Cadillac Commercial Deep Dive

“Re-imagined, re-inspired, reinvigorated: all designed to reignite the soul. The all-new 2010 SRX, the Cadillac of crossovers. “

Theme: This Cadillac will transform you (the purchaser/driver) into a new and improved version of yourself. After all, the designers of this crossover have put a lot of work into re-doing…

Power Tools #1:
- This commercial is almost entirely appealing to the limbic brain. Its catchy music, reassuring male narrator, nifty cinematography, all illicit general good vibes from the viewer. Even more, important factors – such as safety, gas mileage, and price – that should (but often do not) play a role in buying a car are not mentioned; the neocortex is purposefully not engaged.

Power Tools #2:
- Epistemological shift: this shift is present, as the creators of the commercial relied more heavily on image than words. When words are displayed on the screen, they do not appear in full sentences or even phrases. The use of a single word is therefore more likened to symbols because it can only evoke a few emotions. Oppositely, a sentence connotes a wider range of interpretations.
- Technological Shift: a shift in technology is present through the way that I accessed this commercial – YouTube; although it originally aired in 2010, I can easily look it up three year later due to our digital information storage. From an data inquiry perspective, this shift is very positive
- Aesthetic Shift: through this Cadillac commercial the convergence of advertisement and art is apparent. The creative use of music and cinematography, fields that are seemingly unrelated to automobility, are testament to this point

Power Tools #3:
- Production techniques: as stated above, this commercial is employing a variety of techniques that appeal to the senses, causing consumers to have an emotional rather than rational reaction to Cadillac’s product.
- Value messages/Meanings: I feel that the value messages portrayed in this commercial are that the Cadillac can be driven (maybe not owned) by a range of ages and both genders. This overarching value message then elicits individual meanings for each person. For example, hip music, fast driving, and female driver appeal to the young person, male, and female drivers respectively. 
- Pacing: the quick camera cuts in this ad also prevent the consumer from rationally thinking about the product, as the really don’t have the time to. Even though the ad is only about 30 seconds, I had to watch 5 times in order to properly analyze it. 

Power Tools #4:
- Flatter: although it is not explicitly stated that driving the Cadillact SRX crossover will make you a better person, it is heavily implied. And since this car is supposed to be a new and improved extension of the buyer, the pleasant adjectives used to describe the vehicle are also meant to flatter the consumer.
- Beautiful People: The woman driving the car is not overly beautiful (as that may be intimidating to some), but she is definitely easy on the eyes.

Relation to Carjacked:
- Lutz suggests that gender norms are still played out in our contemporary culture of automobility. For instance, men typically know the mechanics of a car and enjoy driving fast, while women may be seen carting the family around. I feel that this Cadillac commercial may be the beginning of a gender-neutral car campaign (not as an attempt to foster gender equality, but simply as an attempt to increase sales). Evidence that the commercial is likely to appeal to both genders can be seen through fast driving, as well as the female motorists. Even the type of vehicle, the crossover, gives off a general feeling of ambiguity.

Relation to Republic of Drivers:
- The virtually empty streets in this commercial – with the exception of one other vehicle/free spirit – causes the audience to associate freedom with driving, as well a sense of adventure; even in a cityscape that has been traversed by millions of people, driving the Cadillac SRX will add novelty to the expedition.