General Motors wants its fourth-quarter Super Bowl commercial to be the equivalent of the company’s F1 racing debut on the moon.
The 30-second ad provides a first look at the livery, or bodywork, that will take center stage in the new automotive entry from Cadillac Formula 1. But it also lends a sense of history to its release, drawing on President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1962 speech about sending a spacecraft to the moon. Viewers will also hear actual conversations between Apollo mission control and astronauts.
“We want to plant the flag as America’s new home team,” Cadillac F1 Chief Marketing Officer Ahmed Iqbal said in a recent interview. The spot aims to provide a “value proposition for fans, whether they’re a hardcore F1 fan from the past 70 years or a brand new fan who’s just seen the F1 movie and isn’t sure if they like it yet.” “Take the journey with us and understand exactly what it takes to build your team.”
Cadillac Formula 1 is backed by General Motors and TWG Motorsports and is the first new team to join the sport since 2016. F1 Spot was founded by Translation, an independent marketing agency led by entrepreneur Stephen Stout.
Executives believe the spot will also set it apart from other teams in the fourth quarter, which could feature a tense game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, in the vein of recent Super Bowls. Mina Michael, Translation’s executive creative director, said viewers can “empathize with the ambition, and they can empathize with the challenges that have no promise of success.” “There’s a lot of cool celebrity spots, fun spots, and really heartfelt spots at the Super Bowl. You have to stand out.”
The ad shows the new Cadillac F1 vehicle being formed from parts, all of which can be seen individually over a desert landscape. Translation executive creative director Steve Horn said the scene was actually filmed in Death Valley National Park, with “car parts hanging on wires” and special effects used to show the livery being assembled. Scenes like this were important, he says, “especially when the protagonist of our spot is a machine.”
GM displayed it in Times Square over the weekend to build anticipation for the commercial. The new car was hidden inside a glass box with a frosted window, and passersby could see the silhouettes of mechanics assembling the car throughout the weekend.
But this ad will be the real test of interest in Cadillac’s new truck. GM will no doubt be keeping an eye on who the new F1 team decides to support as they rev up their promotional engines.
