GM is hoping a new documentary-style ad campaign, to be aired on July 27th during the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics, will help the Cadillac ATS crack the notoriously tough luxury sport sedan market. Taking on the likes of the segment-leading BMW 3 Series is no easy ask, but with these well-named 'Cadillac ATS vs the World' spots, where the new compact sport sedan negotiates 100 hairpin corners of Morocco's Atlas Mountains, there seems to be a burning will to reestablish Cadillac as a force in the luxury segment.
"The task of the ATS is very ambitious," said Jim Vurpillat, Cadillac's global marketing director. "Going into the largest luxury segment. Going against a brand like 3 series that's dominated the segment for 38 years.
"I think what you see in this campaign is befitting of something as ambitious as the task at hand from a business standpoint." "Completely new from the ground-up, ATS is Cadillac's bold entry into the most significant segment of the global luxury auto industry," says Don Butler, VP of Cadillac Marketing.
"ATS was developed to take on the world's best sport sedans. So we designed a world challenge for ATS to dramatically demonstrate its all-new purpose-built chassis and advanced technology in a global, cinematic adventure. The films demonstrate the performance of the new ATS on a world stage, making it a natural fit for the Olympics." To develop the spots, Cadillac brought together Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, champion rally car driver and filmmaker Jeff Zwart, and to do the driving race car champion Derek Hill, the son of legendary driver Phil Hill.
The new car is an enormous deal for GM, who with the ATS believe they have the first Cadillac in years that can wrestle some market share away from the German giants. When the 2013 ATS hits showrooms this summer, prices will start from $33,900.
