PRESS RELEASE
Cadillac to Air Superbowl Supermodel Catera Commercial
20 January 1997
Catera Cruises Into the Super Bowl with Cindy Crawford;
Franz, Baranski, Wayans Appear for Seville STS;
Special Effects Showcase New Cadillac Technology
WARREN, Mich., Jan. 20 -- Supermodel Cindy Crawford meets the
Catera duck in a commercial for Cadillac's new entry-luxury sedan that breaks
on the Jan. 26 broadcast of Super Bowl XXXI on Fox.
This eye-catching commercial is just one of the hot new Cadillac ads
appearing this winter, spots that showcase both individual brands and
Cadillac's sophisticated customer-oriented technology.
Crawford plays a beautiful princess looking for a little magic in her
life. She consults a wizard -- none other than the Catera duck -- who rescues
the princess from the boredom of palace life by giving her the keys to a
Catera. The 45-second spot will air during the game's second quarter.
Crawford isn't the only celebrity appearing in new advertising for a Cadillac
brand. Seville STS has enlisted Dennis Franz ("NYPD Blue"), Christine
Baranski ("Cybill") and Damon Wayans ("In Living Color") for a new campaign
that highlights the competitive advantages of STS. The Campaign pokes fun at
luxury car competitors that can't match the STS's Northstar System Performance
and customer-oriented technology such as the StabiliTrak integrated stability
control system and OnStar, Cadillac's in vehicle communications and
customer-service system.
Brand Building
"Advertising is one of the keys to building successful brands," said
Steven Rosenblum, director of advertising for Cadillac.
"Under our brand management system, we analyze individual consumer needs,
then develop advertising that distinctly positions each vehicle with its
target audience. The goal is to communicate the brand's consumer benefits and
build emotional bonds with our customers."
The new commercials reflect Cadillac's direction to its agency, D'Arcy
Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B), to create advertising that stands out in the
highly competitive luxury car segment, Rosenblum said. "In 1997, we will be
far more aggressive with our creative approach in a11 of our consumer
communications.
"Advertising is one way we put the Cadillac name and image in front of the
world," said Rosenblum. "So it is critical that our ads delight and entertain
consumers, and help persuade them to consider a Cadillac."
"A luxury brand doesn't have to be stuffy or pretentious," said Gary
Horton, chief creative officer at DMB&B/Detroit. "The ads for each Cadillac
brand communicate specific benefits to a specific target. But the overall
strategy is to show customers that Cadillacs are contemporary and
approachable, with features that are superior to those of their competitors."
Cadillac's First Super Bowl Appearance
The Catera commercial represents the first time Cadillac has aired a spot
on the Super Bowl telecast. The high profile venue reflects the importance of
Catera, a car that reaches out to a new generation of customers by bringing a
spirit of fun to luxury cars.
To convey this sense of fun, Catera advertising uses an animated mascot, a
red version of one of the ducks that appear in the traditional Cadillac Crest.
After the Super Bowl, a 30-second version of the spot featuring Crawford
will air on network and cable programs. Cadillac will also provide dealer
marketing groups with a version to air in local markets.
New Theme Line for Seville STS
The new Seville STS spots introduce the theme line, "The power is yours."
In one commercial, Franz, in an STS, issues a ticket to a Mercedes-Benz owner
for driving a luxury car with inadequate horsepower compared to the STS's
best-in-class 300-horsepower Northstar V8.
Baranski, driving an STS in another commercial, gets the upper hand in a
traffic light conversation with the owner of a BMW that doesn't have the
integrated stability control provided by Cadillac StabiliTrak.
Wayans, an STS driver in the third commercial, lends sympathy to a Lexus
driver who is lost in the desert without OnStar, Cadillac's innovative
communications and customer-service system.
The new STS campaign broke Jan. 15 with the airing of the Franz
commercial. The Baranski and Wayans spots follow later in the month.
Special Effects Showcase Superior Technology
Cadillac's sophisticated, customer-focused technology is showcased in two
other commercials using special visual effects.
In "Maze," a DeVille Concours threads its way through a maze guided by
OnStar, Cadillac's innovative communications and customer-service system. The
maze morphs into city streets, showing the day-to-day benefits that OnStar
offers Cadillac customers.
Another commercial, dubbed "Pop-Up," shows a StabiliTrak-equipped Seville
STS safely avoiding a bicycle and construction barrier that erupt from the
pavement on a deserted test track. As the driver steers around a third
obstacle, a shopping cart, the scene shifts to a city street, where a runaway
cart is chased by a real woman, stressing the real-world benefits of
StabiliTrak.
The OnStar and StabiliTrak commercials air regularly starting Jan. 21.
CONTACT: Tom Wilkinson, 810-492-4344, or Julie Hamp, 810-492-4347, both of Cadillac