Automakers Reveal Super Bowl Plans

CHICAGO Cadillac will launch its 2007 Escalade on the Super Bowl in a new spot from Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett, the carmaker said. Separately, Toyota Motor Sales said it would break a Super Bowl spot in both English and Spanish for the Camry hybrid.The Escalade spot, which forsakes Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" beat for a more fashion-oriented approach, will air during the second quarter of the game. It opens backstage at a fashion show. After models walk the runway with hints of chrome in their gowns, makeup and accessories, the car appears as the final presentation at the show. Chicago-based Burnett's Detroit office created the commercial."Historically, Cadillac has always been at its best living in the world of glamour, celebrity and fame," said Tor Myhren, executive creative director at the agency, in a statement. "It's been the car of choice for presidents and movie stars. Now, you see the same thing with Escalade. Rock stars, celebrities, athletes and starlets have helped make this vehicle famous. Escalade is synonymous with glitz, paparazzi and pop culture. So we played up glamour, but with Cadillac attitude and edge."The rock anthem and the "Break through" line remain the overall song and tag for the Cadillac brand, according to a company representative. Alternate cuts of the spot will air during other event programming, including the Grammys, Oscars and the Winter Olympics. Cadillac also will be the presenting sponsor of the most valuable player award after the Super Bowl.Spending on the campaign was not disclosed, though the average price of a 30-second spot on the Super Bowl this year is expected to be $2.6 million.General Motors spent nearly $200 million on the Cadillac brand and nearly $20 million on Escalade through October 2005, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.The 30-second spot by Toyota's Hispanic agency, Publicis' Conill Advertising, Torrance, Calif., will feature a father explaining hybrid technology to his son as they drive in the Camry hybrid. The son compares the father's use of intermixed language with the hybrid engines switching between gas and electric power. "Like you, with English and Spanish!" he says.The father then explains why he purchased the hybrid: "I'm always thinking of your future.""The father says 'Mira, agui' while pointing to the screen in the car," said Pablo Buffagni, creative director. "The idea is to reflect what happens to Hispanics everyday, using both languages and both cultures. In the spot there is mostly English, but a reflection of bilingualism and biculturalism, and that resonates a lot with the target."Buffagni said the father speaks with a Spanish accent, and the son with none, signifying that "the father learned English, and the son was raised with both. Nice connection is the hybrid—it uses both kinds of energy."Buffagni said the spot is the first Super Bowl commercial for the agency. "It's a great opportunity, a great challenge and an honor to have this assignment," he said.Toyota vice president of marketing Jim Farley said in a statement that the spot uses "a unique fusion of language and culture to introduce our new Camry hybrid."Torrance-based Toyota said it has been the No. 1 automaker in the Hispanic market since May 2004 and the Camry is the third-best selling car among that demographic. Last year, the Camry sold 432,000 units, per Car Concepts, Thousand Oaks, Calif. The sixth generation of the vehicle debuts in March, with the hybrid version to follow later, according to Toyota.

Brand Marketing

Automakers Reveal Super Bowl Plans

Gregory Solman

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