Cadillac’s New Direct Mail Piece Is Colorful and Tasty, With a Little Surprise Inside

Just in time for Easter, give or take six months, Cadillac is sending fancy, big-ass chocolate eggs to prospective customers around Toronto as part of a test-drive promotion for its CT6 sedan.

Using segmentation data to target affluent consumers whose luxury leases are almost up, ad agency Red Lion dispatched $50 splatter-painted “Ziggy Stardust disco eggs” to an undisclosed number of folks who could afford to buy the things themselves, if they wanted to.

These eggs, created by chocolatier Brandon Olsen of Toronto’s chi-chi La Banane restaurant, measure 7 inches tall by 4 inches wide. Infused with apricots, chilies and coffee beans, the decadent treats come with a note inviting recipients to “break, discover, share.”

Inside, along with hand-rolled Peruvian truffles, are keys to the new CT6.

The vehicle itself is parked outside, its navigation system programmed to steer you to the swanky bistro for an all-expense-paid dinner for two. Caddy even provides a driver for the trip home. (Wealthy people get the best direct mail. The rest of us just get shampoo packets that don’t taste good at all.)

Cadillac’s push is way less creepy than another elaborate automotive test-drive campaign from Canada—you know, that Porsche stunt from a few years back, where the dealership photographed its cars in the driveways of prospective customers, and then sent those folks ads containing the images.

“We were tasked with solving a direct mail challenge that would directly lead to test drives,” Red Lion creative chief Matt Litzinger tells Adweek. “It’s interesting how people react when they are given artistically created works of art—especially when they’re made from chocolate. It disarms them and creates a surprising and delightful moment right from the beginning.”

The client’s been delighted with the rich, sweet, satisfying ROI.

“As of right now, we’re tracking at a 40 percent redemption rate,” Litzinger says, “but I expect those numbers to increase.”

CREDITS
Client: Cadillac Canada
Agency: Red Lion Canada
President and Chief Creative Officer: Matthew Litzinger
Associate Creative Director: Pepe Bratanov
Senior Copywriter: Kyle Carpenter
Producer: Meghan Cassidy
Producer: Alisa Pellizzari
Client Service Director: Kaitlin Doherty
Account Director: Andrea Friday
Account Executive: Alyse Thompson
Account Coordinator: Greg Telford