Cadillac Archives - Media Guy Struggles

Pantera: The Art of Sculpting Fog

The Media Guy — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 11:38:00 +0000

The de Tomaso Pantera. Around $10,000.*

In Italy, men build cars with passion. One of them is Alejandro de Tomaso. And this is his car. Pantera.

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The evolution of the print ad is something that deserves its own dissertation (I am sure there are many) and today too much copy scares away even the most avid reader. Today, any print ad worth its media uses four key components:

A headline
Visual-grabbing design elements
Snappy copy or even as short as a tagline
A call to action.

I miss the days when copy dominated print ads covering up to seventy per cent of the page. You simply can’t get away with that now. Looking back through my ancient Sports Illustrated enearthed some treasures, namely an ad for the Pantera. If I asked a thousand of my readers if you knew what the Pantera was, my guess is that two or three would know what it was. For the other 9,997 of you, take a mental walk with me and let me tell you…

Elvis Presley was car enthusiast known for his love of Cadillacs. After all, he owned nearly a hundred of him during his lifetime. But in the 1970s, the talk among car buffs was a sleek Italian-made sports car called the Pantera (aka Panther in English). Elvis bought one and was never the same. One day when he fancied a spin, the car wouldn’t start. After some frustration, he took out a gun and shot it a few times.

The Presley Pantera is now in a museum…respectful visitors count the wounds.

It might be thought that the incident, enthusiastically reported around the world, would damage sales of the Pantera…nothing was further from the truth. Why? Perhaps the love affair for automobiles was best described by William Faulkner in “Intruder in the Dust”:

“The American really loves nothing but his automobile: not his wife his child nor his country nor even his bank-account first (in fact he doesn’t really love that bank-account nearly as much as foreigners like to think because he will spend almost any or all of it for almost anything provided it is valueless enough) but his motor-car. Because the automobile has become our national sex symbol. We cannot really enjoy anything unless we can go up an alley for it.”

It was felt that even the king of rock and roll had no right to take shots at a car. The Pantera, a car previously confined to the specialist market,quickly gained notoriety. Pantera fans sympathized with Alejandro De Tomaso, its creator, when he explained that his design, like many an Italian prima donna, could be temperamental and should be treated with kindness and patience. The starting problem was a minor matter, he said, to do with overheating, and could be simply remedied.

As for the Presley Pantera, it is now in a museum. Respectful visitors count the wounds.

If, as Faulkner and other writers claimed, America has had a love affair with the car (now possibly fading, as affairs do), this may explain why the Pantera became an object of special affection along with the country’s own classics stretching back to Henry Ford’s Model T. De Tomaso’s achievement was to get his Italian job into a pantheon largely made up of American models. He had an unusual combination of gifts, that of innovator and salesman.

Immortalized in plastic…a sure sign of a classic….

Yet, I digress…

When Ford president Lee Iacocca wanted a sports car that his dealers could offer to match the Corvette, he turned to the De Tomaso Pantera to do the heavy lifting. Growing up in the the seventies, Iacocca was a bit of a business folk hero. No one knew CEOs and Presidents of big companies back then, but everyone knew him. Even a 10-year-old from Los Angeles. He said once, “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”

This statement was never so obvious as him turning to his Lincoln-Mercury ad agency Kenyon & Eckhardt to create the materials that would get his big idea across. By the time the Pantera was ready to find its way into Lincoln-Mercury dealerships the ads were ready and immediately made an impact. The copywriting itself deserves a special spot in the pantheon of copywriting. Each word carries the weight of ten. Consider the following paragraph:

“Conceived without compromise. A car so carefully built (it is virtually handmade) there will only be 2,500 made the first year. Mid-engined like a racing car. An ultra-high-performance sports coupe that stands a little higher than the average man’s belt buckle, it seats two (and only two) and it’s priced in the neighborhood of $10,000.”

And then the ego grabbing hook-line:

“Obviously, Pantera is for the few who demand something extraordinary.”

Today, this would be enough copy for two ads, but in the 1970s, they were just getting started:

“The body is the inspired work of Ghia, the renowned coachbuilder. It is Italian craftsmanship at its finest. Monocoque construction fuses the steel skin and frame into an incredibly strong and rigid structure.

