Riffing off the Cadillac ad that stirred up so much buzz during the Oscars (even though it had already aired multiple times during Olympics), Mark Duffy, better known as the ad industry critic behind Copyranter, took dead aim at the American automotive industry's recent run of vainglorious television commercials that are really more about selling the industry than selling cars.
Duffy has a point about that Cadillac ad.
Vice: Cadillac’s advertising director Craig Bierley says people have “misconstrued” the ad (in other words, he’s calling you consumers stupid). Here’s some of his MBA-fueled bullshit defending the spot:
“It's basically saying hard work creates its own luck. In order to achieve it, you just have to believe anything's possible. You have to believe in yourself; you have to believe in possibilities. It's really about optimism. It's really a fundamental human truth: optimism about creating your own future. It's not about materialism."
Yeah, bro, if people have “misconstrued” the message of your ad, then you are doing advertising wrong. Making sure the audience understands the message -- buy this thing! -- is kind of, you know, the job.
Did they not teach you business in business school, Craig Bierley?
