For me, cars were an entry point to design. Cars were around me, I could look at them whenever I wanted, and I made a weird habit of identifying all the cars around me, all the time, when I was fifteen or sixteen*. I grew up in Metro Detroit, too, so the presence of the auto companies probably helped me become a person who really liked cars. Not like I knew how to take them apart or anything, but I liked looking at them. Liked having opinions about what looked best, that kind of thing.
I was wandering around on AdWeek, and I love these ads.
Both of them, really. The Cadillac one seems like a joke, it really does come off as a parody. But, you know, a lot of the people who drive Cadillacs come off as parodies, so…
Here’s a response from Ford, made by Team Detroit. I think it’s great! I think it does a great job of rejecting the brand that Cadillac has projected and providing something different. To me, it says “Success doesn’t have to look like a fancy house, a pool, and a Cadillac. Success looks like you, doing exactly what you want, and making the world around you a better place.” That’s really inspiring, and I think it targets a younger demographic, going with the idea that Millennials care more about finding meaning and purpose in their careers than being able to buy a fancy car.
I hope you’re having a good weekend! I might be off the internet for a while in the next month or so, I have finals, and they might be taking a lot out of me. I’m also looking for and applying to internships for the summer, so if you know of an opportunity, I’d love to hear about it.
*I was a popular, sociable teenager.