“The engine is a 351 CID, 4-barrel V-8 placed just ahead of the rear axle, which gives Pantera some huge advantages over conventional sports cars. Better vision forward. Less power-loss. Better weight distribution. And the tightest, most satisfying handling characteristics you’ve ever experienced.”

And if all of this mindblowing car jargon (easily retained and digested as you read) isn’t enough, they his you with the cherry on top of the sundae:

“With five forward speeds fully synchronized, independent suspension of all four wheels (die-cast magnesium wheels are optional), rack and pinion steering, power-boosted disc brakes — even an ingenious system to prevent you from inadvertently selecting the wrong gear while shifting, the de Tomaso Pantera has to be one of the most impressive vehicles ever offered here at any price.”

Copywriters are, I suppose, beasts of imagination tethered inescapably to reality. They define success by creative brilliance, knowing ultimately it is only properly defined by commercial performance. And amongst all this, they yo-yo in and out of an odd state of immersion – rapt by a brief about chewing gum, or shoes, or Japanese lemonade, all the time knowing that none of it really exists.

Copywriting, like marketing, is the art of sculpting fog. This is never more apparent than in the Pantera ad above.

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The Flip Side

Of course, the ad agency cut some corners too and resorted to the 1970s Mad Men-style of advertising…sigh:

The post Pantera: The Art of Sculpting Fog appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

The Media Guy’s Sack

The Media Guy — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 00:46:00 +0000

Has it been that long? Over a year since I grabbed my
sack…of mail? As usual, I resisted and resisted, but the mailbox is overflowing
and alas, you need answers. So, without fanfare, here are the highlights of genuine
emails from my irreverent readers.

Question: Knife to your throat, who’s the next sweetheart of American
Television? We thought it was going to be January Jones and she went sideways
with her off screen antics. Then we thought it was going to be Blake Lively and
then she got married. I’m banking on Emma Watson now that she ditched Mr.
Potter. What say you?

—Bobbie, Oklahoma City

Media Guy: My money goes directly into the account of “Mad
Men” and “Community” star Alison Brie, who may just be the most
under-rated perfect woman working in Hollywood. Insane you say? Nope. Take a
look at Smirnoff Vodkas new series of television and Internet “Party at
Adam Scott’s” house commercials. She plays herself through the spots as the
hangs with Derek Huff and cleverly debates the merits of new age vodka claim.

Watch all six and you’ll see why I’ve sold my Selena
Gomez stock and put it all into Mrs. Pete Campbell. Speaking of Selena…I saw
her a few months back and she couldn’t have been nicer…

The Selena Encounter: click here

Q: Saw your chance encounter with Selena [Gomez] at the
Grammys, nice work, but I just saw the story where she fired her parents.

—M Miller, Los Angeles

MG: Well apparently they already disapprove of their
daughter dating Justin Bieber, so it may not have come as much of a surprise to
Selena Gomez’s parents when she fired them. Perhaps they had a Jack Woltz-Tom
Hagen dinner where they thought that Bieber may pull a Johnny Fontaine…

Q: Whatever happened to models on magazines? Print used
to make models into celebrities. Now the celebrities are pushing models back to
the runway. Or is it my imagination.

MG: It’s not just Maxim and Playboy that use sex appeal
to sell magazines. Women’s magazines, men’s magazines, music magazines —
they’re all using sexy celebrities to move paper. Even Julia Louis-Dreyfus the
greatest female comedienne of all time, is getting into the act.

—S Willson, Stamford, Ct.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” you say? What about
Lucille Ball or even Ellen DeGeneres? Certainly they brought more to the small
screen than the heiress to the Louis Dreyfus Energy Services fortune, right? No, no, no my friends. Three Emmys for Actress in a Leading Role and the lead
female during the first renaissance of Saturday Night Live say it all. (Plus,
Ellen and Lucy never looked that good on the cover of a magazine.) Here are
some of the hottest covers I found from the past few years.

Q: Is Cinemax in trouble with that starlet lawsuit they were
levied with?

—Barbara W., Boston

MG: Oh yes, Anne Greene certainly caused a stir when her lawsuit said she was “bullied into performing nude scenes, sexually harassed and
placed in a dangerous work environment.” I mean, really! Who would have
expected this type of filming on a network nicknamed “Skinemax”?! I showed her sizzle reel to a few of my female friends (READ: not girlfriends,
female friends) just to get their unedited reaction. Here it was …

“Is she acting or did she stub her toe or what? (Staring.)
She doesn’t want to take her clothes off? What’s the deal? She’ll never work
without being a body double or stripping down for Skinemax. (Short pause.) Ugh!
AMAZING.”

