Have you seen the Cadillac's Poolside commercial that starts out,
"Why do we work so hard? For this, for stuff?"
I saw this commercial a few weeks ago and it made me feel a little sick and kind of mad. It's all about stuff and commercialism at its worst - not to mention the rich privileged guy played by Neal McDonough is obnoxious and arrogant.
If you haven't seen it, here it is.
Well now it seems that Ford has fired back with their own satirical version of the ad. The Ford ad features Pasho Murray, an entrepreneur from Detroit Dirt, a compost company whose mission is
to become an engine for the urban farming movement by regenerating waste into the resources that will reshape Detroit.
Ford's commercial pokes fun at McDonough's character. McDonough's character collects stuff while Murray's character gives back and is a all-around do-gooder. The two car giants perfectly illustrate how:
- Understanding your audience is key to effective advertising.
- Humor is memorable.
- Hijacking a trend is brilliant.
- Aligning your brand with a "Cause" inspires.
What do you think? What brand resonates with you? Me, I drive a Subaru.
Even if both commercials are tongue and cheek, they do succeed in getting us talking and thinking about their brands.
