Cadillac "Larger Than Life" In New York City's Times Square
DETROIT - Cadillac Division of General Motors Corporation has constructed a two-story-high Cadillac CTS in New York City's Times Square - a refresh of its advertising property located between 47th Street and Broadway.
Approximately 1.5 million people walking through Times Square each weekday will see the three-dimensional CTS, which protrudes more than 5 feet from the front of the board with its headlamps on, revealing the front grille and part of the car's front profile. The display consists of 18 separate pieces assembled to create a vehicle eight times larger than a production CTS. Each headlight is 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide, large enough for an above-average person to stand inside. Above the CTS is the world's largest Cadillac wreath and crest, back-lit for increased visibility.
"It took us six months to replicate the CTS for this posting," said Kim Kosak, Cadillac director of advertising. "This is another opportunity for Cadillac to make a big, bold gesture in a high profile environment."
Twelve flatbed trucks moved the piece from Atomic Props & Effects in St. Paul, Minn., which created the structure. Trucks left the production facility between May 28th and June 2nd, headed to New York, and the arrival of each was orchestrated to assure timely arrival at the Times Square location so each piece could be picked directly off each truck and installed. Sherwood Outdoor, owner of the property at Two Times Square, oversaw the posting.
The two-story-high CTS is sculpted in Styrofoam and encased in a weather-resistant elastomer that is sprayed on as a liquid and cures in 5 seconds. Cadillac supplied actual math-based data for the designers to work from to ensure an accurate representation of the vehicle. Atomic Props consulted an automotive paint supplier and used the CTS' paint codes to ensure an exact match.
The Cadillac CTS is the largest prop Atomic Props has produced in its 22-year history. Prior to the Cadillac piece, the company's biggest prop was a 50-foot lava lamp for Target, currently displayed in the Times Square area.
Sherwood Outdoor and Cadillac reached an agreement to use the space for advertising in 1998. The CTS is the fourth vehicle the company has displayed in the Times Square area, with the most recent being the 2002 Cadillac Escalade.
The Times Square cube refresh is part of Cadillac's "Break Through" campaign and reflects the company's return to its heritage of producing vehicles known for head-turning design and innovative technology.