#OSCARS: STUD or DUD — Does Cadillac's Spot Dare You To Think Of The CT6?

Dumb as bricks. People will not realize the CT6 is new because it looks just like the CTS which has been on the market a couple of years. It's like Cadillac knows it has a dud on its hands and trying to be clever to mask the impending failure.

it looks like it is lurking through the streets of SOHO. If you are stupid to drive through there you are probably driving a foreign car. Front head lights are not appealing, first impression coming at you. Dud in the design department

Why, this site is anti GM. I thought the ad was spot on and well done and it was well placed in this telecast to reach a large audience.
I have sat in the car at the Chicago Auto and it is impressive. Looks less like the CTS in the metal. The reviews seem very positive.
SO, what would all of you do differently?

The 3 top luxury brands in the world, BMW, MB, Audi have their cars look starkly similar. It's called branding.

Your check from De Nysschen is in the mail. The problem with Cadillac is not the quality of the product, but the quality of the presentation. The "art and science" look is played out. It's not that the CT6 is ugly, but rather it is dull and poorly named. In the flesh it's a nice car, but in no way is special.

Cadillac has shown us the gorgeous Ciel and the Elmiraj, but instead they produce dullness.

I would have given it a starkly new face for one and a name for two.

I would have positioned it at the CTS' price point and then replaced both the CTS and ATS with a CTS sized car at the ATS' price point with a name.

The styling is handsome, evocative, and has staying power, unlike most of its Japanese competition. I applaud GM for setting the bar.

It looks 100% like the CTS and the ATS...your point?

This strategy of yours to create a luxury brand is nonsensical. Building a car of the technical quality to compete with the top luxury brands is expensive and justifies the price point. Those customers are not looking for bargains, they are looking for innovation and cache. Want a cheap knock-off, buy a Lexus.
A4, A6, A8, 3Series, C300, E300, these names are okay to you?

You clearly do NOT understand the gravitas of the Cadillac heritage. They had iconic names. Cadillac is a discredited brand from decades of neglect by GM. The best strategy back is to over deliver and underprice. You know ZERO about marketing.

You can't spend an entire car commercial not talking about the car. It was forgettable. It was forgettable in its message. And it was forgettable because the car is forgettable. If it was the Elmiraj rolling down the street at the end, then maybe that would have created some "Oh, wait, what IS that car?" moments.

AGREE

You can spend an entire car commercial talking about attributes if you are building a brand image. It is different from selling Camrys.

So, exactly what attributes about the CT6 did you derive strictly from this commercial?

Your wisdom (sic) about marketing is amazing.

Does anyone remember the first Infiniti commercials on TV, where beautiful images of forests, streams, and mountains went by on your screen, and people wondered "what the hell are they selling"? Ahem. I guess Cadillac thought they could repeat that "stellar success", but this time, with a tech and innovation angle.

The ad tries to sell us on the idea that Cadillac is an innovator, breaking boundaries and preconceptions, challengers of conventional thinking, thinking outside of the box... and yet at the very end, the only scene of a car shows us one that looks just like everything I've seen from Cadillac for years, and didn't like.

Did this commercial change what I think of the of the CT6, or Cadillac in general? Nope. It reinforced my opinion that it's not my cup of tea. When the styling is so very... ugh... then like Lexus, it really doesn't matter what else you offer, because I'm steering clear of your showrooms. I guess I'm not part of the target audience.

Dealers are NOT looking forward to sedan anchor #3. The sooner the XT3/5/7 get here the better.

Because we've seen this styling from the ATS, CTS and XTS, when the CT6 comes out, it will look dated in about a year. Having said that, it's a good design; it just won't last long.

The CT6 name makes no sense to me. Sounds like a 6 cylinder version of the CTS, and it looks like a CTS as well. Should have gone back and used a real name (although I'd save Fleetwood for a larger model).

Does a 6 series BMW sound like 6 cyl model? What does A6 make you think about?
cidflekken, the point of the ads is indeed to make you think about innovation and luxury/ Also to think about being different, i.e. - don't just think German.
The CT6 looks no more like its siblings than does the German competition, which works for a brand identity. Like all good add campaigns, the next one in line will be more specific.
Unlike Infiniti, Cadillac is a 100 year old brand with name recognition for making luxury cars. We already know about the ATS and CTS. No one had ever seen an Infiniti when those ads came out.

Cadillac USED to be known as a world leader in automotive luxury, desirability, and status back in the days when people used to say things like "that's the Cadillac of typewriters" to indicate the best of the best. Today, Cadillac is a brand that's fighting hard, trying to regain its former glory.

The current global leaders for automotive luxury are Mercedes, arguably BMW, and maybe Lexus and Audi (though some would disagree about the last two). Is Cadillac direct competition to Mercedes? Hardly. BMW? Lexus? Audi? I'd argue that Caddy has carved out its own distinct niche, which I'd aptly name "*American* Luxury." There, Caddy reigns supreme.

You sorely miss the point. The point being, it's ineffective. The ad did nothing to make me think of innovation or a divergent approach from the Germans and it certainly did not elicit any sort of desire for me to want to learn about this product. And yes, brand identity is crucial, but when you existing image is not translating to competitive sales, then it needs to change.

SSP350, the current Cadillac design language is understated as it should be. Keep in mind that China is a big target market for Cadillac. It is a level playing field their versus Europe or to a lesser extent the US and China prefers more conservative design.
A Canalli suit well made and understated. A T-shirt can be wild and more expressive.

Truthy: Did you just compare today's Cadillacs to a Canali suit? Or assert that they have "understated" styling? I'd describe them as angular, staid, and with the styling endurance of a 1980's mesh shirt. They look like yesterday's news, a design experiment gone bad and long overdue for a do-over.

