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Semi-Exclusive Cadillac ad: XLR-V's a Punkrocker, who knew?
The Jalop among us managed to get their hands on an exclusive new Cadillac ad that's set to debut this weekend. They got the exclusive through undisclosed covert means, so we're calling this post a semi-exclusive once removed from total exclusivity. The ad is meant to sell the hotness we know as the XLR-V, and does so by taking us on a trip down memory lane all the way back to Cadillac's humble beginning in 1902. The commercial starts off with the earliest of Cadillacs that then morphs into various Caddies of note throughout the twentieth century. Actually, there's no morphing going on really, it's more like quick jump cuts in the MTV tradition of video editing, which is appropriate considering the ad's soundtrack is the song Punkrocker (click to listen to the whole song) by the Teddybears featuring Iggy Pop. Man, you really get a sense of how far this brand has come in twenty years ago when you see Iggy Pop slinging Cadillacs while singing about being a punk rocker. Boys and girls, Cadillac is cool again.
Check out the full 60-second spot after the jump.
[Source: Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
John 4:47PM (10/27/2006)
That's pretty sweeeet!
Wow!
Very engaging ad!
Modernista! has done it again.
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SilverAero 5:08PM (10/27/2006)
I like it too.
Kinda neat how the Alante dropped its top and became the the V.
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Doc Lucas 5:20PM (10/27/2006)
Out on the road today, I saw a Stooges sticker on a Cadillac. A little voice inside my head said, "Don't look back. You can never look back."
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lalaland 5:44PM (10/27/2006)
Cool music does not make cool cars, nor does it reflect who is involved in the advertising. Does Norwegian Cruise Lines really think that its people do smack on their ships, like "Lust For Life" details in NCL's advertising? As for Cadillac, the next punk rocker I see in a Cadillac will be the first. And for all the bling-bling hype about Escalade owners, 99 percent of the people in them are obese suburban housewives. The only think Kool about them is the cigarette in their fat, twisted pie-holes. Actually, the Led Zeppelin song was a better representation for Cadillac: "It's been a long time since I rock and rolled. Been a long time since I did that stroll. Let me get back, baby where I come from." Truer words about the revitalization of a brand were never spoken. But "I'm a punk rocker yes I am" is just some Modernista account executive being cute and trying to impress everyone with his great alt-rock street cred. Back to the drawing board, guys.
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James 5:46PM (10/27/2006)
I'm still laughing at "semi-exclusive" video from YouTube. :-)
James
http://www.CarTV.com
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John 6:12PM (10/27/2006)
4. Cool music does not make cool cars, nor does it reflect who is involved in the advertising. Does Norwegian Cruise Lines really think that its people do smack on their ships, like "Lust For Life" details in NCL's advertising? As for Cadillac, the next punk rocker I see in a Cadillac will be the first. And for all the bling-bling hype about Escalade owners, 99 percent of the people in them are obese suburban housewives. The only think Kool about them is the cigarette in their fat, twisted pie-holes. Actually, the Led Zeppelin song was a better representation for Cadillac: "It's been a long time since I rock and rolled. Been a long time since I did that stroll. Let me get back, baby where I come from." Truer words about the revitalization of a brand were never spoken. But "I'm a punk rocker yes I am" is just some Modernista account executive being cute and trying to impress everyone with his great alt-rock street cred. Back to the drawing board, guys.
Posted at 5:44PM on Oct 27th 2006 by lalaland 0 stars
----------------------------
No. Tell us how you REALLY feel.
Having "image" issues lalaland?
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Thom 6:26PM (10/27/2006)
I worked on that commercial 2 months ago. we were outside Ridgecrest, CA not too far from Death Valley. We used a DSLR camera mounted on a motion contrrol rig. Take one picture ("bang!"), wait for approval, and then depending upon the orintation of the car to the camera we would move the rig's track, the rig, then the car 9 feet. BANG!, wait for appoval, etc ......it took us just under 2 weeks to film that in 110+ degree heat. We had a great crew though, the grips where fantastic, amazing attitude.
