Cadillac ELR (Hybrid) “In America, We Work Hard”
Description:
This commercial for Cadillac’s new plug-in hybrid ELR features Neal McDonough (the guy from Justified, Band of Brothers and several other movies and TV shows) telling us why in America, “we work hard”, and why it pays off.
Transcript:
Why do we work so hard? For what? For this (showing a large swimming pool in the back yard)? For stuff? Other countries, they work, they stroll home, the stop by the cafe, they take August off. Off! Why aren’t you like that? Why aren’t we like that?
Because we’re crazy, driven, hard-working believers, that’s why. Those other countries think we’re nuts. Whatever. Were the Wright Brothers insane? Bill Gates, Les Paul, Ali? Were we nuts when we pointed to the moon? That’s right, we went up there and you know what we got? Bored. So we left. Got a car up there and we left the keys in it, do you know why? Because we’re the only ones going back up there, that’s why.
But I digress. You work hard, you create your own luck, and you gotta believe anything is possible. As for all the stuff. That’s the upside of only taking two weeks off in August. N’est-ce pas?
Neal McDonough unplugging the charger from a new Cadillac ELR
The fine print:
For approximately 3.5 seconds, when Neal McDonough is outside and unplugging the charger from the ELR, the following fine-print is shown:
Professional installation required. For more information visit CadillacCharging.com for Bosch Service Solutions.
Claims made:
This commercial makes no actual claims and is intended to convey the message that the American Dream is built on hard work and effort while introducing us to the new Cadillac ELR.
I have not seen as inspiring commercial as this one in years.
Tremendous!!
This commercial is awful–selling the idea that if the little guys work harder to put more money in that guy’s pocket, we can all be proud… while we never see our kids, can barely pay for healthcare, and can’t get far enough from the concrete to find a rose to smell. I don’t think lifelong stress and ruthless competition, and squeezing everything out of the humans is really the way for America to be healthy and strong. Do we think this guy spends time with his kids? (besides taking him to the game in the corporate box?) And is he having his kids with his wife? or the women he spends more time with at work? Some people work 2 jobs… and will never have a cadillac. Who do they think watches the Olympics? I hope most of us aren’t as stupid as this commercial seems to hope we are. The implications are all in there, aren’t they? It would be nice to share in the profits of all the work, as well as the achievements, then maybe we could all relax and breathe better. Maybe we’d notice there’s not enough oxygen and the water table is rising.
The next time we go back to the moon to pick up that car we left there will be on the back of a Russian space shuttle. Maybe we should re-instate that portion of NASA before we make the claim that we’ll be back there any time soon.
Typical lazy, liberal, wants something for nothing, is owed free healthcare, Obama voter. At 25 I was driving around in a piece of junk while that I had to illegally pay off mechanics to pass smog tests, while all my friends had new cars. They were telling me to buy one too. Instead I bought my first 4 unit apartment building, had to use a credit card to help in the down payment. Also worked 2 jobs. 20 years later I am that guy.
Love that commercial, going next week to look at the ELR and trade my Mercedes. You work hard, you create your own luck, you have to believe anything is possible. WINK
So you’re a smug, self-satisfied asshole who doesn’t understand that “that guy” couldn’t achieve and maintain his lifestyle without many people doing the menial, low-paying jobs that society–and the economy–demands? Not everyone can be the innovators, or in management; some people HAVE to be the workers.
And BTW, Europe has better quality of life and life expectancy.
And loving it!!!
But Europe doesn’t use a top sheet on beds, and has golf carts that they call cars. Keep your freakin Europe.
I did those menial jobs at 16 and worked my way up. When I worked as an Administrator for a hospital I met a janitor who saved since he was 18 and then used his money to buy apartment buildings. Still loved working even though he was almost a millionaire. He didn’t ask for a handout, he made his own luck. Thats what America is all about.
thank you for your comment
The irony of GM, a bailout leach pumping this message. Haha and you took the hook. Classic.
The success (or failure) of GM which is a giant company is not really the same as an individual working to make their own success. Your point, whatever it is, is pointless.
No. The ad is about Caddi pushing a green electric “Obama” car and they suceeded in getting Conservative types excited about a hippie mobile and not disenfranchising their base of Caddi owners. Pure success.
This commercial is the epitome of how consumerism has overtaken America! When the American worker finally won a 40 hour work week and was content with his situation, corporate America had to figure out a way to get us to buy all its stuff. So what did they do? They convinced us that we needed all this extra “stuff.” How can we get it? By working harder and running on that hamster wheel! The message of this commercial is that working to get stuff is more important than enjoying your family and living a balanced life. Don’t be deceived! They are continuing to doing it to us.
