The new Cadillac ATS compact sport sedan can be seen in the latest documentary style advertising campaign by General Motors that featured winding switchback mountains in Morocco and Patagonia’s windswept plains. The campaign is named "Cadillac ATS vs. the World," and is part of efforts to promote the performance features of the ATS -- Cadillac's first true compact sedan since the heavily criticized Cimarron came out in 1981. For Cadillac to succeed at the compact luxury market, it would have to appeal to buyers who want top performance and who are drawn to German cars like the BMW 3 series. Molly Peck, director of Cadillac advertising and sales promotion, said that it’s “extraordinarily difficult” to break into this segment, which is the largest luxury segment worldwide.
She said that the company has to make consumers aware of the new brand as well as make them consider it. The challenge is that these have to be done quickly. These spots can already be viewed online but the TV ads will debut on July 27 during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The ATS is scheduled to appear in showrooms by the end of summer. It has a starting price of $33,990, including destination charges.
Peck said that the commercials are meant to show off the ATS as "nimble, quick and fun to drive" even when it’s driven through the world's most extreme road and conditions. In one commercial, the car can be seen driving through over 100 hairpin corners on a 3-mile stretch of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. In another ad, the car is on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit while a third ad puts the car in China at the ancient, narrow Guoliang Tunnel.
