Situation: Cadillac was looking to drive reappraisal for the brand through their new SUV lineup at the 2019 Academy Awards.

The Challenge: Agency briefs year after year asked for brand transformations and attempts to make Cadillac beloved again. While each attempt was valiant, the brand continued to fall short. It was clear through the inconsistent messaging and offerings that Cadillac struggled to identify a brand positioning that reflected the company’s identity and core values.

Approach: We needed to find a brand truth that was uniquely core to Cadillac. We found that 1 in 2 people driving Cadillacs were driving their very first luxury vehicle. In addition, we heard from focus group participants that “nobody gets a Cadillac for their 16th birthday.” This sense of “earnership” was true to the brand, and had been constantly played back in popular culture. Our guiding strategy was: Cadillac aren’t given, they are earned. This thinking lead to an integrated campaign called “Keep Rising.”

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The Results: