Cadillac ads for Oscars debut new ‘Rise Above' tagline

DETROIT — A new advertising campaign for Cadillac marks the end of the brand’s 4-year-old "Dare Greatly" ad campaign and the beginning of a new "Rise Above" tag line and ad campaign that will debut nationally Sunday during the Oscars.

The “Rise” campaign, according to a company spokeswoman, is not directly replacing the brand’s overall “Dare Greatly” campaign. However, Cadillac will no longer use that messaging. The campaign, she said, was made specifically for the Oscars and the brand's crossovers and SUVs, not the entire Cadillac portfolio. 

"After some careful thought and consideration, we felt it was best to take our name back and be unapologetically Cadillac again," Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl said in a statement to Ad Age, an affiliate of Automotive News, about the decision to end "Dare Greatly." She added: "In our newest brand campaign, 'Rise,' we have decided to allow the Cadillac name and our crest speak for themselves and continue to tell the story of our reinvention. And it begins with our growing SUV portfolio."

It’s unclear if the brand will debut an overall brand tagline on the future to directly replace “Dare Greatly,” which debuted under Wahl’s successor, Uwe Ellinghaus, for the Academy Awards in 2015. Cadillac is not referring to “Rise Above” as a tag line despite it being at the end of each of the ads for the Oscars. 

“Dare Greatly” received positive feedback for its artistry and production. However, it also got negative feedback for being pretentious and not focusing on the vehicles. 

"Rise," according to Cadillac, will lead the brand to "literally and metaphorically rise above its past and reimagine its future with its new SUV portfolio," which will comprise the Escalade SUV and three crossovers when the XT6 three-row crossover in the summer.

The change marks the largest change Wahl has instituted since beginning to lead the brand’s marketing and advertising in March 2018. She also has brought more upbeat ads that focus more on the vehicles to the brand. 

The brand will air four ads, which were posted on YouTube on Thursday night, during the 91st Academy Awards that focus on the brand's crossovers and SUVs, which Wahl has referred to as the "Cadillac SUV family."

" 'Rise' gives life to the spirit of perseverance that has always been part of Cadillac," Wahl said in a statement.

A 60-second launch ad, titled "Rise Above," is more artistic than much of Cadillac's advertising in the last year. It features the entire lineup of Cadillac utility vehicles.

The three supporting ads — "Take the Stage," "Take Flight" and "Make Your Escape" — separately focus on the Escalade full-size SUV, XT5 midsize crossover and XT4 compact crossover.

All spots are set to rapper Childish Gambino's "Me and Your Mama" and end with a collective shot of the full Cadillac utility family. They also reimagine and highlight the Cadillac crest, showcasing its horizontal blue lines to form a staircase shape, which the company says "represents the brand's upward determination and drive to succeed."

This is the sixth year Cadillac will be the exclusive automotive partner of and vehicle provider for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the 91st Oscars.

Cadillac's partnership with the Oscars also includes on-site red carpet presence, preshow broadcast integration and other digital and social components.