Cadillac Looking for New Ad Agency

Cadillac V SIXTEEN Concept

General Motors announced it will search for a new and more efficient advertising agency for its luxury auto brand, Cadillac. The news came from both GM’s CEO, Fritz Henderson and Cadillac’s general manager, Bryan Nesbitt. "We think we can do better," said GM CEO Fritz Henderson. "We have done some good marketing and advertising in the past, but we do think we can take it up another level."

With GM just exiting from Chapter 11 bankruptcy this summer, the company had to come up with several cost-cutting plans in order to prove their claim of a new and efficient GM.

Cadillac had an expensive advertising partnership with Modernista ad agency since the summer of 2006 and Bryan Nesbitt stated Modernista won’t take part in the future bid.

“As we continue the renaissance of the Cadillac brand, we are looking for the best agency partner to deliver outstanding advertising that attracts the luxury-vehicle buyer,” Bryan Nesbitt, general manager of Cadillac, said in a statement. “Modernista, our current agency partner, has elected not to participate.”

The move comes after September’s sales records showed a 44 percent drop compared to same period last year. This has been the worst result among GM’s brands for the specified month.

Though all of the luxury brands recorded poor results in September in the U.S., only Bentley and Maserati reported worse sales than Cadillac. Lexus plunged 27 percent through September, Mercedes-Benz 24 percent, Lincoln 28 percent, Audi 10 percent, Infiniti 33 percent, and Acura 34 percent, while the total U.S. light-vehicle sales dropped 27 percent for the same month.

"We are extremely proud of the work we created for both Hummer and Cadillac. We feel it ranks among the best, if not the best work in the automotive category," said Modernista ad agency in a statement in response to GM’s new marketing decision.