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Cadillac House in NYC.

Started by Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621, March 10, 2017, 01:11:22 PM

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Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

In another thread, RichS posted a link to the website for Cadillac House.

I have no idea what is for, much less see what is has to do with Cadillacs -apart of having a few Cadillacs parked in there. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

http://www.cadillac.com/world-of-cadillac/cadillac-house.html?eVar36=MRM_eml_cad_own_Q1_en_0317_14906277452
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

D.Yaros

Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

You will find me on the web @:
http://GDYNets.atwebpages.com  -Dave's Den
http://graylady.atwebpages.com -'55 CDV site
http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaros  -Saved 62 (Oldsmobile) Web Site
The home of Car Collector Chronicles.  A  monthly GDYNets newsletter focusing on classic car collecting.
http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaros/

Chas

It's where a 30 something hipster doofus, with de rigueur facial hair, can go to spend $10 for a cup of coffee........all the while keeping a straight face.
1967 Coupe DeVille
1970 Coupe DeVille
1976 Coupe DeVille
1983 Coupe DeVille
1977 Harley Cafe Racer
1991 Harley Fat Boy
1957 Harley Hardtail
1949 Lusse Bumper Car
If you're 25 years old and not a liberal, you have no heart. If you're 45 years old and not a conservative, you have no money!

Scot Minesinger

Guess it is a marketing thing to show that Cadillac is cool, young and setting the trends.  It is supposed to repel guys my age (56), as that is too old to be commensurate with this offering.

BTW, if you go onto the tour the space icon, there is a 1959 Red Cadillac Eldorado scale model (probably 12"L) and it has a white dash - that must be how they made them because everyone knows the replica models are the standard of exact authenticity.

I don't think this "Cadillac House" will sway me one way or the other.  The cars speak for themselves.  This place must cost Cadillac about a dollar for every car sold, so is it worth it - who knows........
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

Mike Baillargeon #15848

I might be wrong but didn't Cadillac move their entire Marketing and Sales Division to this very exclusive SoHo neighborhood?

I thought it is above this coffee bar.

Mike   #15848
Mike
Baillargeon
#15848

Bobby B

Quote from: Chas on March 10, 2017, 02:16:13 PM
It's where a 30 something hipster doofus, with de rigueur facial hair, can go to spend $10 for a cup of coffee........all the while keeping a straight face.

"The Cadillac House is a Public meeting place where Innovators, Creators, and The Curious can find Inspiration-and One Another"......

Chas,
  Not too many people around the age of 30 meet the above Criteria, so I assume the space would usually be empty.......Finding Inspiration-and One Another seems slightly creepy to me.  :o  Is there a hidden meaning behind this?   ???
                                                                                  Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

Chas

Bobby....

...."......not too many people around the age of 30 meet the above criteria......" Maybe, but the ones I know sure THINK they do!....LOL!!
1967 Coupe DeVille
1970 Coupe DeVille
1976 Coupe DeVille
1983 Coupe DeVille
1977 Harley Cafe Racer
1991 Harley Fat Boy
1957 Harley Hardtail
1949 Lusse Bumper Car
If you're 25 years old and not a liberal, you have no heart. If you're 45 years old and not a conservative, you have no money!

Rich S

As my other post said, it would be better if this money went towards improving the product(s)! This surely aims to take the brand in another direction. As I said, small wonder the sales of Cadillacs in the U.S. market continues to decline. When will the General Motors Board of Directors intervene and stop this nonsense?
Rich Sullivan CLC #11473

1971 Eldo Conv., 2013 CTS Cpe

Big Apple Caddy

Just one of a variety of things Cadillac is doing to try to change the stodgy "old man car" image of the brand, particularly among younger consumers.  It's much better use for the HQ’s ground space than a sterile corporate building lobby area IMHO but ultimately what’s going to drive sales up in the near term are the crossovers being added to the lineup over next couple of years.  That's been the key for other luxury brands too and Cadillac has been slower to expand in that segment.

