2019 Cadillac Ats 3.6l Premium Performance 2dr Coupe on 2040-cars

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Ford C-Max Commercial Brings Cadillac 'Poolside' Ad Down To Earth

If we had tried to predict the first video response to the controversial Poolside video for the Cadillac ELR, we would not have thought it would center on compost. But, hey, it's always nice to be reminded that the real world is sometimes better than fiction. Instead of the chic swagger of 'Poolside,' 'Anything Is Possible' is all about getting dirty. The new short in question is called Upside: Anything Is Possible and it promotes two things: Detroit Dirt and the Ford C-Max Energi. As in the ELR ad, Ford's plug-in C-Max only makes an appearance at the tail end of the spot, but instead of the chic swagger of Poolside, Anything Is Possible is all about getting dirty. The ad stars Pashon Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, which takes natural waste from around Detroit, composts it into soil and then spreads that around "forgotten parcels" of Detroit to create urban farms. Detroit Dirt gets its bio-waste from a lot of sources, including the Detroit Zoological Society (all that herbivore manure has to go somewhere), Ford and General Motors, but this particular ad was the idea of Ford's PR agency, Team Detroit. It was a frenetic shoot, filmed with an LA-based director right after a big winter storm blew through Detroit, and Murray couldn't be happier with the result. "This was Ford Motor Company pushing my story, letting me tell the story that I believe in," Murray tells AutoblogGreen. "I get to help push this car and I get to tell my story." She says that the Team Detroit and Ford had to agree on the message, "from my understanding, [YouTube] is where they wanted to start, not where they wanted to finish." The ad is already getting a positive response on Twitter, so we won't be surprised if it shows up in more places soon. "It's not saying Ford is better than GM. It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." As Detroit Dirt has off-screen support from both GM and Ford, it's unsurprising to hear Murray say that the video "is not a rivalry thing." She notes that the ad agency Team Detroit came to her and offered to tell the Detroit Dirt story using the framework of the GM ad. "It's a parody on this commercial, but it's not saying Ford is better than GM," she said. "It's telling the story of a black woman who's working hard in Detroit." What is that story? It's about urban farming, recovery and recycling. Murray tells us that for the last seven or eight years, she's been dedicated to sustainability.

New Cadillac ELR ad more educational, less controversial than 'Poolside'

Cadillac's first TV commercial for its ELR plug-in hybrid, Poolside, was a smash hit, in that a lot of people saw and talked about it. The 60-second spot didn't say the car was a plug-in, took potshots at the work ethic of all non-Americans and has raked in over a million views on YouTube (you can add one more here). Caddy's new ELR video will get a lot less media attention, but that's exactly the point. Cadillac claims it was happy with the way actor Neil McDonough strutted his way into the controversial ELR discussion. This time around, though, the coupe gets promoted in a more traditional way: with information about the car and what it can do - you know, drive on electricity, capture braking energy into the battery, go further on gas power when needed, those kinds of things – courtesy of GM's executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles, Pam Fletcher. The tone of the video has not been changed because of the Poolside controversy. David Caldwell, manager of Cadillac communications, tells AutoblogGreen that the new video is not destined for TV and is completely different because it's meant for a different audience. "It doesn't have any direct relation to Poolside," he says. "TV advertising is not necessarily the heart of marketing something like the ELR. Notwithstanding the fact that we had a very thought-provoking ad [laughs]." "We definitely have a need to communicate what the ELR is" - Cadillac's David Caldwell The way you reach out to people via the web is different than the mass-media techniques used in spots like Poolside during big TV events (it aired during the Winter Olympics). The two video spots are different because you need to offer different information in different ways, for example having an ELR website as well as an iPad filled with ELR information at the dealership. For Cadillac, TV is "not going to be the predominant methodology," used to sell the ELR, Caldwell said, "the web is closer to what you need to do to reach people. We definitely have a need to communicate what the ELR is. It's not television advertising at all." Caldwell said a handful of other short videos similar to the new one will go live in the near future, showcasing design and powertrain aspects of the car. Keep an eye out for them – just don't look for them on TV. You can watch the new video below.

Recharge Wrap-up: Lyft partners with Didi Kuaidi, Cadillac uses ultracapacitors

Lyft and Chinese on-demand transportation venture Didi Kuaidi have announced a partnership. Additionally, Didi Kuaidi is investing $100 million in Lyft. The two ridesharing companies will share technology and provide interoperability between platforms. For users, this means it will be easier to get around when traveling between the US and China. "In today's rideshare environment, where every region presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, partnering with the homegrown leader is the winning approach to Chinese expansion," says Lyft President and co-founder John Zimmer. Learn more in the video above, and in the press release below. Car2go has announced service in Miami Beach, FL. Beginning October 1, the one-way carsharing service will expand its boundaries beyond its current Miami service area to include neighboring Miami Beach. "We're thrilled to see car2go expand to Miami Beach," says Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. "Miami Beach residents and visitors are increasingly seeking new, environmentally conscious options to move around North, Middle, and South Beach, and carsharing is an important part of realizing that vision." Read more from Car2go. ClipperCreek has added the HCS-30 EVSE to its product line. The 24-amp, 240-volt Level 2 charging station is designed for residential and workplace duty. It allows for faster charging without the customer having to upgrade their electrical service panel. Delivering about 20 miles of range per hour of charging, the HCS-30 EVSE can charge most EVs in about four hours. Pricing begins at $565. Read more from ClipperCreek. Cadillac will use ultracapacitors in its stop-start systems for 2016. Rather than relying on battery power to run electrical systems while the engine is not running, the utracapacitors can provide a stable flow of energy without losing lifespan to repeated cycling. Supplied by Maxwell Technologies, the ultracapacitors are also lighter than batteries and, according to Cadillac, provide smoother restarts. The 2016 models to use the updated stop-start technology as standard will be the ATS and CTS, with the exception of the V performance variants. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lyft and Didi Kuaidi Announce Strategic Partnership, Building Toward a Collaborative Global Ridesharing Alliance - Didi Kuaidi Invests $100 million in Lyft - Companies Introduce Ridesharing Coverage Between the U.S.