Last week, Cadillac released the online version of Publicis’ “Arena,” the first ad for the brand’s new “Dare Greatly” campaign as well as the first spot from Publicis since winning the account in December, while promising several more ads in the campaign would debut during the Oscars.
Well, now those spots are in, giving a more clear picture of the “Dare Greatly” campaign and Publicis’ strategy to attempt to revitalize the struggling brand. The newly-released ads follow the same kind of philosophy as the first, but tie it more directly to the brand. While “Arena” notably didn’t feature a Cadillac, the Cadillac CT6 is (eventually) featured in the new ads.
In “The Daring: No Regrets” Publicis and Cadillac bring in a host of innovators, such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, fashion designer Jason Wu and Boyhood director Richard Linklater (a nice move for an ad making its debut during the Oscars, given his nomination). The spot makes statements beginning with “How dare…” to show how “Only those who dare drive the world forward,” tying them to the brand with the line, “How dare a 112-year-old carmaker reinvent itself as the CT6 is finally revealed. Also notable is that, like “Arena,” the ad makes extensive use of shots of New York, Cadillac’s new home. Other spots examine the individuals highlighted in “The Daring: No Regrets” more closely, such as the 30-second efforts for Wu and Wozniak below.
It’s clear that Publicis is taking a more image-driven approach, attempting to manufacture a certain philosophy for the brand that will appeal to a younger crowd, rather than emphasizing the selling points of the vehicle itself. “Luxury brands don’t sell products, they sell dreams,” Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus told The Wall Street Journal. “People need to find Cadillac inspiring and having a spirit and attitude, a clear point of view.”