A few of the many articles/reports on "Cadillac House" from months ago:

http://www.coolhunting.com/design/cadillac-house-nyc-john-bricker

http://www.interiordesign.net/projects/12704-cadillac-house-by-gensler-2016-best-of-year-winner-for-showroom/

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2016/05/23/cadillac-brand-center-coffee-shop-new-york/84774692/

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/cadillacs-nyc-art-and-fashion-house-designed-lure-customers-without-hard-sell-171551/

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/31/cadillac-opening-brand-house-in-new-york-city.html

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

#9
Once upon a time in a more civilized era, Cadillac held Salon Shows debuting its latest products. According to Walter M. P. McCall in Eighty Years of Cadillac La Salle:

"...These Salons were lavish affairs, with invitations strictly limited to a select clientele. ...Evening gowns, tuxedos and top hats were considered proper attire at the Salon shows, and salesmanship was definitely frowned upon. Of course, orders would be discreetly taken."

Here is an advertisement for a Salon in 1926 or 1927.





Compare that to this current display of interior decor at Cadillac House, courtesy of Toiletpaper(?) magazine (too easy) , it begs the question as to whether we have come this far, or gone this far... ::)








A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

WTL

I'm 33, and so closer to the target market, and I think the whole thing is idiotic.

I was gonna post in the other thread about the exhibit of a late 90s white Cadillac, crashed through a wall, evidencing the disdain felt for the grandpa cars among corporate. 

But the playing card in the buttcheeks is a far more appropriate subject for our disdain for who is running the show.  What does it signify?  Just more of the old Warhol worship, which paradoxically to my eyes is the ultimate in stodgy anachronistic thinking.    Cadillac cars are timeless, whereas Andy Warhol is badly dated. 

And while I'm at it, the demographic - young NYC hipsters - a lot of them don't drive.  They bike or uber or catch a cab.
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/06/study-fewer-young-people-getting-drivers-license


Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

#11
Well said.

Frankly, it's difficult to imagine many new Cadillac buyers whose digs are bedecked the likes of "Toiletpaper Paradise" which, to my eyes, looks like someone's nightmare, Monte Python style.
A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

WTL

The description for the toiletpaper magaine exhibit references "mad men on acid"...

My first question, is, who does acid anymore? Thats a 60s drug. I met one guy in college who did it, but he was in a band.  I represent indigent criminal defendants, and I have yet to see someone who was on acid.  Meth, yeah.  And maybe that is what we are seeing in the coffee at CadillacHouse. 

(that comment comes before observing, that maybe "being on acid" is not the association people should be making with your brand...)


D.Yaros

#13
Quote from: Big Apple Caddy on March 11, 2017, 10:08:13 AM
Just one of a variety of things Cadillac is doing to try to change the stodgy "old man car" image of the brand, particularly among younger consumers.

Can one say, "Not your father's Oldsmobile?"

The current ad execs are probably not old enough to remember that ad campaign?
Dave Yaros
CLC #25195
55 Coupe de Ville
92 Allante
62 Olds  

You will find me on the web @:
http://GDYNets.atwebpages.com  -Dave's Den
http://graylady.atwebpages.com -'55 CDV site
http://www.freewebs.com/jeandaveyaros  -Saved 62 (Oldsmobile) Web Site
The home of Car Collector Chronicles.  A  monthly GDYNets newsletter focusing on classic car collecting.
http://www.scribd.com/D_Yaros/

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

#14
That same tired mantra of "younger buyers" and "old man's car" over and over... ::)

Historically, what exactly was the average age of a new Cadillac buyer anyway? And where in life does it place that age in proportion when average life expectancy is taken into account? 

Today, most young people typically leave college $50K - $100K in the hole to start, looking for work & affordable housing. I doubt many of them will have brand new cars in their sights for some time - Cadillac or otherwise.

It is my humble submission that the "youthful market" is precisely not the market Cadillac should be aiming to capture: Most neither have the funds, nor as yet developed a sense of appreciation of what a Cadillac is (or at least, what it had been).


A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

cadillacmike68

Quote from: WTL on March 11, 2017, 11:34:27 AM
... I was gonna post in the other thread about the exhibit of a late 90s white Cadillac, crashed through a wall, evidencing the disdain felt for the grandpa cars among corporate.  ...

There's a bar here in Tampa that used to have an 80s  RWD deVille or Brougham sticking in and out of the corner or the building. But they removed it.

