Cadillac to Open Artsy Manhattan Coffee Shop; Idea is Either Brilliant or Terrible
Will there be black berets, obscure Russian poetry and Yoko Ono albums for sale at the door?
Fans of the General no doubt recoiled in horror at reports that Cadillac — a brand that conjures images of Elvis, Bruce Springsteen, the movie Badlands, and the hopes and aspirations of middle America — is opening a swank coffee joint in Manhattan.
Well, it true. They’re here, they’re upscale, get used to it.
If you’re really lucky, maybe one day you will find yourself drinking java from the upper slopes of a mountain you’ve never heard of while discussing designer fragrances and interpreting (wrongly) works of modern art…alongside a Cadillac.
Called Cadillac House, the café/gallery/dealership fills out the spacious ground floor of the brand’s 330 Hudson Street offices, and is due to open on June 2. Mark you calendars.
Nestled between Soho and Greenwich Village, the coffee shop is a ploy to lure well-heeled urban types into a space inspired by Cadillac, but not in the same way that certain small-town diners are inspired by Cadillac. It’s all part of an initiative started in 2014 to foist the brand onto those who traditionally shun domestic luxury.
“We have tried to tell people what you’re supposed to feel from the Cadillac brand,” said Melody Lee, Cadillac’s brand director, in an interview with Bloomberg. “But what we hadn’t quite fully established was an environment that you could walk into.”
Once inside, a coffee drinker and his or her literary agent (they’re having an important meeting, okay?) can expect quarterly exhibits curated by creative firm Visionaire, a pop-up shop selling Timo Weiland duds, and a room-filling, made-for-this-coffee-shop fragrance created by 12.29.
Oh, right…12.29! you’re probably thinking. Whose shows have they scented again?
Lady Friggin’ Gaga, that’s who.
There’s no word on whether the signature scent will be offered for sale, though if it is, it’s doubtful the bottles will retail for less than $12.29.
If you’re headed to NYC soon, or you’re a local wondering what this whole “Cadillac” thing is, the first artist scheduled for the space is Geoffrey Lillemon, the man behind Miley Cyrus’ world tour.
Tongues off the car, please, and no twerking near the side view mirrors.
[Source: Bloomberg] [Image: General Motors]
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what in the actual fuck is this real life?
I get the feeling that de Nysschen, Ellinghaus, Lee, Tan, Lebard and Brannigan already hail themselves as Legends in their Own Minds. TAKAD, aka The Autoextremist Known As DeLorenzo did his nasty dissection of Cadillac marketing: http://www.autoextremist.com/ My letter in response: "I grew up in ithe NYC suburbs, where a Cadillac was the aspirational car of self-made men, several in my own family. They were the children of poor immigrants who came here through Ellis Island and set their roots close by. This is why I was initially thrilled about Cadillac coming here. I thought being in this market might give them a feel for the history, the promise and the challenge of what was America's greatest Postwar car brand. "I was naive enough to believe the proximity to Cadillac lore might bring positive outcomes for the brand. "I knew I was wrong when Cadillac chose its real estate. I can understand avoiding another corporate campus in New Jersey or Long Island. But congested SoHo? That area was “over” 10 years ago. How about the resurgent Brooklyn Navy Yard, a once-great industrial hub vital to our World War II victory? They make TV shows and movies there, along with beer, 3-D printers and artisanal whatever. There's enough road for ride & drives with lifestyle publications as well as motor-noters. Perfect for what Cadillac is going after. "Made sense, right? Not to these self-absorbed dopes. Not only do they not get it, they don't care. I feel bad for many people that will be hurt by this $12 billion disaster in the making. I hope the CEO and President are ultimately held accountable."