This is one of the things that drives the economy Elaine.
We are all consumers, but nobody’s home minding the candy store anymore. We all have to buy food and goods, but we do not have to keep trying to keep up with the Jones’.
Umm, It’s a commercial for a car. Of course it’s only purpose is to try to convince you that you need this car. What else did you expect?
Go price a house in Belgium idiot they have to pay a 30,000 tax to the Belgium government to buy a house you have absolutely no knowledge of how things work.
Love this commercial. What’s wrong with working hard and enjoying the fruits of our labor? Because this commercial only shows the consumption side, it seems one-sided. Doesn’t mean the representation of the person would not be charitably inclined.
We need more of this message. I think my next car will be a Cadillac if this is their message.
I love this commercial! And not because of the strict content of the message, but for its style and humor. It’s way over the top, and Neal McDonough is a marvel to watch as a tower of ‘tude.
If I were to take it at surface value, which some folks seem to be doing, it can be taken as a vulgar justification for consumerism and a Fox News style, xenophobic rant about the superiority of American capitalism. But it’s much cooler than that. It’s funny, tongue-in-cheek, and multi-leveled. There’s actually a lot of truth in what he says, but they’re also having a lot of fun with it.
We all need to lighten up a bit sometimes, “n’est pas?”
Oh, there’s truth to what he says. I believe in working hard to achieve my dreams. I do, I have, and I will continue to do so. I just think the message of this ad is that working hard is justification for purchasing more stuff, and that’s what Americans value. As for lightening up, that’s just what advertisers want you to do! They would love for us to lighten up, and fall into the trap of believing that we should take on more and more debt to purchase our “dream.” But when I read that the average American’s credit card debt is $7000, and I hear about people who have taken on bigger mortgages than they can comfortably handle, that’s no joke!
maybe the message is work so hard that you can buy stuff outright, without debt.
Either way, the message of “work hard” is a better message than “lay around, do as little as possible, and take what you can get without working at all”, wouldn’t you say?
Your reply would make sense if working hard and making enough money to have that guy’s lifestyle was really an equation that held. It does not. Do you think he’ll have a great retirement? How many people have worked so very hard and have had their retirement funds pulled because the “hard working” bankers and ceos have such a high margin of profits in their pockets, and are keeping so much money off shore that pension funds and tax bases are being chipped at and bankrupted all over the country. I guess those workers who lost their retirement funds didn’t sacrifice enough weekends(?)
Hard work without applying logic is as much a formula for failure as a lack of hard work. If you don’t plan your retirement intelligently, you may get burned. And no, there is no direct correlation with bank/ceo failure rate and executive salary.
Paul,
Agree that there are multiple levels to this commercial.
Everyone sells green cars for the environmental impact, Caddi reverses and sells their car on the exact opposite message.
Opulence – big house, big pool,
Disregard for trashing things- vehicle left on the moon, why “we got bored”
Diregard for the impact for the world good. – Buy this electric car not to be a global citizen but because it is a American.
The ad agency/GM reversed the classic enironmental message of a green card and went bold and over-the-top to sell the exact opposite through the speech.
The modified enviro message is non-verbal. The car starts outside on a sunny day in front of a pristine pool. Here they indirectly push the environment and the purity of water.
The 3 abrupt/akward stops of the actor to push no verbal queues.
1. In golf clothes- selling to the conservative that you too enjoy the outdoors.
2. Switch into a modern high cut & trim suit jacket. Pushing the I have adopted to modern dress- and I really want to be hip but maintain the classic values.
3. The electric plug- just to indirectly stick it in your head that this actually is an electric car.
I doubt anyone finished watching the commercial unfamiliar with the vehicle and said, oh this is the expensive version of the volt or this is Caddi’s Prius.
Over top for sure, but really hunting for their target customer, and coming off abrasively to their non-target market.
This is the BEST. It shows how hard work (the father and husband) has enjoyed his home and then its off to work and the benefits it renders hence the American Dream. Wish we had more inspiring commercials like this. Something to work at
This commercial is a lie. Two extra weeks in August isn’t going to get you enough money to buy that car. In the real world, wages are pretty stagnant and all that hard work is keeping me even, not getting me ahead. Fantasize all you want, but that commercial will never describe your life.
The message is not about having 2 more weeks to get stuff done. It is about working hard, not slacking, and never giving up, even after some simpleton on the internet says it’s fantasy and it will never describe your life.
