Detroit-based Lowe Campbell Ewald only held the account for about 18 months.
Detroit Free Press
By: Greg Gardner
December 4, 2014
Cadillac has moved its advertising account to Publicis Worldwide, which replaces Detroit-based Lowe Campbell Ewald that had the account only since mid-2013.
The switch is effective immediately, according to a Cadillac statement.
"This appointment is designed to accelerate the global expansion and elevation of Cadillac into a truly global luxury brand," said Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac chief marketing officer. "We have spent much of this year refocusing on the core values of our brand. Adding Publicis Worldwide to our team —with its undisputed expertise in luxury brand building — will further our progress globally."
Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Worldwide, called the decision "an honor and a privilege."
"We will work passionately with the client leadership team to strengthen the power of the Cadillac brand," Sadoun said.
While Publicis is headquartered in Paris, it has several offices in the U.S.
"Geography is not a concern," said Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell. "This is about the best team suited to our brand building mission."
But it further loosens Cadillac's ties to Detroit. Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen is moving its marketing staff of about 100-person to a new headquarters in Manhattan next spring. Product development will still be based at General Motors' Warren technical center and several models will be assembled in Lansing, Detroit-Hamtramck, Arlington, Tex., and eventually in Spring Hill, Tenn.
De Nysschen, who is credited with reviving Audi's sales and also led Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand, has laid out a long-term strategy since taking charge of Cadillac in September to double the number of models and double its global sales to 500,000 by 2020.
"De Nysschen is absolutely determined to break all old ties with Cadillac's previous marketing regimes and he wanted a New York ad agency to go with the brand's new marketing headquarters in Manhattan," said Peter De Lorenzo, a former advertising professional and publisher of the AutoExtremist blog.
"Short term it doesn't really look good at all, but de Nysschen's initial plan for the brand extends five years out, so he's counting on any hand wringing associated with these early moves to be distant memories by the time 2019 comes along."
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