Unlike a Canali suit, today's Cadillacs will NEVER be seen as timeless classics.


(PS: I have a closet full of Canali suits and well-worn Bruno Magli shoes that still bear their original shine, dating back as far as the 1990s. Been there, done that.)

I prefer Hugo Boss and Carl Haan.

TheSteve, the CT6 uses very innovative manufacturing techniques to reduce weight yet remain stiff. There is an abundance of technical innovation. Hard to show it all in an ad, but you can interest consumers in wanting to learn more.

I believe you! I'd also go further to say that Caddy has delivered impressive track numbers that are to say, in the very least, competitive, and at best, surely respectable. But so far, that hasn't translated into noteworthy unit sales, desirability, or altering public perception to put Caddy in the same league as the German luxury brands.

I believe one of the greatest condemnations is Cadillac's styling, which at least to me doesn't say luxury, gorgeous, or status. The VW Phaeton had similar challenges.

People always compare the new CTS sales to the previous generation which is misguided. The new CTS is as good as the German competition, so they priced it accordingly. However, it is tough to break into this market so they should have been a bit more aggressive. However, they were not trying to match those sales of the less expensive car. Cadillac only had one sedan, now they have 4. To me the CTS is gorgeous, especially in black. The Gods are in the details. They need to stick with the plan to build a brand.
They higher transaction prices and lower incentives than in the past.

The CTS most decidedly IS as good as the Germans, but by pricing it advantageously, Cadillac would have ignited sales. Cadillac has to buy sales.

TheSteve - Sorry to hear you have fallen on hard times, still wearing shoes from the 90s, and OJ was right, BM shoes are ugly. I prefer To Boot NY. Plus I have a number of Canali suits, but I up date frequently. Have you seen the CT6 in the metal, it has great proportions and attention to detail. Of course the CTS looks classic to me as well. To each his own. The mesh comparison is most appropriate for the Lexus spindle grille, which is mesh. And the oragami creases leading nowhere are unsettling at best.
If you like 90s shoes, no wonder you want Cadillac to back to the past with names like, Brougham."

Truthy: Your deep misunderstandings are on many levels...

- When I said I have Canali suits and Bruno Magli shoes dating back to the 1990s, that was to inform you that they are timeless classics. You might not know this, but a 1990s Canali suit looks timeless today, as do the quality shoes! I have them because they still fit, they're highly stylish, sexy as hell, the bespoke materials wear exceptionally well, and it would be a shame to get rid of them just because they're not new. Sorry you misunderstood my reference to these items as me falling upon hard times.

- When I mention Cadillac's former glory years, I was simply recounting history and public perception at the time: Cadillac USED to be seen as being the best. Today, they're a struggling also-ran. Sorry you misunderstood my post to mean I liked Cadillacs back then, or that I yearn for a return to those days. Neither are true.

- re "Have you seen the CT6 in the metal" -- Well of course I have! I have seen plenty of Cadillac's contemporary offerings. I just don't care for them. You see, people have different tastes and different likes/dislikes. Sorry you misunderstood my post to mean I've never see one of these cars, and if I did, I would surely think as you do.


Also, I find it curious that you refer to Lexus as "...oragami creases leading nowhere [that] are unsettling at best...", and yet you don't see how your statement so apptly applies to Cadillac's current styling language, where their abundance of flat surfaces and straight lines make them look like folded paper, AKA Origami.

Buying sales and losing money is not a great way to run a business. Let's see, Lexus undercut the market with their initial pricing - because they were new to the luxury market - and their sales are still predominantly Camry derived; the ES, EX, and the new NX is also a badge engineered Toyota.

The Steve, where did you see the CT6 as it has only been at two auto shows and not on the street? One could argue that Audi's design language is very conservative. At first glance I thought the CTS rear 3/4 view was a bit plain. However, after seeing more of them and taking a closer look, it has great detail that is hard to manufacture. I agree that in pictures the CT6 looks a bit plain as well, but in 3D the surface tension is beautiful and the car is well executed.
How you can compare the mess that Lexus styling has become to Cadillac is hard to understand. Have you seen the new RX. It is horrible. Wierd proportions, lines going up or down for no apparent reason. However, their new sports car looks good.

Truthy:

re "...One could argue that Audi's design language is very conservative..."

In some cases, I very much agree with you! My 2015 Q5 is a good example of Audi's "very conservative" styling. However, the newly revealed Audi Q2 is very contemporary looking and edgy, yet without being garish or grotesque. It could be argued that Canali suits also have a "very conservative" design language. For more trendy designs, Hugo Boss is a better choice. Personally, my tastes gravitate towards more subdued, classic designs. This applies to cars as well (e.g., McLaren 12C, Ferrari 360 spyder, BMW Z8, Bentley Continental GTC from around 2008-2013... just to name a few). That's not to say they're "better". It's just what I like.


re "...How you can compare the mess that Lexus styling has become to Cadillac is hard to understand..."

The only comparison *I* made, was in citing YOUR reference to Origami within the context of Lexus styling, in which you wrote "[Lexus has]...oragami creases leading nowhere [that] are unsettling at best...", and stating the term Origami, or better known as Japanese folded paper art, is much more appropriately applied to Cadillac's exterior designs, with their abundance of flat surfaces and sharp, straight creases. I hold the view that Lexus and Cadillac have completely *different* design languages.

I like your taste in cars and suits. (Canali suits are made quality fabric).
The Q5 or A4 were among my top 3 choices for a car. In the end I wound up with an MB 300C. I agree with you though that as nice as the materials are in the CT6, it could use a bit more of something I cannot put my finge on. BMW interiors are too busy, Audi has it nailed in the interiors.