Car ads are generally all the same: cue the dramatic music (maybe a rock tune for a more hipster-friendly model or something Beethoven-esque for a more conventional luxury car brand) paired with sweeping footage of a vehicle cruising along deserted roads with a possible voiceover telling you all about its impressive features and desirable leather interior. If you're anything like me, you have a hard time distinguishing ad from ad, blending all the companies together in one mass of voiceovers and pop music. Cadillac has decided that it's not going to play that repetitive game, instead creating a commercial that brings the focus inside their new ATS model to the grinning driver.
The ATS is the company's entry-level luxury model and is a great choice for such a unique ad decision. The new commercials, which debuted on YouTube last week, feature lengthy two minute introductions, allowing us to essentially jump on board for the ride. The smaller mini-commercials that last anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds will air for the Olympics on July 27, 2012.
Yes, there's obviously music in these ads and there's definitely sweeping shots of the car in action (with locations like Monaco, Morocco, Patagonia, and the Guoliang Tunnels in China), however, where these commercials divert is with the action inside the car. The camera sticks with the driver and passenger, showing all of their excited (and sometimes terrified) reactions to the hairpin turns and extreme environments (including some of the windiest areas on the planet and some perilous cliffs). Driving the car is race car driver Derek Hill, with actor Ross Thomas in the passenger seat. The two create an exciting dynamic that pulls you into the action, making you wish you could be a part of it.
The shoot took two and a half months to finish, the material being split between 40 commercials which will focus on different aspects of the ATS, according to Huffington Post.
For more information visit Cadillac.com.
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