Q: I’m a bit worried that Cadillac may implode after that
disastrous Olympics television ad campaign. If I took a shot of vodka every
time I yelled at the TV in between luge and skiing runs I would have been
literally drunk for a month.

—Maggie Hazelton, Falls Church, VA

MG: I guess it’s time to dust of the open letter I half
penned to Alan Batey, Executive Vice President and President, General Motors
North America:

Geez man.

What happened to your smart Cadillac advertising
campaign?

You remember the one announced last fall? The one where
your campaign was supposed to lean on American Dream and our values where the
notion still exists that that everyone can create his or her own destiny. The
one where Cadillac was supposed to be painted as a more-accessible car than it
has been?

“Work Hard. Be Lucky.”

Sounded pretty hot to this Media Guy.

Especially since it was a definite departure from the
messaging that General Motors has leaned on previously to market Cadillac. It
seemed they finally would depart from the stuffed-shirt wealthy white guy ads
they used for decades and the more recent “sexy Kate Walsh” commercials.
“The Standard of the World,” as it was touted for nearly one hundred
years, looked to be shuttered as Cadillac’s marketing team charted a new course
for luxury automobiles.

And then they introduced the “Poolside” ad for the 2014
Cadillac ELR:

Let’s just say that the spot— relentlessly aired during
the Olympics—wasn’t the darling of the masses.

As I scoured the reviews of media critics, terms like
“vaguely sociopathic,” “the single most obnoxious television ad
ever made,” and “sick…stressed…stupid” leapedfrom the pages of
pundits. From the back seat of my palatial media room (a wicker chair and a 50”
plasma – nothing special), it’s easy to see why. The ever-cool actor Neal
McDonough is ideally suited to play the heavy and has quite nicely for the past
decade. But to sign him as the guy who is supposed to represent hard work, yet
is really the guy who lives in the hills that everyone resents is horrifying.

Mr. Batey, I could continue and pitch my wares as your
would-be media consultant, but I’m going to join Maggie in a shot or two as we
yell at the youtube clips!

Q: I give up. Social media can do whatever they want.
Can’t you be the social media commissioner and reel in the beast?

—Davida Bryant, Cleveland, OH

MG: I want to inform you of something right now — there
is no love lost between the Katherine Heigl and Duane Reade and Social Media.
THESE THREE DO NOT LIKE EACH OTHER! And I want to tell you something else — I’m
loving it! You don’t see this stuff enough in the media. I hope you’re reading
the battle Heigl is waging with New York pharmacy giant Duane Reade after they
looked to capitalize on her shopping at the store. $6 million in damages;
that’s heady stuff. David Griner of
Adweek just wrote an amazing piece on “4 Ways to Avoid Being Sued by a
Celebrity Over a Tweet.” You should read the entire article, but here is
the Griner’s Top 4:

Get permission (which you’re probably not going to do,
so skip to No. 2).
Retweet without commentary.
Say you’re flattered, and be transparent.
If they ask you to take it down, take it down.

David, and ladies and gentlemen: Your new social media
commissioner…David Griner.

Q: What ever happened to Margrét, Your New Favorite Amazon Model?

—Sezen A, Istanbul

MG: I just spoke with her and she is rather excited:

“I’m one of the top models being considered for an amazing
week-long nude photography workshop! Here’s how they describe this workshop: ‘If you’ve ever wanted to explore and photograph some of
the most amazing (secret) locations in the southwest – like magnificent slot
canyons, massive red rock arches, historic Anasazi ruins from the 1200′s,
towering ‘tapestry’ cliff walls, petroglyphs, sweeping panoramic vistas and
more – all surrounded by emerald green water and only accessible by boat – PLUS
work with beautiful nude models and learn one-on-one with master photographers
– taking your photography to the next level – this is your chance. This
workshop only has 2 spots left – don’t miss out on this photographic adventure
of a lifetime.’ I am super pumped and working hard every day to get in amazing shape. Only brown rice and steamed veggies for this girl.”

And with that my friends, the Media Guy is out of here…

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