Cadillac XT5 launch elevates experiential marketing

Bringing a new product to market and creating an instant buzz is never an easy task. It’s absolutely essential to find a way to be different, to stand out from the crowd and to – above all – be seen. It’s a particular problem for car manufacturers, with so many similar options for consumers to choose from. 

Cadillac, the quintessentially American premium car manufacturer, knows exactly what it’s doing though. The long-established brand made an impact in sensational fashion when it recently launched its new XT5 model.

Making the most of the excitement surrounding New York Fashion Week, Cadillac announced a new partnership with fashion designers Public School and invited a bunch of high-profile guests to the big launch. What they didn’t know was that Cadillac had a sizeable stunt tucked up its sleeve.

A runway show. That would take place in the air.
 

Excited guests were treated to the sight of the new model as it appeared before them, some 150 feet above the Hudson River. The XT5 was seen for the very first time in breath-taking style, as the new model was flown past the party while suspended from a helicopter.

Brightly lit with spotlights to enhance the car’s sleek design, the XT5’s features were on display in highly visible fashion while guests’ smartphone cameras frantically snapped away. It’s a terrific example of experiential marketing from the premium car brand; one that has now translated into a striking video that is destined to be enjoyed and shared many times by car lovers, marketers and Big Apple fans alike.

Well-executed experiential marketing can make a big impact, especially when a campaign is delivered that closely mirrors a brand’s positioning. This stunt achieved just that for Cadillac, a firm renowned for its premium models.

Experiential marketing should be exciting. It should be about using the live brand experience to create a lasting memory; one that resonates so strongly that it will build brand love in the process. And location often has a big role to play in the success.

It’s always important to think carefully about the chosen setting in order to maximise the opportunity for a magical experience. The sight of Taiwan Beer’s quirky bee-shaped beer drones flying through the air is another great example that I’d point towards of a brand that has recently used experiential marketing to get people excited and, yes, build a ‘buzz’ around their latest offering. 

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