Below: Before and After Images in Slide Show, Video, Summary. Credits
For generations, car ownership has been an integral part of the American Dream. But today’s drivers have a pay-for-play mentality—out with the owned, in with the new. Brands like Cadillac—long considered the pinnacle of American automobiles and part of the largest US auto manufacturer, GM (General Motors)—must engage their Gen X/Y audiences through completely new services and products altogether to maintain relevance.
Building off our ongoing brand revitalization for Cadillac, we helped the company extend its brand to reach this critical yet elusive target group. We needed to challenge the traditional rules of car ownership by delivering all the benefits and none of the drawbacks the experience affords.
We created Cadillac’s vehicle subscription service to reach this audience on their own terms—with the tap of a mobile device. This concept enables Cadillac to capitalize on the white space between traditional car ownership and the on-demand ease of Uber or Lyft. We named this service BOOK, representing the idea that users can live their lives like an open book, creating their own unique experiences along the way.
The gem-like logo we developed lives alongside the traditional Cadillac Sans typeface to ensure that the sub-brand cues Cadillac while evoking its own fresh sense of progress.
We created a visual identity for BOOK that was modern and sophisticated yet user-friendly, ensuring it had full appeal for a Gen X/Y audience. We then infused this across BOOK’s literature and digital expressions.
We created a provocative storytelling approach focused on the journey, placing an emphasis on where and how users can adventure. As the launch approached, we created a high-end welcome kit to introduce early participants to the brand.
Since its New York City launch in January, BOOK has expanded its fleet to 7,000 vehicles, and has been such a big hit that the service is expanding to Los Angeles and Dallas.
“[BOOK] takes away the burden of a long-term commitment, and people get to interact with a lot of different products that Cadillac has to offer,” said BOOK Global Director Melody Lee. “Try-and-buy is huge for us.”
Client: Book By Cadillac – www.bookbycadillac.com
Brand Strategists/Designers: FutureBrand – www.futurebrand.com
Chief Creative Officer: Sven Seger
Executive Creative Director: Doug Sellers
Managing Director: Simon Hill
Group Director, Client Services: Beth Mallow
Creative Director: Tina Schoepflin
Creative Director: Scott Williams
Designer: Frida Thomsen
Senior Strategist: Amanda Goldwasser
Production Director: Kris Pelletier
Senior Implementation Specialist: Emily Hartnett
