Cadillac Elr 2014 Commercial

[Giorgiana Sulyma]

Thereare plenty of things to celebrate about being American, but being possessed by a blind mania for working yourself into the ground, buying more stuff and mocking people in other countries just isn't one of them.

So we wish we could say that Cadillac's commercial for its 2014 ELR (suggested retail price: $75,000), which debuted during the Olympics, was a joke. But no, it seems to be dead serious -- a completely shameless celebration of our work-hard-buy-more culture, with a blanket dismissal of "other countries" and their laziness tossed in for good measure.

As the ad continues, it becomes clear that the answer to this rhetorical question is actually a big fat YES. And it gets worse. "Other countries, they work," he says. "They stroll home. They stop by the cafe. They take August off. Off."

By this point, the ad has already become little more than a parody of itself, but we had to ask: believers in what? The pursuit of "stuff." The other reason for America's superiority, according to Cadillac? Our unrivalled space exploration program ("We're the only ones going back up there," the ad boasts). Nevermind the fact that the U.S. government is now paying Russia $70 million a pop to shuttle NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Cadillacs have long been a quintessentially American symbol of wealth and status. But as this commercial proves, no amount of wealth or status is a guarantee of good taste. Now, the luxury car company is selling a vision of the American Dream at its worst: Work yourself into the ground, take as little time off as possible, and buy expensive sh*t (specifically, a 2014 Cadillac ELR).

I was watching TV for once tonight. There was this cadillac commercial where the narrator said, "When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?" and the driver punches the gas and Hum's "Stars" comes blaring in. So weird. so weird. I actually don't even know how i feel about it. Angry? Sad? I think i'm just confused.

What i got directly from the horses mouth (matt, the singer/guitarist for hum) was that as far as he knows some ad agency guy was a hum fan, got picked to do a cadillac commercial, and there you go......actually, isn't that how most cool songs get in commericals???

to the OP, i'm not sure why you would be sad, it is obvious from your avatar/screen name that you are a big hum fan. being a hum fan myself, i think it is pretty f-ing cool. (and i could see a lot of there songs used in commericals: I hate it too, anyone???)

I also think it's fine that they do it, but I also think it's fine that I think they're devaluing their output and feeding a monster that intends to devour all. I have no problem with them forever changing one of their songs from something that at one time meant something personal to me into something that reminds me of a car commercial. That's fine.

Guess it depends whether you believe these bands are struggling to make a living or stuggling to to be/stay massively wealthy. I doubt Wilco are struggling to pay the bills, unless they're living it up like MC Hammer. So what justifies it again?

It struck me oddly, at first, but then I thought, "that licensing money is going to somebody; so, it might as well go to an artist I care about and support". Hell, it made me throw on the album afterward, and if it sparks enough interest in the band to get them writing music again, then it was ALL worth it.

Castrol was just a random example of a corporation that probably means very little to some and may be seen as part of the "evil" oil industry by others. So, all of the credibility, mojo and good will built up by the pedalmaker's hands, would be cashed in or at least mingled in with the reputation/actions, both past and future, of the endorsed corporation. Essentially and by the very definition of the act, you are ENDORSING said corp. You are putting your reputation on the line by vouching for them. You're saying, "hey, they're cool with us! So you should think they're cool too!" Then what happens when the next Enron hits and you were the lame ass band that said, "hey, you can trust these guys! They're hip!"??? Some people won't care, but some people will. I would. I don't think cashing in is an excuse, if you vouched you vouched. It's called ethical investing and more and more people are in to that these days. It might not have happened yet, but I guarantee it'll backfire on people eventually. The more you endorse, the more crap I have to wade through to figure out if I can still like your song. That sucks.

"Fans on the political right see [the commercial] as an unapologetic ode to American values. Critics on the political left see it as Ugly American chest thumping at its worst. During a time when Americans are working harder and longer for less money, others question the spot's perceived workaholic message."

Apparently however not even those on the same side are in agreement as to the benefits and virtues of the spot as Fox Business News contributor Jonathan Hoenig praised it calling it a "tremendous celebration of profit-seeking, productivity and, yes, enjoyment of material goods."

"The luxury car company is selling a vision of the American Dream at its worst: Work yourself into the ground, take as little time off as possible, and buy expensive sh*t (specifically, a 2014 Cadillac ELR)."

