We are now one step closer to the steering wheel villain from WALL-E becoming a reality
The MTV Video Music Awards are one of the biggest award shows in the music industry. Throughout its 34-year tenure, the event has had a major influence on the culture of music entertainment.
For this past weekend’s VMAs, Cadillac served as a major sponsor of the event. As such, the automaker took the opportunity to showcase the capabilities of its Super Cruise technology through a collection of television spots.
The Super Cruise system was featured prominently in a series of new advertisements from the automaker. These television spots were designed to launch Cadillac’s “Let Go” campaign, which centers on the autonomous capabilities of the Super Cruise system.
One of these advertisements can be viewed below:
During the advertisement, a Cadillac driver utilizes the Super Cruise technology to communicate with a passenger using sign language. While he makes all of the necessary signs, the Cadillac takes care of driving on the freeway.
While Cadillac probably doesn’t think that a majority of the drivers using Super Cruise will need it for signing purposes, the example does visualize the capabilities of Cadillac’s system. Cadillac Super Cruise is a semi-autonomous driving system that controls steering, braking, and acceleration of a vehicle while it is on the highway, allowing drivers to take their hands off the wheel and feet off the pedal.
“Look mom. No hands!”
While many other automakers have similar systems, Cadillac takes things a step further by using facial-monitoring technology to sense if the driver is actively paying attention or not. If the driver is not in fact paying attention, then Super Cruise will issue a series of audio and visual warnings before safely coming to a complete stop if those warnings are not heeded.
“It’s been very carefully thought out from a safety standpoint,” GM product chief Mark Reuss stated. “Cadillac is going to lead the way on all this.”
Originally, Super Cruise was meant to be an available option for the Cadillac CT6’s Platinum and Premium Luxury trims, costing an additional fee of $2,500. However, Cadillac has now announced that the Super Cruise technology will come standard on the CT6 Platinum.
The Cadillac CT6 is just the start. Cadillac plans to eventually add the Super Cruise technology to even more Cadillac vehicles, eventually making its way to other General Motors brands as well.
The Cadillac CT6 will be the first vehicle in the lineup to include Super Cruise technology
The Super Cruise “Let Go” commercials were not the only ones aired by Cadillac during the VMAs. Cadillac also demonstrated the influence that it has had upon the music industry in the 30-second advertisement below:
The spot is filled with various songs that reference Cadillac vehicles. Included in the commercial are Pearl Bailey’s “Solid Gold Cadillac,” Hot Chocolate’s “Heaven Is in the Back Seat of My Cadillac,” Ludacris’ “Southern Hospitality,” and Kesha’s “Woman.”
Cadillac has undeniably been a major influencer on artists across the musical spectrum. With Super Cruise, it would appear that Cadillac wishes to be a major player in the race toward autonomous driving as well.
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