General Motors replaces Cadillac ad agency as execs keep looking for marketing magic
By APFriday, July 2, 2010
GM dumps Cadillac agency as ad shuffle continues
DETROIT — General Motors Co.’s Cadillac luxury brand has switched advertising agencies as the auto giant struggles to come up with the right marketing combination to further boost sales.
Minneapolis-based Fallon will take over the Cadillac account, which had been handled by Bartle Bogle Hegarty since January, Cadillac said in a statement issued Friday.
GM has been shuffling ad agencies because of management changes and dissatisfaction among senior leaders with its marketing efforts.
In April, the company replaced Campbell-Ewald, which is based in Warren, Mich., as the Chevrolet brand’s agency after more than 90 years of work. Two other agencies have had Chevrolet since then.
BBH had the Cadillac account for only six months before getting the boot in favor of Fallon, part of French communications company Publicis Groupe SA. BBH also is affiliated with Publicis Groupe. Prior to BBH, Modernista did Cadillac ads for four years, and Leo Burnett had the account for the previous 20 years.
The changes come at the hands of Joel Ewanick, whom GM hired as marketing chief in May. Ewanick served briefly at Nissan North America, and before that he headed U.S. marketing for Hyundai Motor Co.
“Fallon’s deep, 17-year experience with other luxury automotive brands like Porsche and BMW makes them a perfect fit for our flagship brand,” Ewanick said in a statement.
