Cadillac has a new pitchman – Bob Dylan.  He’s selling Escalades.
   
Though Dylan is OLD, very old, he’s maintained a certain air of rebellious independence and has a very successful XM radio show, “Theme Time Radio Hour.”  XM, of course, is now standard equipment on just about everything GM makes, and so it’s logical to see them using an XM name in their newest campaign to pitch the Escalade.
   
Starting today, Dylan will be part of an ad campaign which includes not only XM radio, but also television, the internet, and print ads.  Dylan will have a special version of his radio program on October 24th with a Cadillac theme.  Maybe he’ll play his own Summer Days, with the lyric, "I'm drivin' in the flats in a Cadillac car." 
   
A 30-minute preview of the "Cadillac" episode of Dylan's XM show is available at www.xmradio.com/dylan-cadillac, and starting October 24, will also be at www.mycadillacstory.com and www.cadillac.com.  In the ads, Dylan is behind the wheel of an Escalade driving across a remote desert as he listens to XM radio.
   
GM issued a statement in tone typical of corporate p.r. people: “The Escalade campaign with Bob Dylan is the latest example of the tremendous value our long-standing partnership with XM creates for our brand," according to Liz Vanzura, Global Marketing Director at Cadillac. "We are pleased to join XM in this exciting campaign that brings together two great American icons - Cadillac and Bob Dylan - to reinforce the unparalleled XM listening experience available as a standard feature in every Cadillac."
   
If Cadillac wanted someone that’s sung about the car to pitch the Escalade, they may have passed up some better choices than Dylan.  A quick search shows that “Cadillac” has been used in at least 381 songs.  Among those who have sung, if not its praises, at least its name: Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Bruce Springstein, Aretha Franklin, Kid Rock, Neil Young, Lonestar, Sheryl Crow, Luther Vandeross, David Bowie, Wynonna Judd, Ludacris, Trisha Yearwood, Led Zeppelin, Weird Al Yankovic, Ice-T, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Snoop Dog, and, of course, Johnny Cash, to name but a few.
   
Granted, Snoop Dog used to pitch Chryslers with Lee Iacocca, Weird Al probably doesn’t present a Cadillac image, and there are a lot of rap lyrics that won’t make it in the mainstream.  Still, for a ride that’s been dominant in the world of bling and for a company that’s trying to appeal to a younger demographic, it’s hard to see how building an image around an old folksinger makes sense.
   
After all, in Summer Days the line right after the one about driving a Cadillac is, “The girls all say ‘You're a worn out star.’"