I don't know what they are smoking in the board room at Cadillac. This is NYC - lower Manhattan at that. NOBODY drives in NYC, (except taxis and police   :P  ), where do they think they are going to get any buyers from in that market.   ???
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Rich S

It seems Cadillac corporate could not be doing more to dissociate themselves from their storied past. Brands such as Lexus do not have such heritage. When an ad from the Oscars featured '41 and a '59 Cadillacs it was a welcome reference. There are many notable past Cadillac owners--Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Arnold Palmer and the list goes on . . . A factory-built limousine may be a loss leader, but it would elevate the brand's image. This group doing the current ads needs replaced, along with those responsible for the Cadillac Coffee House in SOHO, and the sooner, the better. It is harder to win a new customer than to please a satisfied customer, and for this reason, Cadillac should be re-examining the new positioning of the brand they are seeking. They are ignoring the beauty that was the essence of Cadillac.
Rich Sullivan CLC #11473

1971 Eldo Conv., 2013 CTS Cpe

64\/54Cadillacking

I am a Millennial, and in Cadillac's target demo, but in all honestly I don't like any of the modern Cadillacs, or even the newish ones. They lost their heritage and prestige a long time ago. The 90's weren't that great in terms of styling, quality, prominence and leading edge technology. This is the era where the damage was done for them as far as sales and luxury car dominance.

It's no excuse however that for so long GM didn't care about the brands importance, Cadillac has such great history, more so than any of the European and Japanese luxury mark put together, yet the company execs have neglected the brand to the point where the general public still for whatever reasons, feels like Cadillac isn't worth the price or worth their time.

Also growing up, 90's Cadillac's were troublesome cars from what I remember and weren't known for great fit and finish or workmanship like a BMW or Mercedes. So, someone that wanted a true luxury car in that era with very high-quality materials, none of the domestic luxury makes qualified sadly.

A lot of the older Millennials remember these years, therefore probably still think Cadillac hasn't changed, and are for their grandpa.

All of my young friends don't aspire to a Cadillac, they rather just have something reliable or fast drive, and the ones that like luxury cars, they usually gravitate towards a Mercedes E-class or BMW 5-Series. (Typical I know).

Cadillac marketing department is clueless about going about their business. They should just stick to their roots and stop trying to cater to the hipster and intellectuals that live in the city, it's not working and those people don't care. I'd rather see them building and marketing their cars as being "Classy" and not sporty, because this is the "Real" Cadillac we all know and love, and they can't hide from their history or try to be like other brands because it's obviously not working. People gravitate towards brands with a solid history, especially luxury brands, and Cadillac, unfortunately, hasn't done enough to justify their high prices and questionable styling as of late.
Currently Rides:
1964 Sedan Deville
1954 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special
1979 Lincoln Mark V Cartier Designer Series
2007 Lexus LS 460L (extended wheelbase edition)

Previous Rides:
1987 Brougham D' Elegance
1994 Fleetwood Bro
1972 Sedan Deville
1968 Coupe Deville
1961 Lincoln Continental
1993 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series
1978 Lincoln Continental ( R.I.P.) 1978-2024 😞

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: D.Yaros on March 11, 2017, 02:06:20 PM
Can one say, "Not your father's Oldsmobile?"

The current ad execs are probably not old enough to remember that ad campaign?

Cadillac's current Chief Marketing Officer would’ve been around 18 or 19 when the "Not your Father's Oldsmobile" campaign started but is German-born and I assume wasn’t living in the states at the time.

Big Apple Caddy

Quote from: Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621 on March 11, 2017, 02:26:41 PM
That same tired mantra of "younger buyers" and "old man's car" over and over... ::)

Historically, what exactly was the average age of a new Cadillac buyer anyway? And where in life does it place that age in proportion when average life expectancy is taken into account? 

Today, most young people typically leave college $50K - $100K in the hole to start, looking for work & affordable housing. I doubt many of them will have brand new cars in their sights for some time - Cadillac or otherwise.

It is my humble submission that the "youthful market" is precisely not the market Cadillac should be aiming to capture: Most neither have the funds, nor as yet developed a sense of appreciation of what a Cadillac is (or at least, what it had been).

The "youthful market" they are targeting is much broader than those just out of college.  It's also not necessarily about selling to 20-somethings right away but rather giving the brand a positive, younger, contemporary image that will stick with them down the road when they are ready to buy a premium/luxury vehicle.

The average age of Cadillac buyers today appears to be late 50s to early 60s, depending on source.  Historic "average age" numbers I've seen for Cadillac over the decades have been anywhere from late 40s to mid 60s.  I think Cadillac would be quite happy if they were able to get the overall average age down to 50 or so.