The American Work Ethic
There's an interesting "war" brewing in the automotive industry ... between Ford and Cadillac.
It's a war unlike any other I have seen, because it's based on core personal values ... a consumer psychographic of sorts.
Enter Cadillac with a campaign that debuted at the Academy Awards. In it, the American work ethic is explored via non-stop hard work and the possession of worldly things. Basically, the narrator tells us that Americans work harder than anyone else in the world, which affords us a lifestyle of riches.
It caused quite a stir because of the values the brand portrays as the American way. Many are inspired by it, while others see it as American materialism.
Just last week, Ford came back with a direct assault on that Cadillac commercial spot with yet a different set of American values:
Wow, what a difference! Absolutely fascinating to see two very different sets of values. A direct comparison of how different people may think about their own work ethic ... why they work and what inspires them.
No right or wrong, I believe. But amazing brand personalities and portrayals ... with distinctive targeting in the process.
What's your take ... what's your experience? JIM.
It's a war unlike any other I have seen, because it's based on core personal values ... a consumer psychographic of sorts.
Enter Cadillac with a campaign that debuted at the Academy Awards. In it, the American work ethic is explored via non-stop hard work and the possession of worldly things. Basically, the narrator tells us that Americans work harder than anyone else in the world, which affords us a lifestyle of riches.
It caused quite a stir because of the values the brand portrays as the American way. Many are inspired by it, while others see it as American materialism.
Just last week, Ford came back with a direct assault on that Cadillac commercial spot with yet a different set of American values:
Wow, what a difference! Absolutely fascinating to see two very different sets of values. A direct comparison of how different people may think about their own work ethic ... why they work and what inspires them.
No right or wrong, I believe. But amazing brand personalities and portrayals ... with distinctive targeting in the process.
What's your take ... what's your experience? JIM.