Cadillac and Ford

Business Insider finds that Ford has destroyed the Cadillac commercial. The "arrogant" one that talks of American values and exceptionalism. Except that certain people think it's really about a rich guy spouting off about his own coolness.

So, Ford enters with a parody of the commercial that takes a swipe at self-absorbed rich men. It uses the founder of Detroit Dirt, Pasho Murry, and her plan to make the world a better place with Urban Gardens and locally grown food.

The problem is that back in August of 2013… well before Ford came up with this snarky little gem. GM had developed the Cadillac Urban Garden Program in Detroit. GM…who makes Cadillac... is a contributor to Detroit Dirt. You can see a photo of Pashon Murry in the below image from the GM Website. Detroit Dirt lists BOTH Ford and General Motors on their website as contributors:

ASTRO COFFEE
BODMAN PLC
CARHARTT
CASCADE ENGINEERING
CITY OF DETROIT
CONTINENTAL RAIL GATEWAY
DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

FORD MOTOR COMPANY
GENERAL MOTORS
THE HAJEK FIRM
MOTOR CITY BREWERY WORKS
SOUTHWEST SOLUTIONS
TEAM DETROIT

Here's the thing. In their ad, Cadillac didn't put down one person or lifestyle. No insult was delivered to anyone. Ford's ad, on the other hand, was specifically designed to mock the Cadillac ad. N'est–ce pas? Of course, Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio described the video as “lighthearted.”
“I don’t think we’re mocking a competitor. We’re trying to showcase positive work being done in our community,” she said. (Think again, Sara.)

Personally, I don't care for snarky swipes like this or the brand of thinking that grants itself permission to take those shots. The word "Lighthearted" is spin, not truth. The ad is clearly mimicking Cadillac's ad and the "lighthearted" intent isn't to applaud Cadillac or the people who purchase their product. The intent is ugly, not lighthearted. Mature, professional people simply do not put someone down to make themselves look better. (For the record...I didn't like it when Apple did it either.)

So, time to turn in that F150, Gentlemen and get yourself a RAM or a Chevy because I don't think Ford much appreciates your hard work or your exceptionalism. (Wait. Come to think of it, I know two women that own F150s. So PEOPLE…get yourselves a different brand.)

And Pashon?
I also don't much care for people who bite the hands that help to feed them. It's manure.

#Cadillac
#pashonmurry