Kate Walsh effect spreads to other Cadillac advertising

Cadillac loves Kate Walsh.

The star of "Private Practice" appears in TV commercials for the redesigned CTS sedan. Cadillac is so pleased with the spots that the brand plans to extend their format worldwide and across its vehicle lineup.

Among the ingredients of that format: a spokesperson with plenty of attitude and an emphasis on product features. Walsh purrs in one of the spots: "When you turn on your car, does it return the favor?"

Liz Vanzura, Cadillac's global marketing director, says the "emotional appeal" of the CTS commercials is resonating with consumers. She says the spots, created by the Modernista advertising agency in Boston, have helped Cadillac "find its voice."

Cadillac will apply the commercial format to TV spots for all of its cars and trucks by the end of March, Vanzura says. Print ads also will reflect the format, she adds.

TV spots for the CTS media launches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East will mimic the Walsh spots, Vanzura says.

New commercials for the Escalade SUV already have borrowed the format. A spot that aired during NFL playoff games featured Sofia Vergara, who stars in the ABC series "Dirty Sexy Money."

A spot created for the Super Bowl postgame show starred film and TV actor Brian Bloom.

Regional dealer TV commercials also will adopt the format of the national spots, Vanzura adds.

Vanzura says Walsh has become "the Cadillac icon." Vanzura declined to say whether Walsh will appear in commercials for other Cadillac vehicles but adds that her spots appeal to both men and women viewers throughout North America.

The trick, Vanzura says, is to find an engaging commercial spokesperson who will not overshadow the vehicle. She says Cadillac seeks "intelligent yet sexy" personalities.

"We are not always going to use celebrity talent," she says. "Kate Walsh was an exception for the launch."

The spots will continue to focus on product features, Vanzura says. In one of the new Escalade commercials, Bloom touts the SUV's DVD system and heated windshield washer fluid. He concludes: "If it had a bathroom, I'd live in it."

The new format also will display the Cadillac logo at the start of each commercial, Vanzura says. The idea is to promote the brand as well as the vehicle, she says.

"Most car companies tell you who the manufacturer is at the end of the spot," she says. "For 25 out of 30 seconds, you don't know what the brand is. If we need to change the perception of Cadillac and let people know who we are, why not tell them right at the beginning?"

The CTS launch spots helped Cadillac articulate "a unique point of view," Vanzura says. "Every brand is searching for that."