first time I have seen it on the road and it has so much presence and screams luxury . I know every one here has said it but ” come on Cadillac build this car already ” .
It makes the CT6 look old and it’s a brand new car.
In days gone by, there were “junior” and “senior” level cars at American luxury brands. The senior level cars were the most grand, luxurious and sophisticated; they were the cars that made the brands synonymous with the epitome of motoring. The junior level cars were still fine but somewhat more attainable.
Cadillac needs to take Omega and craft a trio of senior level Cadillacs. The trio could easily be comprised of Escala, Elmiraj, and a modern town sedan to compete with the S-Class Maybach. These highly touted models would bring much needed luster back to the Wreath-and-Crest division. They could still keep the CT and XT models as junior level products. Unfortunately, I don’t see any indication that is happening.
It’s wonderful to promote the notion of a new high-end Cadillac and tease the public with the Escala concept and recite lines like “intermission is over” as if to imply that Cadillac is about to begin its next great act with products that actually live up to their glorious history. Reality, however, is a far different place. Sadly, there is no Escala planned for production. There is no Elmiraj and there is no grand senior level sedan. Reality is that Cadillac is planning another even smaller Chevy-based crossover, a new small sedan below ATS, and a refreshed FWD XTS. Those might be okay as junior level cars at the bottom of a range that included stunning cars that the world lusted after and yearned to own but alone, they just don’t cut it.
I applaud Cadillac for a couple of decent ads (I didn’t care for the first one about a divided nation) but poor advertising isn’t their biggest problem. Rather, it’s the poor, confused product line with no true high-end models. I question whether highlighting a car in Cadillac ads that nobody can purchase elevates the brand or perhaps draws attention to the lack of actual compelling products. As with Sixteen, Cien, Ciel, and Elmiraj before it, Escala reminds us of the kind of cars Cadillac should be building. I’m not sure that showing off this grand one-off clay model creation that isn’t for sale will do much to move the more pedestrian products they actually do sell.
The true irony of it all is the tagline: Dare Greatly. Cadillac continues to be a company that steadfastly refuses to dare.
indeed…Cadillac needs to be taken seriously…not only Cadillacs A&S design theme is vary watered down but the CT6 isn’t a true S-Class fighter and is undersized and underpowerd….sadly we never see those stunning concepts come to life…Cadillac needs to move way from sports sedans to true luxo bergs.
My Dad after watching the oscars called me today to ask about this car and say it was the nicest car he had ever seen. I was happy and ticked off. Why did the CT6 look like a longer ATS? And not the Elmaraj? It gave me almost zero confidence the next Caddy coming will look anything like this one. Just DARE GREATLY and build the damned thing.
we can expect a CT7 and CT8 by 2024 or 2025 and we should see a sharp turn in the Cadillac design theme…..as Cadillacs should look like the Elmeraj, Escala and move away from the ATS/CTS styling.
Too late. The market will be dominated by electric self driving cars by then. The automakers all know that the window for traditional luxury cars will be closing.
there will always be luxury cars and I wouldn’t want a self driving car…cars like the MB S-Class will always be around and not all cars will be self driving by 2025.
The best feature on the Escala is the descending fender line, which recalls the ’80s Fleetwood and DeVilles. IMO, it made those cars graceful and prestigious in appearance. The other great thing about it, is that it has a NAME, and not another meaningless code.
The brunette doesn’t hurt either…