After all, it's what we do, isn't it? We take something, in this case a TV commercial and we turn it into a political hotbed topic. Now we of course cannot stop those in the media on either side from spinning this any way they want.

And of course those of us in the marketing, advertising and branding worlds are going to chime in for this is what we do; what we live for. To share our thoughts and comments and so on a given commercial, campaign, Tweet or whatever.

Isn't the objective of marketing and advertising, at least one of them anyway, to reach your target market? To get your product, service or ware in front of those who are most inclined to purchase said product, service or ware?

Craig Bierley, Cadillac's advertising director: "The spot's targeted at customers who make around $200,000 a year. They're consumers with a "little bit of grit under their fingernails" who 'pop in and out of luxury' when and how they see fit. These are people who haven't been given anything. Every part of success they've achieved has been earned through hard work and hustle. One of the ways they reward themselves for their hard work is through the purchase of a luxury car,"

So if this is who this particular product featured in this particular spot is geared toward why then has there been and continue to be such a heated debate? Why are words such as "arrogant," "myopic," and "xenophobic" being bandied about in describing how people feel about it?

Oh yeah, for the record, I loved the commercial; loved it. I don't really care about the real or perceived message it sends or anything even remotely dealing with that. I loved the spot for all the advertising reasons. The script was great. The delivery of the lead actor was pitch perfect. The production value was top notch.

It opens with an ancient Egyptian beating out time on a drum. The camera pans out and we see he is part of a procession, slowly transporting a live goddess (pharaohess?) on an immense alter carried on the shoulders of an army of men. The camera zooms in on her. The glaring sun behind her squints our eyes, almost washing out her image, but we can see she is looking directly at us and smiling knowingly. What a smile! As enigmatic as the Mona Lisa, and we only see her for one second.

Nikia Phoenix has a website at It has many photos that illustrate her mysteriously enchanting looks. After seeing them, I reconsider about her looks. She is exceptionally pretty and sexy. Much of the impact of the commercial does flow from her captivating, very brief opening appearance. Good job, Nikia. And a good job by whoever chose you. Love the freckles!

The Cadillac Commercial Chassis is a chassis that was built by the Cadillac division of General Motors. Produced from 1931 to 1979, the Commercial Chassis was constructed as an incomplete vehicle intended for use by coachbuilders for final assembly and fitment of bodywork. Produced on the D platform (exclusive to Cadillac) throughout its entire production, the Commercial Chassis was initially derived from the Series 355, shifting to the Series 75 from 1936 onward. Since 1960 they had a longer wheelbase by 16 cm.

Coinciding with a change in design regulations and the downsizing of Cadillac sedans, the Commercial Chassis was phased out as a distinct product line. The professional car basis would be continued by the Series 75 and successor flagship Cadillac sedans to current production.

The Cadillac Commercial Chassis is a variant of the GM D-body specifically developed for professional car use; most applications included funeral coaches (hearses), ambulances, and combination cars. In contrast to the Cadillac 75 (a factory-built limousine), the Commercial Chassis was designed with a heavier-duty frame; to improve access to the rear cargo area, the rear frame rails were positioned lower than a standard D-body.

Produced by Cadillac as an "incomplete vehicle", the rolling chassis was fitted with no bodywork aft of the dashboard. While fitted with all road controls and front body trim (and air conditioning, if specified), all bodywork from the dashboard rearward was completed by coachbuilders using the chassis as a basis for a completed vehicle; to aid body fabrication, front door shells and rear quarter panels were shipped to the coachbuilders (separate from the chassis).

Before World War II, the Commercial Chassis used the longest wheelbase of any GM sedan-based vehicle, ranging up to 165 inches in 1940. During the 1950s and 1960s, the chassis used a 156-inch wheelbase, with the 1971-1976 chassis reaching a 157.5-inch length. The powertrain was shared with the Series 75 through its entire production.

In the early 1970s, federal design regulations forced a shift of the donor chassis from commercial car chassis to cutaway van chassis (and light trucks). Along with wider and taller interiors, design requirements for ambulance bodies effectively forced a change from a wagon-type body to a modular box. While construction of funeral coaches remained unaffected, a low demand for new vehicles coincided with their long service life.

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