Dive Brief:
- Cadillac’s latest ad campaign, “Don’t You Dare,” features Millennial and Gen Z achievers rather than typical car ad tropes.
- Part of the campaign directive from Cadillac according to Cadillac's CMO Uwe Ellinghaus included avoiding “certain elements of the zeitgeist that you can see in all car ads—contemporary architecture as a backdrop, bridges, buildings that all look the same” that are essentially “generic backdrops.”
- The campaign debuted Sunday during the Academy Awards.
Dive Insight:
Ellinghaus told Adweek, "We went to these young people as protagonists for the campaign because it's amazing what they've achieved in their young lifetimes—how self-confident they are, how they've become entrepreneurs and mastered their own destinies. We want to be a brand for customers who also have this confidence, who say, 'I'm not the usual corporate animal. I can buy what I want and drive what I want.'"
The “Don’t You Dare” campaign includes two 60-second spots featuring young people who achieved different success including developing a brain-powered prosthetic limb, becoming a national chess master at 12, and a teen chef.
Ellinghaus also pointed out the ads were targeted towards younger drivers because German luxury brands have sought, and taken over, U.S. older drivers, a state that he sees as an opportunity for Cadillac to appeal to younger drivers.