Some people work hard, never give up, and keep working to achieve their dreams. Some people achieve them, others, dont, but they keep trying. Others just lay around and criticize those that do, and wonder where their next government check will show up, and complain when it’s late.
This is commerical is ARROGANT and is a turnoff. I know what car I will not be buying.
It is a mistake to use cliches and stereotypes of the US and France in this way. Here is a link to my take on this. And I sure hope Cadillac pulls the ad soon. They can’t believe that most people want this or think this way.
http://international-relations-cliches.blogspot.com
Omg it’s a car commercial. It’s funny! Leave it alone (and don’t pull it). Are you telling me you don’t want to drive a luxury car? There is nothing wrong with wanting nice things and trying to work hard to get those nice things.
@dee who are you kidding you can’t afford it. Now go back to your Occupy tent.
@pneident this ad is perfect. The French are lazy socialist who work 3 hours a day, kidnap managers of companies when their is a plant closure or layoff. Yet the French government refuses to prosecute these thug terrorists.
Here is my link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-07/in-france-kidnapping-the-boss-usually-pays-off
I ‘member that dude got shot in the but-tock in BoB. Messed with his head. Never the same no wonder he thinks an electric car is gonna take him somewhere he wants to go
The message is fine. However it’s the condescending, arrogant frat boy attitude that the actor portrays so well that make you want to punch him square in the mouth and watch him running to the cops for help like all Sigma Chi tough guys do when their mouths get them into hot water.
I’m with you Jerry. As for the rest of you, lighten up. Do you guys get this spun up over every ad on TV? It’s just a freakin commercial. If you don’t like it then don’t buy a Cadillac.
If this had been a skit on Saturday Night Live, you same people would have been laughing your assess off.
Life is short. Try to enjoy it.
I think the cut of his suit really adds to the theme too. Sort of a new age retro mad man thing going on to inspire the hamster. If January Jones would have lounging by that pool I would be buying that Caddy.
I saw this commercial last night for the first time. I liked the production: it was fast paced, used clever language, and showed images that resonate with their target audience (wealthy middle-aged xenophobic white men).
I, however, detest the condescending tone towards anyone (or country) living a lifestyle (by choice or otherwise) that might emphasize quality of life and happiness over working more and acquiring more. After watching this commercial, you’d have to assume that French people are lazy and lack any aspirations whatsoever (and you might also be annoyed that in fact a Frenchman, and other Europeans, had actually flown before the Wright Brothers). The message is that if you can afford a large home, swimming pool, and eighty-thousand dollar car then you are esteemed by your peers and society even if your family and neighbors think your a heartless profit driven shell of a human. What do you want to see more of in life: corporations and money or community and happiness?
I could buy both the car a Jerry King (already rented his mom last Tuesday night.)
I’d never buy a Cadillac after that commercial. It’s theme is characteristic of everything that is wrong with our country. What a low-brow knuckle-dragging message for our youth.
Yes, because the message that you make your own success by hard work is such a bad message for the kids.
Go back to sleep (or to school) Andy. You are obviously not equipped with the necessary critical thinking requirements to engage in this conversation. While you wait on the Ambien to kick in, wave a flag or perhaps listen to some country music is you must.
Son, your mom and I are terribly disappointed in you. We hoped that, despite your remarkably low Intelligence Quotient (67 on the Stanford-Binet in the fourth grade) that we could mold you into a productive human being that might be able to contribute something (anything) to society. Alas. We were wrong. While we wait for your early death, could you kindly do us the favor of shutting the hell up.
Why should GM care what non-Cadillac buyers think about that ad? It’s appeal to smirky self-entitled jerks is apparant. Like this type of guy achieved his success just through hard work and preserverance. Like nobody was cheated, taxes weren’t evaded, unfair connections weren’t taken advantage of, test cheating in school, and more. People truly successful by merit would not drive a Cadillac.
He quotes Ali as an American great (he was a world great). Back when Ali was in his prime, guys like the one depicted hated the Black Muslim, draft dodging, internationally loved Ali.
[Wishing our ignorant son had the critical thinking ability of people like Jake.]
Jerry!
Son, put away the porn mags and come downstairs. Oh, and bring one of your pocket knives; I need your help removing a bagel from the toaster.
I heard this is off the air?! Too bad. I grew up in Europe and immigrated to the US in my early twenties–for many reasons. This is not a perfect place but still the best option. I love hoe this commercial highlighted what America’s about: hard work and choices. You don’t have to drive the latest and the greatest but, if you want to, you can work hard and compete with the Joneses–or the French, or the Russians.