Cadillac
In 2004, the Cadillac brand was experiencing a renaissance. The entire vehicle line had been dramatically updated with new, impressive models featuring standout design, world class performance capability and premium luxury. The goal of the reinvigorated models was to attract a younger buyer.
To serve as a halo to the entire product line, Cadillac has introduced the V-Series, three cars that offer extreme performance and styling. In developing the line, Cadillac engineers met a unique automotive challenge in crafting these vehicles: each goes from 0-60 miles per hour in less than 5 seconds, a unique claim that set Cadillac up to compete in a new market.
Cadillac challenged us to think of a great promotion around the launch, which would take place during the Superbowl. Having seen the increase in the use of videos taken on cell phones, we came back with the idea of celebrating the sub 5-second speed of the cars with a 50-second film contest.
Cadillac
To launch the promotion, we partnered with the cast of MGM Pictures’ Be Cool, starring John Travolta as Chili Palmer, a Cadillac-loving gangster turned movie producer turned music manager. Through this movie tie-in promotion, consumers were offered the chance to get a quick taste of Hollywood. Launched January 20th, the “Coming Soon” website teased the promotion. Hosted by Chili Palmer, the site delivered V-Series information and became a place for consumers to request updates.
The contest itself was launch on the Superbowl with TV ads. To further increase participation, we employed grassroots tactics on film school campuses and in targeted neighborhoods of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit. Unique hero cards were distributed, and posters donned the campuses, generating awareness among the relevant audience. Billboards teased the promotion. In addition, we posted sample 5-second films to the website, providing examples for curious and interested consumers.
Results
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Over 2.5 million Unique Page Views on CadillacUnder5.com
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Over 1 million additional unique visitors to Cadillac.com, a 358% increase in traffic from the previous year
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43,000 additional requests for the location of a Cadillac dealer (versus the previous year)
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2,648 five-second film entries received in less than two weeks
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Created a new art form, the 5-second film, or "film haiku," that is eminently enjoyable to experience so lots of deep and repeat browsing of the site
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Be Cool is now John Travolta's most successful movie opening ever, which he and the director attribute in large part to Cadillac Under 5