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gbh 6:45PM (10/27/2006)
The XLR really isn't horrible for a Cadillac, in fact, up the ponies and it isn't too slow either.
The best part is they have the legendary Cadillac resale value - which is to say, they *have* caught Audi in some areas...
I watched a couple of clean, under 30k miles go for under $25K the other night.
So in about 2 more years they should bottom out around 12K. Which ain't bad for a different looking convert.
The ad is a bit cheesy, but whaddya want? They're trying to sell Caddys to people under the age of 70 who aren't mobbed up. That's a tough job.
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uncle john 7:00PM (10/28/2006)
Thom, awesome job on the spot! Did you get to check out the cars up close? What did you think of them?
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Alex 7:40PM (10/27/2006)
Where's the allante?
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Thom 7:41PM (10/27/2006)
@ uncle john
The older ones were great, most where from the GM museum, last one off the production line of certain models, the '31 was my fav (the red one) though some of the 50's where very nice too. The XLR is just an overpriced Corvette (very fast though!) but the bts and cts are good cars. Funny thing was, a few of the crew members and I where out filming a Lexus commercial at the local airport a week earlier and hoped we never had to go back again. Three days after wrap I get an e-mail saying we're going back to Ridgecrest! Ughhhh. Tooo hot. The Lexus commercial we lifted a is300 up under a helocopter and had a skydiver film it and then dropped one from a crane to look as though we dropped it from the copter - boom! was cool but not as fun as actually dropping it from a copter @ 1000'
Best part of the cadillac shoot was when the Cobra Gunships and f-18's would buzz us, a marine/navy airbase is nearby.
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moses 8:00PM (10/27/2006)
Ilove the ad.
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John 8:47PM (10/27/2006)
Thom,
Lexus also uses Modernista!?
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Thom 8:54PM (10/27/2006)
not that I'm aware of(I'd have to lookat my old paper work), I'm a freelancer so I work with different ad agencies, production companies, directors and products/clients all the time. I've done in the past 6 months spots for Cadillac, Lexus, GMC, Toyota and also for Nike, Starkist Tuna, BBCAmerica, Dreamworks, etc........
I'm a whore.
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John 9:34PM (10/27/2006)
I still think you have an absolutely cool job. I'll say that.
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Sasha 4:42AM (10/28/2006)
It's a great ad, one of the coolest car spots I've ever seen..only one problem:
I really highlights the fact that, damnit, cars just looked way cooler back in the day-the modern one just pales in comparison to those four cars 1931-1959.
P.S. Imagine if the Escalade were ending that montage, how catastrophically stupid that would look.
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FamilyTruckster 11:11PM (10/27/2006)
A study in contrasts. Compare to a brand such as Infinity or Acura for their lack of such a rich history of bold brash American styling. Good to have Caddy back!
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BOB 3:51AM (10/28/2006)
NICE COMMENTS ABOUT HISTORY -- NOTICE THE TWO MOST RECENT CADILLACS WERE FAILURES FROM 1980 AND 1987 (?) (SHOVEL ASS SEVILLE, ALANTE)
DOES NOT SAY MUCH FOR THEM TO HAVE NOTHING REALLY SUCCESSFUL NEWER THAN THE 59, THEN TO BE PROMOTING THE SLOW-SELLING (HAVE SEEN MAYBE 4 IN LA AND BEV HILLS) CADVETTE.
IT IS HARD TO ATTACH COOL TO A LACK OF SUBSTANCE.
GREAT PITY!
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Sasha 4:49AM (10/28/2006)
P.S. I always had a soft spot for the alante before, but man, it look just like some japanese econombox from the front when it turns around here - like a '92 sentra or mazda or something..or maybe a lebaron?
and jesus, that grey car, before the alante, whatever the hell year and name those are (as well as the two before that, the white and the black)-what a disgrace. such an ugly contrast to the '59! what happened to that company?
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John 9:09AM (10/30/2006)
No shouting Bob.
We get it. You only buy cars that OTHERS drive. Good for you.
You just keep blazing those trails!!!
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